The Introduction

[Intro] Well, judging from my exuberant expertise Hey! Oh, I like that Hey! Yeah Oh, fuck you [Verse 1] I'm like ten years in, feels like I'm just getting started Spent the first like six or so just trying to run from my problems I signed a deal as a rapper, left that deal as a man Let them songs do all the talking, let y'all gossip instead Them problems made me an artist, shit, they developed my brand Said that we should just enjoy ourselves before I did I had a chip on my shoulder, every beat was my dip And after ten whole years, I almost packed up and quit Got that comedy itch, I want to act in some flicks I want to wake up with a woman, not wake up with a...huh I want to follow my dreams, not get stuck in a line 'Cause by the time I reach the front, I'll know I've wasted my time I'm finally making a living, but think I'm dying inside Shit's ironic, I was happier clocked in at my job I'm not sure what I should do, just know that this isn't it Struggles of me being me, the hopeful pessimist And still I seem to always find a way to kill a good thing Like, look at all the shit that I done fucked up, girls that I done fucked up Drinks that I done drunk up, drugs that got me locked up I wonder all the time 'bout who I would be If I ain't ever got caught up in dumb shit, thrown into that drunk tank Bought that fucking ticket to Miami just to escape Fucked around and got my passport stolen in the first week Wilding out on south-beach, rapping over phour beats Smashing all them girls from Cuba, Honduras Sleeping on them couches like a deadbeat, no worries Keystone and shots of Sobieski, it varied Wake up looking like I seen a ghost, Bill Murray With that Young Sinatra playing, Overly Dedicated Nothing but some Setbacks so I moved to Section.80 Man, I moved back to my hometown, just a bad kid in a good place To a good kid in a mad city, no ass-kissing, no asterisks No KD chips, LeBron James with no stadium Bonneville with no radio, rocked every show in my radius Ate twice a day call it radium, sad as hell, but still radiant Opened up for like every artist on the fucking planet, no main event And still can't find me a single reason that explains why I ain't famous yet Good job, you played yourself, DJ Khaled Snapchat on a Jet-ski PH balance Whole lot of y'all basic, I'm acid the rapper I'm Donald on a good day, I'm traffic in Atlanta on a bad one Y'all ad-libs to my anthem, your best days my average Y'all Artest to my Wallace, this rap shit is my palace No challenge, no red flag, my last girl she waved that I'm way past past dues, paid those in my past too Many times to even recollect and now I just collect when I have to Underpaid, disrespected, nowadays I'm my own Collective President of my fan club, treat every record like a new election, I... [Verse 2] Still think about my Dad when I get sad Think about how nothing good can last Think about the future I've rejected, friends that I've neglected And how my whip is running out of gas I hear the engine clicking as I drive, grows louder all the time I wonder if I should just let it crash No passengers to be sat, no one to push a seat back No one to make a playlist, no one to give me feedback Wonder what it's like losing sleep, pillow-talking over dreams Wish for everlasting cold spots and clean Supima sheets I wish for breezes on the beach, night drives and sunny skies I wish that I was taller, for a smile, and perfect teeth I wish I had someone to shop with, someone to cherish God with I wish for simple things, I wish that I believed in God I hope you get the greatest job, to brag about at weddings I hope you find somebody, hope you have the perfect wedding Know that I'll never forget you, and that I'll always miss you And that I'm self-aware and I'm still working out my issues Treat each record like a breakthrough, reflections like they're see through And never have no filler lines, no peek-a-boos or previews You'll always get the real me, no matter what, the real me And when I contradict myself, just trust I'll do the right thing I'm confident in hindsight, but squint to see a scoreboard Grateful this is my life, just doubt it's what I'll die for I wish I had time for, people with no strings Attached, but seems like everyone's a puppet in this bitch I see the film start to unravel, I'm tripping over dreams But most of y'all don't see 'em through, you leave before the credits And I'm not too good at things, no not whatsoever I just work way harder than the people that are better Wrote a letter to a fan, while I was making dinner Then went and made this beat and wrote the lyrics, then I spit it Then recorded it and listened, mixed it, then submitted I made the cover art and everything else that went with it All the jobs that they distribute, and split amongst themselves I studied and I practiced, now I do that shit myself I know I could just ask for help, but then who would I be? Another fucking artist that just sounds like other artists? And the truth about my albums, you know, the ones I shelved? Them shit's was kind of hot, but they were made for someone else So by the time it came to drop 'em, I couldn't fucking do it I promise that I tried, just wasn't happy, and I knew it But I want you all to know, that I was dying slow I almost killed myself to speed things up, but then I chose To write a song 'bout being happy, I cried when it was done Because I knew I wasn't, truth is, I was scared as fuck But had to try and better me, I knew I couldn't die 'Cause way too many people were counting on me to survive And there's a we in front of should because it really takes an army And it's so fucking crazy, when I look up I'm surrounded I know I won't live forever, but y'all my youth fountain And every time somebody says I saved 'em, it's ironic 'Cause it's y'all that keep me going, every day's a bonus This music is a thank you, all these songs, you really wrote 'em Life is nothing but some moments, some we'll share together And I just hope you know that when I'm gone, I really tried to be happy