When I Was Young

When I was young, I felt like I was born for this shit Lately, I do admit, I'm getting bored of this shit Rapping just doesn't fulfill me like it used to before And I don't plan to be a rapper, dawg, I plan to be more Rhyming just doesn't excite me like it used to when I started And I guess over time, me and my pen slowly departed I struggle now, coming up with songs when it used to come to me as a natural response And people say that you should always follow your dreams But in reality, I never planned to be an emcee Some people ask me, "Ay, yo Lino, how did you start rapping?" And I don't really know how, dawg, it sorta kinda happened But I do know why, though. It was to escape reality To help me feel better when the whole world was mad at me It's like trying to leave your girl cos it won't work, and you know it But you can't cos you love her even though you know it's hopeless (That's my relation with this hip-hop shit) (Your music motivates me throughout the whole fucking day. I'm just telling you, keep making music, keep being humble with your homies, and just keep representing Koreatown) When I was young, I never thought I'd quit doing graf, until I figured out I was better at making these tracks And that took me like six years to figure out, but I did And so I quit it with the spray paint, and started to spit And now I've figured out I'm better at other things than this rapping shit And maybe try to make a fucking album, what's been stopping me? I wouldn't be here without support from my homies If it wasn't for my crew I probably wouldn't be fluent If it weren't for Infameezy, you probably wouldn't know me If it wasn't for EQ, I'd never drop 'Headphones Only' I'm really thankful that they opened these doors But most of all, I'm really thankful for their love and support I'm really thankful for the fans that were there from the start And I mean that shit sincerely from the depths of my heart Cos if it wasn't for your ears, my music would be so lonely Cos outside of being a rapper, my life is actually boring (All I have to say is, keep making music, Lino. Never give up, it inspires many people.) And then I think about the love that you give me And the joy you might get when you hear me start spitting And I get inspired right when I'm about to burst I was done with this song, but then you inspired this verse I do this shit for those that saw me climb on this My day one ever since that Paid Dues Contest I've come a long way, I've had a little help, though I hate when rappers say that they did all themselves, bro Like who was there, man? Who listened to your shit? Your fans and your peers, that's why you always show respect And lowkey, I'm not really that popping in the game But I guarantee your favorite local rapper knows my name They might be in their prime, but that won't always be the case Someone young will always come and straight take away that reign I just hope to be remembered even after I decay And hope to leave my legacy here in the city of L.A As one of K-Town's finest