Get all 58 Substantial releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Apeks (Maxi-Single), Adultish (Deluxe Edition), Salt N Pepa ft. Black Root & Marcus D (Maxi-Single), 1580 ft. DJ RBI & T.Lucas, You've Grown ft. MLLN, Reed Richards, No Per Diem 2.0 ft. Mega Ran, Animal Arithmetic, Vol. 1 (Instrumentals), and 50 more.
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1. |
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VERSE 1
Started in Cheverly, the line was orange
On January 7th, a star was born
Stayed in Seat Pleasant ‘til mom and I moved on
To the next stop, come ride along
Left pops, moms tired of the fighting and tears
So in Landover’s where I spent my formative years
While living here I met my oldest of peers
Underprivileged yet I’m overcoming my fears
Like robberies and shootins, now we out in Suitland
Right behind my high school to focus on my schoolin’
No longer boostin, now I’m beat looping
Pre-To This Union, writing with my blue pen
Penning blue lines from Pentagon & Addison
Battle raps dumb funny like Billy Madison
Battlin, til my name spread like a pathogen
This is just the start I can feel it in my abdomen!
HOOK
All I see is lines, letters, colors
Zippin’ right by, with plenty numbers
Runnin’ thru my mind, what to make of it
It’ll make sense one day
All I see is lines, letters, colors
Zippin’ right by, with plenty numbers
Limit’s the sky, ready, comin’
Take the Sub way
VERSE 2
Left Maryland, but still spittin these bars
Next stop Brooklyn, off of Clinton & Wash
New York, New York was the City of Gods
In Hip Hop, big stage. Hope they give me a part
Took the 4 Union Square, rap ciphers galore
Or the A to West 4th hoping I’m in the store
Fats Beats showed love, thought I made it for sure
Years later, All City on an NY tour… now...
HOOK
VERSE 3
Take the J to Koscuiszko to see old the crib
Or the 2 to Flatbush another place that I lived
Shot to JFK, first Tokyo trip
Bullet train’s like magic, blew my whole brain to bits
everything’s changin’ chances being taken
More time at Grand Central and Penn Station
OT. Brazen… confidence. Amazing…
Where my train of thought took me with a little training
HOOK
VERSE 4
Headed back to MD had a family to start
Now in Baltimore City couple minutes from the MARC
Spending time in DC teaching youth and rippin mics
Kill a show on U St. at Benning Road I save a life
Did the same off Southern Ave. teaching kids to rhyme & more
If I wasn’t with the youth, highly like I’m on tour
Then our brother Junior passed rocked our family to the core
Relocated to VA to hold the fam down for sure
Out in the burbs not too far Dunn Loren
Still nice with the verbs and far from done touring
Now we in Huntington and I’m maturing
Still in PG everyday ‘cause I'ma support’em
Where it all started, I’ll head home someday
Journey’s never easy but I’m making it... someway
Some tracks are curved and some straight
And not everybody will Take the Sub way
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2. |
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VERSE 1
Ya ready?!
Get get get get get get ready?!
Get get get get ready?!
Ready... Aim... Fire… like Blow!
World tuned in to what I write now.
Past. Future. Right now!
Marcus check the levels how my mic sound? (All good)
Movin’ right on
Fist in the air like right on
Keep letting bygones be bygones
Chuck a deuce to your ass like bye! GONE! (FOH)
Use to party like I gave a #uck
Lips on a bottle with my eyes on her butt
Foot on the throttle tried to keep it turnt up
Like my hand on the volume don’t care where we turn up
(No chill)
Now I party like I got a plan
Shit I use to do for free now I get about a grand
Some are still asleep and they really not a fan
They was looking for sheep but instead they got a man
(So real)
HOOK
Steppin' out the crib I wanna move it,
But when I start to move, I start a movement.
So, stop and take a look at how I do it, I
Party with purpose.
So, you can pop your bottles 'til you lose it
While the sound is drowned out by our music.
We gon' keep your hands high while we do it, let's
Party with purpose.
VERSE 2
We’d party and bullshit
Living our lives to the fullest
Back when Gangstarr had a full clip
After everybody was on the Bulls dick
Plenty Bullets. No Wizards
Youngin’ pull ish. Go bizerk!
Folk run the street doing dizzirt
It was nothing sweet, no desserts
Hit the chizzurch, trying to wash away their sins
Til Friday come then some do it again
And the people run for fun and get it in
'Cause we creep from slums where none of us s'pose to win
And I'm, and I'm, and I'm up in here with'em
Share the same problems we don't only share rhythm
Working to resolve'em while we up in here sipping
Til we empty out a bottle we ain't up in here tripping
And we ain't bullshitting just shitting on the bull
Got us off track, cup still half full
Gon pushback til we really have pull
‘Fore you lift that skirt better lift that wool
And know who you effin’ with
The truth will probably make a hooker turn celibate
They can sell a bit of lies but we sidestepping it
Miss me, quickly that ain’t what we represent, nah!
