The other day, me and XP opened for Souls Mischief
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I'm like "Yo, let's get on some angry MC showmanship and hit 'em"
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Rocked all the cocky songs and not too many soulful lyrics
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Even a couple dissin' women callin' 'em groupies, hoes, and bitches
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Got off stage, and I'm like "Yo, I know that we killed it"
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Ran into a familiar face, a female who comes in and supports us
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I said "Peace!" She said "Wait! Let me talk to you for a minute
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I know it's none of my business, but I wasn't impressed by your performance."
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I said "Word? Shit, I love feedback and criticism"
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She said "I miss the passionate spirit, your political vision
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Quite honestly I wasn't offended by those references to women
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But you're only continuing society's conditioning"
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It hit the heart of me
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I told her that this was part of me
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I stand up for human rights, and treat others how I would wanna be treated
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But every song can't be seepin' with freedom
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'Cause the other side of me is sexist then people will feel that I'm preachin'
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"Everything's peace and love?" uhh, that's somewhat misleading
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Because this world is fucked-up and I'm a pro-duct to what I'm seeing
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Not to justify, but just to touch on my being
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I learn from these verses and my purpose gets surfaced with demons
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Now I am sexist, I'm prejudice, I put that in my music
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She said she heard that perspective, but before she turned around
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She said "We have a flame, your fire's ignited with sound
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Are you building the empire up, or using your fire to burn it down?"
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[Chorus: x2]
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Consumption, contradiction. I'm conflicted with being a hypocrite,
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And through these songs you can witness it.
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The differences, I admit this shit, because I'm just like you;
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Walking a fine line between saying and living it.
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[Overvoice:]
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Light it up to burn it down, light it up to burn it down
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Light it up to burn it down, down, down
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Light it up to burn it down, light it up to burn it down
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Light it up to burn it... down, down, down, down, down, down, down
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Now one thing that I've always struggled on
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Is how to incorporate drugs and alcohol into my music
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Outside of sober songs
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'Cause on that perspective, that's all over my records
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But the other side isn't represented unless it sessions with XP
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How can I admit that I love to smoke weed
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Knowing the kids are listening and many of 'em look up to me?
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Not to say that I'm a role model
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But I know that words are power
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And if I condone bottles and chronic, I am sending out the
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Message "It's okay," hey I believe that it is. Chronic can be medicine
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But it's all about your relationship with it
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See I'm either off in the wagon riding and everyday with the spliff
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Constantly looking for a balance but habit turns to addiction
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And hip-hop music & weed: they're inseparable
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So MCs that don't smoke or drink, talking about it to me seems questionable
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It proves how much people just want to be accepted
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And not seem straight-edge to their audience, so keeping it real is neglected
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'Cause when I'm smoking, I wouldn't wanna bump a song like this
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Put on some Devin, break out the Swishers and a bong and some licks
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See that's a part of me too
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And I know that I would make more money if I wasn't as true
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To all the stuggles of the blunted consumption I'm going through
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Make music for the party, and the people support you
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I burn Brother Ali and buy 50, what does that say to you?
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Bring it back around
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Am I building the empire up or using my fire to burn it down?
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[Chorus x2]
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-----------------
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Contradiction
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Macklemore |