AUTHENTIC (feat. JoDee Hall)

I'm just a young Bachelor
Tryna be a Master of his fate
Though technically a Ph. D is more my mental state
Got a ton of Associates who swear that I'll be great
But when it comes down to it
I feel like I'm the biggest bate
I hate that I'm my biggest critic
Always swimming
In the belief that I'm just a different kind of guy
But at the same time
Only human
Feeling like judgement's just looming over me
Who I'm supposed to be
Is still blooming
Into the man that my daddy wasn't
Tryna be a good example to my little cousins
And the other youngings
Who feel like
The streets are always buzzing
Calling their name
Now I'd never claim
To be one of those rappers in the game
Seeking fame and accolades
I'm not searching for no one else's praise
Just my momma and God's
To beat all the odds
Of a statistic
I was always given
But I was never living
We ain't Behemoths
We're just giants
Reaching zeniths
Without pretense
Our stories unfold in its un-sequence
We hold the secrets
Of breaking the chain
Of all the heartache and pain
We can replant family trees
On better terrain
If we just believe
Let me leave you with this
Just a short list
Of principles
That's extremely critical to lift
You into a season of blessings
No question
It'll stop all the stressing
And it's
Loyalty
Communication
Love
Remember your origins and where you come from
And I promise that the sun
Will shine on you
Cuz you stayed true to your Authentic self
When everyone said not to

You are Authentic
You are Authentic (and that's enough)
You are Authentic
You are Authentic (and that's enough)

Not gonna lie
I never thought that this would get made
Cuz this is way this too sentimental
To even get played
By radio stations
Always tryna stick to the wave
Of people spitting bout cyclic natures of thinking the same
But nah
That ain't me
I'm just a lyrically potent
Optimistic prime example of a well-spoken
Soul who ain't broken
Rather
I've been transformed
I was born
To speak peace and positivity
To the generation I'm in
And the ones after me
I'm actually
The emphasis of a stone that builders refused
Thinking I could not fit into the mold that they viewed
I'm the fuse, matter of fact
I'm Common meets Hughes
Meets Cole and CHIKA
I intertwine poems
And rhythm'n'blues
I'm the product
Of Chance, Jill, Ms. Badu
Big Boy, Tupac
And 3000 too
One of the few Last Poets left
Giving you everything
My life, my soul, and my breath
All so you can understand
The depth of what I mean
I am Authentic in my vibes and my dream
A seed in this garden we may not get to see
Writing symphonies that were never meant for me
It's for those who understand the message that I preach
That individuality
Beats conformity every time; let your shine
To block out all the haters
They'll realize you belong in the majors
Til then just grind, and I promise
It'll be just fine
It'll be just fine