3 - The MANual

When they ask for it, never tell ‘em no. Let it go Put a pen to the pad—it’s an effervescent flow Definitely know—I’m a product of the era I was brought up in— Competition slaughtering for fun Might’ve mentioned guns as a shorty for attention Not to say they wasn’t in my area, but listen My competition, they never wanted me dead They wanted decapitation, they saw that I was ahead Heard that I told tales, knew that I did it well Sisyphusean descriptions—I live in my own Hell It’s populated by heat that I hand make—flip a coin— No matter how it lands, where you’re going— Is through they alleyways, back blocks, tenements Where if he don’t call a girl a bitch, he’s a gentleman Misogyny expected—Sodom and Gomorrah Scary movie mind state—the problem ain’t the horror In the movies, we die in the first scene So we’re all really Drew Barrymore in the first Scream Only it’s set in Harlem, maybe it’s in Detroit The audience prays you don’t turn around—it ain’t The Voice You fall as you’re running to get away— Felonious metaphor, you do a year and a day Or die trying Lie silent Crack infested—surrounded by thirst, it’s Rock Island From 217 to 309, niggas open they rhyme books up and bleed on lines Hope for some recognition—to cheat on dimes Ladies like Changing Faces, and we don’t mind Bars over the head like snatch lifts Dope boy antithesis—rhyme with a back flip Flip back one chapter, finish the exposition— Juice, on the roof, I’m standing right next to Bishop; Raheem’s dead and Steel got shot— We all know how the story ends—still I watch Excited to see the violence—destined to See It Through Kinda funny, back in school, I pledged: I’m a Q Grew up in the era of ass whooppins Switches, belts, knuckles for mad lookin’ Bus transfers, bummy and bad lookin’ Lunchtime ciphers, dice get cash tooken C-Style—A-dot, kind of the same guy— Aries and Virgo—we should have been Gemini Cause since shorties it was just him and I Talking more shit than a little bit Ignorant Wasn’t all good, but I choose how to remember it Mention it cause he sent me the track for me to spit to it 97 Canibus, jaw dropped listening; Nobody spit like he did, and it’s been a minute since I had inspiration—so I listened closely Wondered what I’d say in conversation with the old me “Stop drinking, pig is a filthy animal If an elephant’s in the room, then you should be Hannibal Scribble down in your notebook all you can manage to Wait ten years, then publish it as the manual.”