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in 1982 near the banks of a place known as Savannah, Tennessee River
my birth was the first of a musician turning pastor, delivered
on a Sunday morning during the weekly address, scriptures
a family history tainted with black sheep, indentured
looking for a way to escape the pain of generations, addicted
gone off alcohol and God knows what all, feeling conflicted
but conviction inside of me has always gutted me to pursue a higher vision
i'm still not sure what that is but Hip Hop frames the vision
and i'll die trying to uplift mine with this fire that burns inside
i know what's good and you might not but we exist and all is fine
you do you and i'll do me, but do it without that TV
cause the industry uses rappers while the underground loves emcees
and we all blinded by that bling cause we force fed that it's cool
so you beat that bitch and you stack that dough, you trapped acting like the fool
but i'm here now to save these kids from turning into tools
so please tune in, my name's J.Smo, let me take them back to school
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from the birth to the hearse,
i attempt to peel back the layers of this universe,
stash some samples in a purse, for what its worth,
examine thru the ages, hidden knowledge be the curse,
we reap what we sow yet this truth tends to hurt,
so i let it all out on this mic, watch me flirt,
the devil wears prada and she opens up her skirt,
with a slide of her hand, buttons poppin’ off your shirt,
she shows you riches, you finger lickin’,
stuck inside her trance until you’re ripe for the pickin’,
create dependency until you’re stuck with the system,
cultivate habits that suppress our ambition,
promote wack rap aimed at fillin’ up their prisons,
using entertainment just to further push the mission,
convinced that you’re free when you really just dreamin’,
disconnected from our roots we know not what we believin’.
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
look beyond planet earth, send your mind into space,
grasp the bigger picture put the pieces into place,
see the crack in the box, take a peek at the other side,
that television screen is the blinder to your eyes,
change the transmission, alter perception,
change how you listen, see thru deception,
read thru some books, edit for corrections,
continue digging deep, you will find your direction,
we are not the only forms of intelligence,
and if you disagree, i see your views as irrelevant,
some stress about the future, others stuck in the past,
i say live in the present cause forever doesn’t last,
move with the tides or drown in the sea,
we need to let go but we’re attached to our things,
try to rise above but they want us to sink,
try to question everything but they don’t want us to think.
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
further and further and further away
Yo yo yo, bring that back
this world is composed of frequencies and vibrations,
thoughts plant seeds then they bloom in conversation,
choose your own path and reverse the automation,
get a grip on excess and practice moderation,
defined by the value of material things,
i refuse to be judged by my pocket full of change,
one thing you control is the perspective of your brain,
so double check the art before you put it in the frame,
i don’t worry about the status quo,
i’ll lift up your spirits with my saddest flow,
flip the negatives and then i watch love grow,
assemble building blocks until my time to go.
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from this music that we made in the dirt down in Tennessee,
the seed was soon to bloom, watch it grow and eventually,
out grow the bucket, break through and start a ruckus,
watch the roots start to spread, get a grip and start buckin’,
everything we said we going to do, we’ve done it,
from stages under L-trains to motel slummin’,
takin’ tips to fill the tank and then on this road we runnin’,
another day, another show, while you bump your gums, frontin’,
we passed you in the rental, keep the breakfast continental,
Hip Hop, don’t stop, from the bars to residentials,
slayin’ your potential when this mic nears my dental,
sprayin’ knowledge to your mental goes beyond my credentials,
now the BUNKS are here, West Coast, out chea!
no one saw it comin’ but these Cali skies make it clear,
i’m a long way from Coffee County, that’s home,
and we were once kids, but we are now grown.
i love it when the kick knocks,
love it when the bass drops,
love it whent he mics hot and when i hear the snare pop,
love it when the beats bounce,
love a sticky icky ounce,
love takin’ stages, spittin’ pages, bringin’ down the house,
love it on the West Coast, love it in the Dirty South,
loved it when they loved us up in Brooklyn, yeah we made ‘em shout,
love it when I’m on the road, love it when i get back home,
lovin’ how i have a family that i can closely hold,
lovin’ how my wife’s hot, lovin’ how my kids rock,
love it when they go to sleep so i can find her sweet spot,
love it in the studio, never in a hurry though,
let it marinate, perfect the taste, and then let it flow.
