Lyrics Greatness, Pt. 2 - Topi Mandela

*Les Brown speaking*
When you good you tell people
When you great they tell you
Writing fire every line
But my book of rhymes hell-proof
Proof read like a professor
I can prove it ain't no spoof
And it gets spooky when the truth
Of what I'm speaking hits the booth
(No I don't mean no photo booth!)
That's a picture I'd rather paint
With pain splattered like blood
When blood exits your veins
And veins pop out your head
Adrenaline heads to brain
While your brain struggles to identify
The source of the strain
Strangely enough I'm finally
Strangling all my fears
But I feel more threatened than ever
It's been the craziest year, let's see...
Debut album, I know people who thought it would flop
Got em all shocked like static
As I tippy toe to the top
Topping the charts cuz I am in charge
Of my destiny when I am with God
And he is with me even when he seem far
So I keep my head high cuz I'm a star-
Wait till my supernova, superficial all I see
In this industry of super fishy people around me
Take shit too casually, end up a casualty
Cassius Clay in the flesh
No man can damage me
Damned to not manage to see the seed of my family tree
Branch out and manifest my pedigree's destiny
Knees dirty cuz I'm rooted in prayer
It's meant to be
Tryna leave my mark on mankind
So kindly I plead, that you feed
Not just your body but your mind and spirit
And if you living to die
You might hear my music and fear it
Feel it?
That's the greatness within you that you ignoring
Hear it?
That's the sound of your guilt screaming and roaring
Smell it?
That's the bullshit you reap cuz that's what you sow
Every time you make an excuse
How the fuck you expect to grow, huh?
Greatness - and the NESS stands for
Never Earned So Simply
But only a fraction will take action
And simplify my rational expression
Type of problem solving that's bound to
Leave some in depression, oh!
Snap out of it like yo thumb on yo middle finger
And don't lose a grip
Cuz the devil wants you with butter fingers
Figure it's a figment of imaginative fiction
But my eyes fixed on the father
Ain't bothered by restrictions, listen I'm-
19 ready to blow like TNT
And since I treat it like a sport
I'm bound to end up major league
You outta bounds to even think
Benchwrmrs is playing
Plain and simple my reign
Will be the epitome
Of greatness they pitifully
Plot to prevent me from prospering
Can't stop me from sonning my elders
Feel like I'm fostering, faster?
Remember that part one
Greatness story and I'm not done
Chasing everything inside of me
To bring it out and show that it reside in me
I ought to be the one to prove the prophecy
Previously I was doubtful, now I see
That I was chosen for this, man I gotta be
Ready for the future, I'm a prodigy
Prada be what the devil wears
Tryna make me lust, I give blank stares
Honestly hysterical, I hear the snakes hissing
They be sneak dissing, but they keep missing
I-
Shake and bake and break loose
Like Sanders, Barry
Wild flavor, tryna bite but can't handle
The punch I pack, like Pacquiao
Or better yet Floyd
I'm fluid, in this field
Faithfully filling a void
It all started in Detroit
13 found passion for rapping
Got sidetracked by school and distractions
Law of attraction
At 17 resumed action
Started released music
Ended up gaining traction...
Fuck a label
A relationship label, a record label
I'm independent and perfectly stable
No cable just had to channel my capability
To tell a vision of my own
And I ain't talking bout TV
Ain't never had time to kill like that
Was writing down rhymes and spillin facts
If I could rewind and take it back
Then I woulda tried to make it last
Been looking to find a way to pass-
Time like a baton
In this relay race called life
Been on this track for so long
Need a breather...
From chasing hot n ready girls
Like I'm craving Lil Caesar's
From running game for a coin
Like I'm back at Chuck E Cheese's
I'm supposed to be a role model
For my little sister Tina
Instead of rolling blunts
Rolling out the kinks in my demeanor
Meaning, me no wanna do no wrong
Temptation's melody mellow
Me no wanna sing that song
I'm a song bird for strong word...
I'm speaking scripture
Psalms heard behind shower curtains...
Listen, listen
*Insert Les Brown*
Circumstances affecting
My circulatory system
On this beat hard to breathe
But I'm ventilating in rhythm
The result of me trying
To bid my sorrow good riddance
Is repentance and a notebook
That's been filled with good writtens
(It's getting real hard to breathe)
Shame in the air
A text from my mom
That said keep me in your prayers
We never even text
My family life is a mess
It's love I rarely express
Had to get that off my chest
Been making moves like chess
Moves like a new address
I got no time to address
My issues but chase a dress
For what, meaningless sex?
To confess all of my stress
And yes, as an excuse
For why I ain't at my best
Or better yet why I flex
With every little success
Subtly belittle friends
Just tryna be cool I guess
200 unread texts
Instagram dm requests
Younger me would be impressed
Current me often depressed
And pressed like I ain't blessed
Food for thought, digest
The weight of what I professed
Finding myself on this quest
Hungry as Budapest...
For the answers...
To life's test...
Breast cancer...
Diagnosis of my old best friend's mom
Got me praying for her
She was always so calm
And collected, told me not to feel rejected
Her son and I no longer speak
But hope she gets the message
No need to even call it beef
I butter up my blessings
Turn charred up mistakes
To well-done lessons.
Got a lot on my plate but y'all gon witness
Me leave it clean like doing the dishes.
Well wishes, to my opposition.
Cuz my story of greatness
Ain't even finished