Lesson Learn'd

(Chorus) The good days are gone I fucked up, I coulda been someone... (Rivercity was us!) I got nuthin but love for my crew It's still my city, no matter where I move, and Though the well done run dry I fill my cup; Cuz I'm still someone... (Rivercity was us!) I got nuthin but love for my crew It's still my city, no matter what Ohhh (Verse 1) I was nobody prior to rap Pliable - liable to act prideful When I was, in fact, trying to hide from My past rivals I lied to myself, 13: punk rock was my end-all No genre compared; Barbie without a Ken doll Dead Kennedys/Minor Threat/Ramones/Rancid I loved the Misifts - but only with Glenn Danzig Black Flag; and who could forget the Sex Pistols? Subscribed to Hit Parader Read every fresh issue I never guessed what I'd least expect to get into Would nest in me Dressed to impress, and press into My flesh and sinew... Turns out, not all hip-hop's less than simple: It can be complex and sinful Let's continue... June of '01, I met Colmes And we became best bros, he showed me the light Showed me the mic... Showed me how to hone what I write And transform my foreign form from my former device Into more than a bored chorus Four-score from the mic From a spore that absorbs orbs for supportin' new life And before this, I felt sure rap was a horrible type Of abnormal recital, like a sort of porno you write Like a form of informal advice A portal to forewarn Mormons and all men alike Of the force in the night... Colmes schooled me on a few thangs First lesson was "Wu-Tang" Second lesson: "Learn the new slang" "Ebonics" by Big L was a big help... Third lesson was all culture; The four elements How to tell homies from vultures He told me that real rappers are freestylers So meanwhile, just practice for adversaries Unwraveling capilleries Adamant-actin', adapting to habitats is scary And very combative, so stack up a mad vocabulary He introduced me to Jarrod Thomas from Barker's Point Back then, he was 'Klassick' He asked if I wanna spark a joint Years later, names changed and Monark had joined Our crew; called ourselves "E-Sential" The hardest boyz Reppin' the North Side... Sabotage on my tail But Jarrod was barely involved in the songs that we spilled Cuz he was also a member of "Ill Logic" as well; At first, I came across as a novice with obvious help I don't think he really thought a lot of me til I recorded my song "Criminology", and, well... I could tell he noticed a spark in me: Cracka can rhyme That was at 16, big dreams, back of the line Remember when we met Swollen Members and Project Wyze? Tannery full of buses...fans fussin' in line Moka tried to get us inside the Upper Deck But we was underage, so we stayed on their bus, eatin chips Prevail was real, but Mad Child was a dick Moka Only was our homie, gave us Heineken sips Jelleestone and the Rascalz... Gettin' high with the gods K-os was the bomb, and Kardinal Offishall... Freestylin' with everything, tryna make an impression So these celebrity legends always remembered Fredericton I still got the photos...me dressed like I'm dead I wanted Ecko that xmas: I got Exco instead Writing words on the paper 'til nothing's left in my head... New semester, attending FHS with no friends It was here I met Kaleb; he took all the attention Asking people "Where can I find a good, quality kitten?" I just thought he was kiddin' Later on, I witnessed him at the mall Flittin' along, and his collar was twitchin': It was a small little furball, squallin' relentless He said "Nobody'd be bitchin if we ALL had a kitten..." Yeah, I saw he was different: fairly gregarious Spare me the alias of this Australian alien Scared the episcopalian's failing the processors Lepers with hot peppers A leopard to spot-checkers Hip-hop is chess, not checkers; poison every emcee I bodied Casper live on '95.7 The Beat' I was never this free; sparrin' mano-e-mano Juliano the Godfather, Corrado Soprano Fredericton was the scene "Freddy Beach" was too shitty; we needed a Name with a dream; someone said "Rivercity" We was young, we was kingz... So we started a crew By '05, we was comprised of like 1-dozen dudes: Nemesis, Juliano, Monark, Tubby D Symphintry, KC...Great Dane RIP TalkSick and Envy: Gorilla Militants Skillfully spillin' millions of syllables full of sillyness Heinous speech entertainers J-names rolling deep, rolling dangerous; Jeremy, Jody, Jarrod and Jason Jeff, Justin, Josh, Joey, Jed and then Jacob Just a justification for jumbled alliteration It seemed that figures of speech were a way to our dreams... Save the day and then fade away with a bag full'a weed 'Rivercity Kingz': what a great name for the team Stake claims to break waves with our ways and our means Fake life-wreckers; remember Late Nite Records? Twenty4seveN brakelights make life hectic In '05, I could repay the biscuits Rap battles at the DJ Olympics We played to win, then Phakt repayed the interest I'ma decay these bitches; first victim, I iced This rich kid with a mic, some lil' bitch named "White" Seventeen and supreme Makin' dreams out of reams Churnin' cream in our teens We freezed knees in capris Medellin? Never been... IED: smithereens - Like Fedeyeen for Marines, Freddy's breezy for sheez Now, my talent's surpassin': Student schoolin his master All on my own, anglophone /slash/ microphone grasper That was back when we ate mushrooms in Jarrod's attic And "I Gotcha Back" by Monark & Symph Hadn't been scrapped yet And they ain't scrapped yet; Still best homies from knee-high Til Joey and Jarrod's woman Toni boned, it was peacetime There just never had been a time when They never was friends Now its 2017, and STILL: never again Light a candle for Mikey... Light a candle for Branscombe... Leeferd jammin on his left-handed banjo at random Tubby D and D-ZEL, out scramblin' fences Ramblin, breakin' n enterin, scammin' n fencin' Goddammit, when I said it, I meant it; We was family, Rivercity calamity: damage relentless "You Know Me" was '03 "Life Is War" was '04 "North Side" was '05... ...then a whole lotta more Every Fredericton venue, I performed at em all The Tannery, The Playhouse, Sweetwaters for sure Wednesdays at The Cap; Nicky Zees, 20/20... Leo Hayes at the Caf - stole every show like it's money Student Union, from students at UNB and STU To the truly stupid duffuses who used To be me, now they're you Terry Thomas/Apaustrophe is now called "NFP"; "Socially Exceptable" - that's him partnered with Ceeb Rockin' apocalypse-causing, jaw-dropping releases So fiber-optic only the top optometrists see them The Elks Club: Bonshah be demolishing beats Droppin bombs on the strong Righting wrongs for the weak Loc helped us record songs for our LP But we abandoned it way before We could master the bastard.. But we did a few shows... (mostly I improvised; Red as drunk as a skunk Me as high as the sky) Free lines from the guys: E, coke, or whatever; Sniff it, smoke it, I ain't jokin I was hopeless as ever Music dropped into second Drugs hopped into 1st place In the past decade, I might recall one or two birthdays What the fuck can I say... Best Days of my Life But now they're gone, cuz I'm dead: Bring me into the light (Chorus) The good days are gone I fucked up, I coulda been someone... (Rivercity was us!) I got nuthin but love for my crew It's still my city, no matter where I move, and Though the well done run dry I fill my cup; Cuz I'm still someone... (Rivercity was us!) I got nuthin but love for my crew It's still my city, no matter what Ohhh