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dedicated to the rhymes, flow,
you never see me talk to 5-0,
in Tennessee the ride was dirty, now I’m Cali - clean,
put away the triple-beams,
and focus all my energy on building up this dream,
i left a gritty team, 2,000 miles East,
all alone in the City of Trees,
i’m unleashin’ this beast, in the form of these beats,
libations for the deceased, a moment of peace….
naw, nevermind, no time to waste, we got to get to it,
viscous like the thickest fluids,
foundation like some ancient ruins,
i’m standin tall, yes i’m makin’ wishes,
i’m schemin’ on these plans while i stand here doin’ dishes
nothin’ changes but the locale, now i’m up in NorCal,
lookin’ at a clean slate, bout time to fill these plates,
and take ‘em back to Tennessee and feed the family,
and show ‘em how we rise above the cards life handed thee
devoted, eroded but stay in motion like oceans,
yes this potion is lotion, rollin’ like a locomotive,
i’m potent, i’m on it, i thought it, i wrote,
i bought it, i sold it, i crushed it, i rolled it,
all in the name of makin’ money tryin’ to keep this milk and honey on the table,
lookin’ for a sunny day but feel like that’s a fable,
lookin’ for the brighter side of each and every day,
3 kids, 3 mouths, yes I have to find a way,
lonely road up to the top is what I always heard them say,
lonely road up to the top is what they always had to say,
lonely road up to the top is what I always heard them say,
so i hit the road and let the beat play, i’m driftin’
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this Hip Hop, nah it never stops,
take it back to the time before the era of Tupac,
Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, and Krush Groove,
when music did more than make deals in the lunchroom,
back when my juice came with no gin,
back when rap stars weren’t fresh out the pin,
doin’ dope deals then goin’ back again,
every top 10 hit glorifies the seven sins,
so I roll up, OG Cleen turn that stereo up,
don’t kill my vibe off that P Chill funk,
show the West Coast love when they stroll through the BUNK,
never hear us on the mainstream,
we never chasin’ after pipe dreams,
i do this cause i do me,
so sit back and ride to this beat.
caught up in the current, survival of endurance,
we burnin’ like a furance, we got the engine purrin’,
not in a hurry, not tryin’ to reach our peak,
slowly risin’ from the deep, simply ridin’ to these beats.
all the rookies fall off cause they tryin’ to make it,
we on to the next cause we already made it,
find the lost souls and unplug from the matrix,
Apocalypse Now, our mission is forsaken,
so I chill and stay faded, engaged to the lab, married to the mic,
make love to the music, make babies with my wife,
my finances suck but I live a rich life,
nah, numbers ain’t a thing,
so much in this world that we aim to gain,
it’s so much sweeter when you endure the pain,
and see the sunshine reflect off the rain,
keep the hate in my rearview, don’t speak cause I can’t hear you,
talkin’ all that jibber-jabber, we the emcees and y’all are just rappers.
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once upon a time, just a boy with a dream,
nothing in his pockets with his heart on his sleeve,
nothing but a fire that was burning so deep,
he couldn’t keep it contained so he proceeded to be,
bounced around by a life that was full of deceit,
lost in a world where hate was the way to believe,
judge not...for you’ll be judged first,
people hide from the truth, cause yes it hurts,
from the pews to the white lines…
this boy has seen it all in his lifetime,
3 kids, a wife, and a loser of a baby mama,
but somehow he keeps it cool, avoids the drama,
used to run with them Mexicans,
put on weight too fast now here come the cops again,
seeing opportunities, he tryin’ to feed his kin,
on the way up from the farm to the master’s pen,
and when he gets there, he’s going to burn it down,
Joshua to Jericho, he makes the trumpets sound,
and it shook from Tennessee across the underground,
and he who was a slave suddenly had a crown.
