Once upon a mic there was a rebel with a cause
Even if the cause was just to make you feel good
Rocking in the parks, stealing power from the light posts
Transformed from sidekicks to poets that might host
Breaking down pop shit into hip-hop
It don't quit, don't stop, but still got no props
From labels or radio, fuck that, whatever
Keep that shit moving, keep that shit clever
Constant improvement, constant elevation
Building more stories upon a foundation
Strong enough to inject slang to conversation
One culture spread throughout so many nations
Unfortunately execs lost their patience
Recycled wack shit just for more patrons
After a while, tactics got so damn blatant
Constructive critics was just seen as hating
Too much dick riding, no journalism
DJ Pushplay replaced Tablism
Turned the old school into the new prison
So nowadays loved ones shun, just don't listen
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
Once upon a microphone stand was a mic
And next to the mic some kid trying to write
Staring at a blank page, that was at a time
So much on his mind that he couldn't even rhyme
Now this one wasn't nowhere near new to the game
He had a little fame, developed himself a name
Was something like a thoroughbred coming up lame
Something felt different and nothing was the same
The last thing the kid wanted to do was complain
'Bout how the game sucks or it's such a fucking shame
But he's sick of all the pigeon holes and labels like
Underground, conscious, old school, backpack
And the rest of that nonsense
Since so many blew up from bullshitting
It made him wonder why he should even keep rapping
Already wrote a song about the day that he fell off
But he was just playing 'cause he thought it'd never happen
But see only a handful of people ever heard it
Some even tried to say that's the way that he preferred it
As bad as it sounds, living it out felt worse
He'd been jerked around so much he felt cursed
So as we proceed, the story goes on
Don't let your proceeds, you can't go wrong
We planting the proceeds, wants to grow on
Wanna know how it end? Well check the end of the song
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
Once upon a mic there was a childhood phenom
Rapping like it was his only purpose in life
Eat, sleep, drink, shit, piss, spit hip-hop
Like many, the personified dime was his wife
But y'all know the story told many times before
The bitch was a ho, she let herself go
She got fat and sloppy after having mad kids
A bunch of baby daddies and some of them were his
But he couldn't divorce her, committed to the family
Passed time complaining, walking 'round pissed
But as the children grew, though, he did too
Taking pride in the ones that handled they biz
Some typical niggas, some were enigmas
Some starving artists, some for six figures
Some were so gangsta, some for revolution
Some were just trapped inside they own illusion
Meanwhile, the father had an affair with jazz
A freaky ass orgy with soul, funk, and rock
Married music and named their first daughter hip-hop
His ex-wife ran off with some nigga named pop
There it is
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?
This is a journey into sound
Once upon a time
Why waste time on the mic?