No Second Take – Hip-Hop

#Hip-Hop #No Second Take – Hip-Hop Yeah... one time Check, check Clock ticks loud on a cracked plaster wall Hoodie zipped, I can hear my own pulse call Rent late, fridge light flicker, same pain Notebook pages bleed through the Michigan rain Knuckles white round a cheap plastic cup Every L I took taught me how to get up Stairs to the mic feel a mile steep One breath in, that's the promise I keep Bus route 7, headphones cracked Writing bars on a receipt on my lap Factory shift left grease on my hands Wash it off, still the ink understands This moment, right here No do-over, no rewind, it's clear One shot left, no reset, no rewind Feet on the line with a fire in my spine If I choke now, it's gone, that's the test Either I own this now or lay it to rest One shot left, I'm done pretendin It's now or never, beginning to ending City hum through the blinds at 2AM Doubt in my ear like a permanent friend Mama worked doubles just to keep heat Swore I'd turn struggle to something concrete Little sister asleep on the couch again I write quiet so I don't wake her then Neck damp, mic sweat, grip tight One wrong word and the dream takes flight They want the safe verse, the radio clean I want the truth, even if it bleeds Corner store clerk knows my face Says "you still rappin?" Yeah, watch this space Last Tuesday, battle at the shelter hall Thirty heads circled round a cracked wall My name called, throat went dry Saw my whole life flash in one try First eight bars, I stumbled, slipped Crowd laughed, ego ripped Went home, stared at the ceiling crack Wrote that same sixteen till my hand went black Now I hear that laugh in my sleep Turn it to a metronome, count the beat One shot left, no reset, no rewind Heart in my throat but my vision aligned If I fall now, at least I went best Wrote my name in the risk, not the rest One shot left, I'm done pretendin It's now or never, beginning to ending Uncle Joe said "get a real plan B" I said "Plan B is just Plan A with fear in me" Payphone quarters, demo CD scratched Label guy never called back, that's that Still got that same hoodie, same loose thread Same fire in my chest when I hit the shed No chain, no watch, no borrowed shine Just these words and this borrowed time If this is it, then let it be loud Not for the critics, not for the crowd For the kid in the back who thinks he can't I'ma show him how to turn can't to can All in, no parachute Heart hammer, absolute If I don't jump now, when do I leap If I don't speak now, the silence speaks Look... I ain't got a perfect story I got late bills and a busted floorboard But I got one breath, one beat, one more So watch One shot left, no reset, no rewind (let's go) Feet on the line with a fire in my spine (yeah) If I choke now, it's gone, that's the test Either I own this now or lay it to rest One shot left, I'm done pretendin (I'm done) It's now or never, beginning to ending One shot left, no second guessing Heart on the sleeve, no more stressing This is mine, this is mine, I'm pressing in No second take... no second take