hook
i’m flowin’ through this lifetime,
trying to keep my life line from the flat line,
but every time I take a turn they’re there to hold me down,
so its back to the boards to prepare the next round.
he was the son of a preacher man,
every Sunday at the pulpit his daddy stands,
raised by the church hymns and mediocre choirs,
small town country christians live to their desires,
but his daddy had a secret,
for 15 years from his son he did keep it,
and when he went to jail that boy got to thinkin’,
hypocrisy is obviously the odor that was stinkin’,
DUIs and jail time, rehab, AA,
alcohol consumed all those hours they could have played,
but the first born is out on his own now,
grown man with daddy issues and it’s on now,
then he knocked up that lame chick,
in court fighting but the judge think he just another dick,
so he stands there and shuts his lips,
watches his first born move away with Tallahassee tricks,
helpless, hopeless, time to raise some more hell,
face to face with his demons, time is the only tell,
the destructive path is where he chose to dwell,
as fast as he rose, that boy began to fail.
hook
yeah, that little boy is me,
now I’m right here for all of you to see,
transparent, open, flip through this book,
each chapter builds off the last one I shook,
I was raised by some OGs,
but me and daddy, we finally found our peace,
buildin’ off of history and learnin’ off of love,
our family is some heathens and we treated like we thugs,
since 1730 when they put us on a ship,
sent us overseas to work and shovel shit,
ha! this american dream,
now I’m older and I got my own team,
leader of the pack, we on the way to our dreams,
mountains to the valleys on this journey for some cream,
we got these kids to feed,
and we got to teach ‘em better with our creed,
we stand here for something and for those things I will bleed,
for this I will bleed,
I’m down here on my knees,
not going to stop ‘til I reach my death bed,
I’ll go 150 ‘til this whole tribe is fed.
hook
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journey through my mind, find a man so conflicted,
contemplating differences while keepin’ spirits lifted,
struggle with myself to determine what’s right,
stay tight, despite the goons creepin’ through the night,
are they out to get me? or after something else?
keep your eyes on the symbols and prepare to go stealth,
something’s in the air but I just can’t place it,
try to suppress my fears but bein’ forced to face it,
turn off the TV and read a couple of books,
start to realize that we trust a bunch of crooks,
place our trust outside and lose control of self,
while others blinded by their greed adn subjects of their wealth,
where’s the humanity? losing to insanity,
lookin’ for the man in me outside the course of vanity,
break free from this cage, come with me and turn the page,
stand up, seek truth, come together, find your way.
hook
1, 2, 1, 2 man i need a mic check,
everyday I’m waking up with more trash in the deck,
all these cats in the field need to learn some respect,
and learn about their past before they scream next
journey through my mind, see a man so conflicted,
every day a constant struggle just to stay lifted,
trapped inside a world that I wish could be different,
but stuck to adapt and apply myself to missions,
seek the lost souls and connect all our spirits,
power in unity will make all the difference,
these lyrics are my tools and the music is the medium,
try to break the program engrained by the media,
dumbed down nutrition, mislead with labels,
weaken our bodies, instill fear with fables,
the more control we give when our bodies are not able,
and everything that’s messed up is passed down to the cradle,
worst thing of all is that none of us see it,
but we all walk the line so zombies we are bein’,
and you call this freedom?
hook
journey through my mind, feel a man so conflicted,
yet gifted, but stuck in a land full of riches,
with misfits who see fit to run this as they wish,
and never trickle down when abundance is breeded,
the balance is tipped, the masses are ripped,
apart at the seams by the forces that pimp,
slap all these hoes and put masks on they faces,
without a labor force, there’s no goods to be traded,
so design economies that are gradually inflated,
then pop the balloon like the odds up in Vegas,
extract all the fear and see the rats take their places,
experiment success, now apply with God’s graces,
feed into religion so our minds become complacent,
overwhelm with luxuries so we forget the basics,
vision gettin’ blurry so we order up the lasik,
but nature has a way of giving balance to this matrix.