HOOK
VERSE 3
Ain’t no party like a party with purpose
If you party with a purpose don’t stop
For lyin’ ass journalists, punk politicians
Or racists ass murdering cops
Ain’t no party like a party with purpose
If you party with a purpose don’t quit
For fake ass thugs or culture vultures
Won’t cha get off our dick
Yeah we did it before, just did it again
Been this way from the door, getting it til the end
Givin’ yall the raw for sure give it a spin
From the core we swore to war until we win
One accord. Of course the source is from within
And the force is strong as Thor or Benjamin
Grimm hardbody decor but sport a grin
Slim’s leavin’ balance restored workin’ a pen
HOOK
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3. |
Git From 'Round Here
04:02
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INTRO
I don’t really want
I don’t really want
I don’t really wanna see you go!
I don’t really want
I don’t really want
I don’t really wanna see you go!
VERSE 1
When we met you were at age of 12
While you were trying to raise your grades I was out here raising hell
You were selling toys and art,
I had other things to sale
I showed you love though you’re far from thug
With the heart of a cub so you can’t be frail
I respect that…
Can’t lose it if you know where your head at
Couldn’t slow down, I was crackin’ heads
Since Derrick X was out here yellin head crack
But you’s a brand new being?
While I’m stuck in my ways on this block for life
Smoking and drinking and uhh all night
Sticking these hoes I ain’t got no type
But you got a good chick
That there’s type of broad you wife
I did some bad shit
But this some pretty damn good advice
You with the wrong crowd but you tryna live right,
Stood by your hood and it wasn’t your fight
Duck a few strays almost lost your life,
Round the same time you were rockin mics
Told me you had plans, destined to advance and my mans and I knew it
Said you’d never leave home if these song helped you blow, nigga don’t be stupid
All that bama shit you talkin ‘bout gon’ get your ass killed so let me help
If you gettin’ money and you still here I’mma rob your ass myself.
HOOK
You don’t really need to be round here
Only broken hearts and dreams outchea
I don’t really want
I don’t really want
But I don’t really wanna see you go!
You don’t really need to be round here
Hard to rise above defeat down here
I don’t really want
I don’t really want
No I don’t really wanna see you go!
VERSE 2
Cruel world, letting women pass by, good girl with a thing for a bad guys
Why boast, enemy to most, you and me close, you’re my only ally
You were dying to find something real and willing ride when nobody will
Even if I lie, cheat and kill, man it’s all I got, usin’ my skill
At first you ain’t really know the truth, maybe you did but ignored the proof
Why you chose to stay I have no clue, bad for your image and health too
Now we went from perfect strangers to taking selfies with our middle fingers
Ain’t got much in common and it got me wondering if you only love me cuz I’m dangerous
Plus you bound for college, I know you’ll accomplish anything.
For me that ship has sailed and I got shit to sale and they ain’t made a drug I ain’t slang
Tryin’ 2 tell me that I can do better, act like you know better I know you smart
Got these dollars on my mind and that ain’t bout change just cuz I gave you my heart
These killas out here show no mercy, probably kill you just to hurt me
That shit’s true I ain’t perping, you know moving on ain’t the worst thing…
If you love someone let’em go if it’s meant to be they’ll find there way back
That’s what they say and I’m in your way only, girl I’ll love, that don’t change the fact... that…
HOOK
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4. |
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HOOK
Gimme a break to build on
Blackout til it’s just ______. Still goin’
Thieves in the night and we might just steal dawn
To prolong the groove and mood from hereon
REPEAT HOOK
VERSE 1 (Substantial)
My bars is barbells, ring the alarm
The wait is over, pressing forward my team bout to charge
And we got all our Visas Hip-Hop hybrid
F*** anything pre us, follow our ish
Like it's written by Jesus, Holy Ghost Writer
Johnny Praise, the beat nuts, Marcus got fire
Call’em Pyro Les... American Psycho
Go dutch on a stage if the price is right though
VERSE 2 (Intelligenz)
Psycho, now rewind the cycle
Elevate the love and remember like Michael
Maestro, when I flow I might glow
Illuminate the moment while moving on to night shows
Fist up… with a team we might grow
Listen and lift up, we dream we might blow
Father walkin’ on water so maybe I might flow
Heaven over hell but they dwelling in nitro
12 years a slave, I’m paid Klein mics yo -
When the break comes around I’m just building a light hope
VERSE 3 (Substantial)
Tell me what do you fight for? Money and fame?
