Pete Rock posted this on his IG a few days ago. Pretty awesome to see how far ALC has come. Rhymes were Fresh! I always thought Al could spit. Just wanna hear him do it more. he might be coming around.
So with you guys being me, there are things I know about you personally that no one else does. And I know them, simply by knowing myself. You feel predisposed to Nazi-ism, you don't feel soulful enough, you feel blackballed, TOO intelligent, ...I get you guys. Deeply. I also know that these insecurities are amplified by #TheBigWhodunit. Know that you guys' work made the pain of everyday easier. To the point where we were almost rivals. But I love you. I love my gang.
Listen. We're at a point in our lives and careers where we have to LITERALLY bite the bullet. Things are gonna trigger us. PEOPLE are gonna trigger us. Those that can help us will jab at us, because WE ARE MIGHTIER THAN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES. We MUST take it in stride. We must be as strong as the decision to buy guns and ammo to spray up a whole school full of bullies. And we can't be afraid of the aftermath of our actions. We must be iron pillars, to where no Delilah can strip us of our strength.
If I were you, and you were me... I wouldn't be ready.
What if you feel my pain? And... what if you hear my thoughts?
Yeah.
If you were me, and I was you... I wouldn't know what to say
But it's amazing what you find face to face!
(verse 1)
3rd grade. Watching the Grammys with my mom. I should be hurting my family with a bomb. Menendez. But no twin. This little nigga came in, and they heads up everybody else. Except me. But I got a friend who's deadly, watching with me. And in this wish I made (so I could get a chick), we become Bob and Whitney. Became the future. Why I lay the future down. Y'all know the skee-lo. I'm not on the d-low, but I could be Henry, Mark, when walking to the ring with envy. Everybody bigger and smaller. Maybe these niggas is smaller, but they not smarter. I wish I was a little bit darker. Taller. Then I'd be a baller. Walk up to a Moorer like...
(hook)
If I were you, and you were me... I wouldn't be ready.
What if you feel my pain? And... what if you hear my thoughts?
Yeah.
If you were me, and I was you... I wouldn't know what to say
But it's amazing what you find face to face!
(verse 2)
Captain Inconspicuous. Lyrically, syphilis. Niggas get to rappin', it's a wrap. Wrap it up. Magnum PI. Magnum CH. Between my thighs. Nigga, tweet. Bitch, tweet. Just depends on who is interested in me in an interview. Shift 2. At, nigga. Use the force. It's Luke, with the cat who don't... use anymore? Like... sorcery... of course, it's me, trying find an Important Rih. Pardon me for my normalcy. I'm tryna chill. Niggas wanna provide me pills. I'm like... I got skills. Madlib is hatin'... the administration got the boot. Now Dr. Knockboot and who I don't wanna knock boots with got stupid. I gotchu.
(hook)
If I were you, and you were me... I wouldn't be ready.
What if you feel my pain? And... what if you hear my thoughts?
Yeah.
If you were me, and I was you... I wouldn't know what to say
But it's amazing what you find face to face!
(verse 3)
I told you I'm sorry. Multiply. I told you "I'm sorry". I ought to die. I told you "I gotchu". I told you "you guard me". I don't want to have to say "Sorry, Eye." And all the guys and all the thoughts. Nigga, Covid-19 when I'm flowing from my light beam. Right. I know. I'm Asian. Psycho with the flow. I don't be playin'. Whole block could get distributed weight, and I'm the nigga that'll give it away. Okay? Aight. No, maybe not the whole block. But the dark-skinned chick and the chocha. And then... 3.14! Nigga, a jersey! Definitely workin'! Heard it was a dream come true. Come through, like an MC. How to be a... Pia. See ya! I need ya.
(hook)
If I were you, and you were me... I wouldn't be ready.
What if you feel my pain? And... what if you hear my thoughts?
Yeah.
If you were me, and I was you... I wouldn't know what to say
But it's amazing what you find face to face!
^ ^
^
I feel like the entire gang can relate to this song. And that's why y'all gang, and not more of the same thang.
Nas and Green Lantern have a wonderful history. From mixtapes to tours. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something about Nas. I'll be listening more...
I LOVE that DJ Jazzy Jeff shouted out Green Lantern on the MagMob House Party. He didn't mention Columbine Gang, but the beads are there for me to string together.
Nas is definitely an influence and inspiration for me. So many things I wish I told him when I had the chance to meet him. At least I got to tell him that I respect him immensely. Happy belated to The Nasty One.
I honestly don't expect you guys to claim Columbine Gang. With all of your contributions to music, media and art, I can survive by just bitin' on ya. And with the ambiguous nods from Rihanna back in the day, I'm jaded about including celebrities into my Quazar. But it seems you guys are WIDDIT widdit.
And I love it.
I'm not disbanding the gang. I love us.
With that said, I ask that everyone, gang and outside, understand that George Massa, James Yancey and Jack Splash mean everything to me. If you have an encounter or altercation with any of the three, bring it to me.
But let it be known:
Them boys love me.
Hardcore, relentless, uglyface kinda love.
So I ain't tryna hear it, technically.
Other than that, here's a *BANG* for being so awesome.
!llmind has an event coming up called Pass the Aux. Basically, those eligible will flip a loop !llmind cooked up and, if chosen, would work with !ll towards getting a placement.
Noble.
I think where I'm at with Columbine Gang is, looking PASSED the music business. CGi is not dumb. We are ALL talented, gifted, blessed, attractive, outspoken, and firm on our beliefs. All traits (minus attractive; hi Latto!) rejected by the "industry". I'm sure it's hard for Badu (the Jesus of our #gang) to get a feature. DJ Evil Dee might not have had a mainstream placement in a while, but... like Badu (I'ma tell you the truth), his legacy is cemented in Black music (and if we're being real, music in general).
!llmind has made some of the most iconic and underappreciated beats of the last decade. And his behind-the-scenes work make him a legend in MANY unbeknownst arenas. But if he could rock THE HOUSE, instead of The Block, he would be a threat.