hook
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i had to stand there and take it like a man,
this girl is preganant with the proof in her hand,
what you gonna do? ain’t nothin’ you can do,
they do what they want, they do what they choose,
her first inclination was pay to terminate,
come on miss thang, we ain’t makin’ two mistakes,
slow down, breathe, we can figure this out,
I’ll take the kid, we don’t need you in this house,
oh...wait… she likes that check,
so when the baby came, it was who’s got next?!
shattered to pieces, yes I was lost,
next thing you know, piling up court costs,
mediation puts a price on his head,
she gets what she wants and I’m left for dead,
I raised my son from birth til 3 years,
now I’m drinkin’ all these bottles and fillin’ up with tears,
DAMN!!!
i had to stand there and take it like a man,
badge around they necks, no warrants in they hands,
what you gonna do? ain’t nothin’ you can do,
they do what they want, they do what they choose,
couch cushions, cabinets, don’t forget the mattress,
my son only 3, so I told him it was practice,
and damn it, I was right, they didn’t find nothin’,
moved it all the day before them crooked cops came huntin’,
yeah, I was that guys, they smelled me smugglin’,
had a good hustle but my house was crumblin’,
they offered me case if I’d turn their tricks,
I don’t work for police, I ain’t nobody’s bitch,
they left me a number, I threw it on the ground,
this is your sign - come and follow me now!
I really hate to say but this is a true story,
but just a part of this book about my days of glory.
I had to stand there and take it like a man,
her with her thoughts and me on the stand,
what you gonna do? ain’t nothin’ you can do,
they do what they want, they do what they choose,
they judge you how they please, and they do it all the time,
they hand down the sentence and you hold all your lines,
run the numbers, see the figures, then they do the math,
weigh against all the strikes from mistakes in the past,
time to rise another level, they don’t want me underground,
assume what we are, so they try to beat us down,
dare to dream big so they pop the balloon,
in hopes we give up and wear the costume,
unplugged from the matrix, yes, I will remain,
always lookin’ down from another plane, borderline insane,
but also known as genius,
call me what you want but I’ll never stop believin’
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disrupt the habits before they disrupt you,
walk around like some zombies but we got no clue,
better stop and ask some questions before you make your move,
derail off the tracks, landslide, loose caboose,
missing all the comforts of my hometown,
missing simple times, it's so hard now,
complicated, complex, we on a roll down,
destroy to rebuild until I take the crown,
gonna hand it to my queen so she knows who's the realest,
a lion in this jungle trying to show them who's the illest,
motivate my team, they rise up when they feel it,
momentum strong but bad hands they keep dealing,
rise above the ashes as I crash through the ceiling,
cast the net wide to get more fish for the feeding,
got a small army and we down for some feasting,
raise these kids up to guarantee they ain't heathens.
hook (x2)
let me break it down,
I came to melt the crown,
crack the walls with my sound,
hear the lion roar now,
digging through these trenches,
ethic so relentless,
keep chasing wishes,
while we blow this off the hinges.
better hope he don't find me chilling upstate,
better hope he don't realize I'm in first place,
baby powder, smack a fool, all in good tastes,
this old school pimpin', true kings accept their fate,
you can't imagine the pain I've endured,
you've never walked your boots through manure,
the frequencies I dictate are nothing short of pure,
surrounded by a sickness so I'm searching for the cure,
and if I never find it, know I died trying,
you hiding in your secrets and slowly dying,
feel that karma coming for you, I'm the pilot,
as soon as I see you I'ma start a riot,
this Hip Hop it don't stop, I told you it don't quit,
a fire breathing dragon when my soul starts to spit,
feel the heat rising as the steam starts to lift,
i see this as a curse but some call it a gift.
hook (x2)
let me break it down,
I came to melt the crown,
crack the walls with my sound,
hear the lion roar now,
digging through these trenches,
ethic so relentless,
keep chasing wishes,
while we blow this off the hinges.