Freedom, power, respect or a household name?
Equal pay on your check or some more chump change
Tighter noose or gold chain? Both one in the same
I want neither. Freer thru speakers I find
All I got is my voice to compete with the times
I see with my brain while speaking my mind
Like Krang. Til these lames stop speaking for mine
I shine rockstead to the beat one time
VERSE 4 (Intelligenz)
Tryin’ to comprehend it. Tryin’ to understand it.
Black bold and beautiful, forever will defend it.
Star-banding universe, you and I, we diverse
And we emerge, we divert, we reverse
And see the worth, see the work, see the worse
Bridge over bloody water, uh, see the hurt!
It’s like we living in a different dimension
Prison images envision the sentence
Wordplay if your vision is in it, the never ending is written
HOOK
VERSE 5 (Substantial)
Break loose. Break fool. Break rules
Breakbeats. Breakout. Breakthrough.
Break molds. Never let nothing break you!
VERSE 6 (Intelligenz)
Living in a shadow but waitin’ to break views
I break news, there ain’t an ego I can’t bruise
I can’t lose, understand the conscious I choose
Descendant of a legend, the dereliction of youth
VERSE 7 (Substantial)
Sub is like eating soul food with chopsticks
Half man, half amazing the top pick
Songs in the key of strife writer and locksmith
HiPNOTT’s the squad in case you not hip
VERSE 8 (Intelligenz)
Never new with the steam, never new with the means
I'm overdo & underheard, never new with the dream
& Yeah uh…
See I body the scene
And you can choose to snooze but I'll body your team
So please...
HOOK
POEM (Substantial)
...an abyss of static
Dusty grooves
Unpolished sound, combustible energy
Broken down by indestructable entities
Once flesh
Now and forever fresh
Encapsulated in black gold
Birthed in the land of red, white and blue
Descendant of red, black and green
Love child of slaves, kings and queens
Building on breaks since time began
Built pyramids on broken soil in our land
Built empires with broken backs
Built our children up from broken homes
There isn’t a break we can’t build on
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5. |
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VERSE 1
F all the nonsense that preceded
Be it from me or partners, please stop it and don’t repeat it
Never gave a fuck until a fuck is what I needed
Young dumb and conceited, til the day I conceded
It’s easy to be the selfish type until you get deleted
Many head back to that space ‘cause life’s lesson have gone unheeded
Like father like son I’m on my MJ I’m gon beat it
Won’t remain seated, stand for those who can’t and fill defeated
I know that you see it
You’re just too cold to get heated, you on some worry about me shit
And you got your reasons and I know why
Cause the real heroes don’t make C notes or get love ‘til they die
You can think of better shit to with your time and I don’t blame you bruh
HOOK (Precious)
They say it's better to give...
No matter how righteous you live...
Treated like you’re worthless but still some how
Walk in your purpose strong and proud
They say it's better to give (Substantial: You better believe it)
No matter how righteous you live (Substantial: The n could see it)
Treated like you’re worthless but still some how
Walk in your purpose strong and proud
VERSE 2
I can’t promise you Heaven or larger profits,
A villa out in St. Thomas or even offer you solace
Surely no goddess with a rack and booty that’s flawless
Maybe that... would motivate all us, while attracting droves of the thoughtless
Few are able, journey’s painful, why tell fables and lies
Even less are grateful but an angel will fly
Even though it seems the wind up under your wings ain’t in supply
Elevate or die can’t tell me the sky is not mine, Don’t try... I rise!
Are you a giver or receiver? Either…
Rapist or rapee, given a choice who would be either
But a victim of such hatred more than likely is in need of
An advocate to stand with them when no one will believe’em you see’em
If I would’ve cared as much about fame and fortune as giving back
It’s probably fair for all us to say I just might’ve had a plaque
Or maybe that there is bull shit couldn’t be further from the facts
Bout I’m out here giving support where ever they lack, facts
Some of yall be hitting me up like you trying to help the cause
Then I hit you back and bamas won’t answer the call
And I ain’t mad, no no, but I hope you
Never know the pain they have, not at all
HOOK
VERSE 3
For those capable of more they say more is required
Never wanted much, blessed with more than I desired
Wanna make a difference or you rather make a profit
Or both? Remembered as a glutton or profit?!
Give it if you got it, if you got it, give again
Give it if you got it, if you got it, give again
I say give it if you got it, if you got it, give again
And again… and again.... and again.... and again!!!
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Substantial Alexandria, Virginia
Virginia based International Hip Hop Recording Artist from Maryland.
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