Uh, bein ill ain’t nothin' new / Old news, you can call it Phil Donahue / Old demons that haven’t aged gracefully / Younger days, maybe would’ve motivated me / Nowadays look at my hand and think the dealer’s playin' me / But even if you reshuffle the cards and cut the deck / You’ll choke if the noose is still around your neck / Suffocatin', do anything for a fresh breath / House in perfect order, but my life is still a mess / Feel like everything’s a test or a text / Just wonderin' to myself which one will come next / Refreshed, is somethin only felt by my computer / Beat down, not knowin who is the abuser / 'til I look into the mirror and see that the real intruder / is the same guy I rely on to make improvements / A paradox that can push me into seclusion / It’s like even when you’re cruisin', you’re cruisin' for a bruisin' / and the bruiser is the usual computer user / And doubles as the judge, jury, and executionor / Life’s a bitch, but my grip won’t let loose of her / Even Angels fall, look what happened to Lucifer / Don’t get me wrong though, I know I’m blessed / but how can good be good enough when there’s better and best / When people look at me, they just see how fresh I dress / but it takes clothes this fly just to hide my stress / Thought happiness was spelled NBA / Had a sick J and the illest pair of J’s / but JJ’s only remembered for one thing these days / Dy-no-mite, and when that blows up in your face / See the world may be a stage but it ain’t safe / Feel miseducated, but what’s the cause and effect / Learned from Inspectah Deck got to protect my neck / Learned from my grandfather the value of a check / Invested checks in Nike Air’s since I was able to step / Now I see Swoosh’s in reverse, and see those checks / So much irony in stayin' fresh to def all the way to death / Make sure loved ones are dressed their best before they’re laid to rest / Uh, and their soul has left / 'Cause life’s an exercise in perseverance / and I’ve been doin wind sprints, yoga, and mad calisthenics / Been evident ever since I was the age of ten it / ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight of the dog in it / Bein' realistic can get you labeled a cynic / I just spit it how I live it, can’t help it it’s intrinsic / Hurt so many people, they thought I was sadistic / but I’m just gettin started, what’ll they say when I finish / 'Cause everything happens for a reason / The good, bad, and indifferent, they all have a meanin' / And havin' faith ain’t bout knowin', it’s about believin' / So the only thing that tempts fate is not to believe in / your dreams and that one day you’re gonna achieve 'em / 'Til then don’t lose sight of your vision, endure the seasons / And If the people in your life come and go like the seasons / In the summer prepare for winter, be wary of treason, uh / Obituaries all have a similar theme and / Somebody died young, someone else went to meet him / They say money’s replaced love as the thing that we needin' / so instead of comin' together we keep on competin' / For green, until one day you envy the feelin' / of trustin' in the one those dollars imply when you read 'em / Because, I just think about writin', and my ink ignites in / red like a lightsaber, the lyrical Darth Vader / Anecdote for haters, not atheist, my pen’s my savior / And it’s a Monster, call it Rancor / Beatin and poundin on death’s door / Life’s a gift, but it’ll treat you like a fuckin creditor / It’s not a myth, the J10legend has been confirmed / and ever since each inch has gotten my foot into doors / Of whores, and they Honda Accords / Until they beg for more but by that time I’m bored / Ignore - most calls, really pointless to call me / ‘Less you’re Jesus Christ, MJ, or Bob fuckin Marley / Chris Farley, Richard Pryor, or Tyra with an army / of big booty bitches, and all they wanna do is ride me / Can’t stop me, got the heart of a kamikaze / and a chin like Rocky, squares can’t outbox me / I’m somethin that you just pray to contain / ’91 Game 1, MJ mindframe / Goin in with the right hand, then switchin it just ‘cause I can / I been the man before golf fans yelled it from grandstands