read between the lines, I know that you feel this,
raging through these pages I am suddenly fearless,
music is the one thing that's never betrayed me,
on this grind until I shine, fuck you, pay me,
too many dudes been trying to fuck with my lady,
y'all about to see the beast, watch me go crazy,
universe been pitching me curve balls lately,
calm it down, hit the bong, let me get hazy,
...back with a vengeance,
ride to this beat, let me know how you feeling,
it's pouring down rain and there's holes in my ceiling,
wipe the tears away through these layers I am peeling,
...it's the truth that I seek,
the meaning of that word changes every other week,
keep the music spinning as I dig through the crates,
you can keep on sleeping but I'm fully awake.
hook (x2)
let me break it down,
I came to melt the crown,
crack the walls with my sound,
hear the lion roar now,
digging through these trenches,
ethic so relentless,
keep chasing wishes,
while we blow this off the hinges.
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hey pretty mama, my lady,
the center of my life, it's crazy,
fell in love really fast and made babies,
a decade later, weight bearing down lately,
I know you feel it mama cause I feel it, too,
I try my best, know it's not enough for you,
and not me and not them,
still a starving artist with my pad and my pen,
regret a lot of things but not one of them is You,
been giving my all but still got no clue,
I apologize, I'll wipe your eyes,
from now til forever this is me with no surprise,
I try to maintain, but I fail...
you feel neglected, I'm lost on the trail,
try to find my way back but fear it's too late,
I'll hate myself forever if that is my fate,
fell in love at first sight, some things never change,
but then I dug myself in a hole and became a source of rage...
and your pain...
and I'm sorry...
but I can't take the past away.
hey pretty mama won't you walk over here,
can I please whisper in your ear?
you're so beautiful, your eyes they make it clear,
I just want to ask can I hold you near?
pour it out with this ink cause it's all i know,
take it back to the day I hooked you with my flow,
you say we've lost touch, I don't feel the same,
try to make it better I'm all about the change,
climbing high up the ladder, got your back on the way,
catch you when you fall, I will always save the day,
to the best of my ability, You see the real in me,
and whip me into shape, make me improve agility,
strive to find a balance so we are never enemies,
you are the absolute closest friend to me,
the only thing I got in this life we've built gradually,
...oh so gradually,
and we don't have much but we've always had enough,
as long as I've got you, I've got the right stuff,
and that's real, so I kneel,
and promise my all through forever love you still.
hey pretty mama won't you walk over here,
can I please whisper in your ear?
you're so beautiful, your eyes they make it clear,
I just want to ask can I hold you near?
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i’m the type of guy that rolls through with the windows down,
free spirit, bass thumpin’, cruisin’ through your town,
this dirty south, boom bap, now we Cali bound,
independent livin’ on our way through the underground,
not the type of guy that pays attention to the lamestream,
more like the guy in the lab schemin’ on his dreams,
or the cat in the studio attached to his beat Maschine,
yeah that’s me,
we keep to ourselves, make our own tunes,
there ain’t no scene where we grow our roots,
so we build it so slow, yeah we form our own groove,
all the rest fall off while we stand so true,
if you ain’t heard by now, yeah, we the BUNKS,
Manchester, Tennessee - time to stand up,
we proud of where we from because it made us,
and no matter where we go, you can’t change us
hook
type of guys that come to town and steal the show,
stay focused on our craft, we stay layin’ low,
in Tennessee, kickin’ back, this is how we do,
blaze the beat and grab the mic as we steady prove
every path that we walk, we the ones that blazed it,
pioneers, buccaneers, and the ones that’s jaded,
outcast to the world, this is what i know,
type of guy with a crew that has the sickest flow,
type of clan that overstands everything we see,
ain’t nothin’ in this world that exists as it seems,
hard to trust a man when we all raised in deceit,
and degrade the women who pump the blood to the beat,
i ain’t into religion or rushing to decisions,
i follow my gut and manifest my visions,
i work extra hard to afford the good food,
cause i’m sick of the chemicals that they try to feed you,
everything is better when you get it homemade,
but this species too lazy, they just rot the grave,
not me, let us show you how we do it,
come and ride through Tennessee while we steady prove it
hook
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Sacrifice for ages, family priority
Compromise abundant, my wants the minority
Secure the foundation, let my Queen fly high
Make these kids put their aim for the sky
I vow to do my best until the day that I die
And every single fiber of my Being will abide
Accomplish the mission, face hard decisions
Life will attack like daggers, make incisions
Twist the blade, feel the pain, adapt with precision
Haters will arrive just in time for provisions
Pull the plates, make em starve, force the collision
Rebellion is imminent, yeah, we see through the prison
Walking on the edge looking down off the ridges
The moments I survive leave most people cringing
Let the pain rain, I’m a glutton for some tragedy
Let the drama bring all the moments filed as travesty
Love trumps hate,
Yeah we stay divided, yes confusion is our state
Lost inside ourselves too consumed to relate
Too emotional to see that love trumps hate
Love trumps hate,
Yeah we stay divided, yes confusion is our state
Lost inside ourselves too consumed to relate
Too emotional to see that love trumps hate
You will see me smiling even though I might be faking it
Apologize for being rude but the hits I’m taking them
Watch the ego crumble, trauma keeps me humble
Shockwaves from my deepest pain, cringe as I fumble
Nowhere near perfect but unmatched with my hustle
Flex my endurance, stretch the seventh inning muscles
Down for anything, different pieces of the puzzle
And watch what I say before they put me in a muzzle
Suffocated our senses, numb us to the core
Nothing but a number, let em watch and keep score
Promise us some change, sprinkle in some hope
Mislead us with a frenzy then study how we cope
Rats in a race running circles in a maze
Losing our sanity trying to keep the pace
Lost in our vanity, thinking we the shit
The crash of self-esteem when our ego takes a hit
Love trumps hate,
Yeah we stay divided, yes confusion is our state
Lost inside ourselves too consumed to relate
Too emotional to see that love trumps hate
Love trumps hate,
Yeah we stay divided, yes confusion is our state
Lost inside ourselves too consumed to relate
Too emotional to see that love trumps hate
From the left to the right, from the left to the right
It’s an all out war but they stuck on the same side
Fighting for a power that is hidden from our eyes
Create enough hate and martial law will reside
The devil feels empowered, watch him take course
Funding both sides but can’t trace it to the source
Clever little bugger, entertain the masses
Underestimate then watch them wipe out the classless
Oh that’s me, oh that’s us
They still want us sitting in the back of the bus
Fighting for the rights of the lowest in the game
Fighting like we’re different when we’re all just the same
Out of mama’s womb and back into the ashes
All that we are is simply moments and flashes
I suggest you find a way to get in tune with passions
Before it’s too late and the world starts to clashing
Love trumps hate,
Yeah we stay divided, yes confusion is our state
Lost inside ourselves too consumed to relate
Too emotional to see that love trumps hate
Love trumps hate,
Yeah we stay divided, yes confusion is our state
Lost inside ourselves too consumed to relate
Too emotional to see that love trumps hate
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(Sacramento, CA) - J.Smo, multi-faceted creative, musicpreneur, professor, supportive husband, and father of 3, prepares for the release of his Quique Cruz produced full length solo album, The Joshua Story (Earth Bound Mix), available digitally February 28, 2021.
J.Smo started working on The Joshua Story in 2013. That same year, he uprooted his family and relocated to Sacramento. But he never stopped working on the album. Fast forward to 2020. J.Smo crosses paths with Quique Cruz through social media. Quique showed interest in a collaboration so J.Smo sent over an acapella. Quique returned a finished song. It was really fk'n dope!
Considering J.Smo had been sitting on The Joshua Story, in demo form, unhappy with the production... he took a chance and asked Quique if there was any interest in access to all the acapellas for his solo album.
The result is The Joshua Story (Earth Bound Mix).
Sidenote: Quique Cruz also produced one of J.Smo's personal favorite albums. Buxaburn's The Distance released in 2013.
released February 28, 2021
written and performed by J.Smo
produced, mixed, mastered and additional hooks by Quique Cruz
(c) 2021 MPC Recording Company / Earth Bound Sound
publishing administered by Unlimited Sounds Publishing & Distribution, LLC
