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Recompositions

by Substantial

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(Substantial) VERSE 1 Nowadays only one thing on my mind Juggling act of quality time and trying to provide This ain’t easy money, it’s harder unless you die But the plans to give the fam better living while I’m alive But the life we want is hard to maintain w/ a nine to five So I grind, hopin’ the fam support whatever I decide My ride or die, 20 years and counting by my side But love is blind, no wonder we don’t always see eye to eye Locked in my studio giving her cold shoulders But I can’t move without her, a car with no motor The time I put in this, I could’ve been with my kids Irony is, they’ll be living off this when they’re older I’ve never heard a success story that’s guilt free Fought hard to keep my soul and I’m still me I’d do it all again, though that’s hard to comprehend But is it all worth it in the end? Guess we’ll see! (Stephanie Gayle) HOOK The stars form a sea As far as our eyes can see Kissed by moonlight at midnight While the children sleep I can’t close my eyes, ‘Cause they’re fixed on the prize Workin’ all night, ‘til I find That castle in the sky Oh oh ohhhh (Substantial) I do my best work while they’re sleeping Year round warrior, more than just a weekend (Stephanie Gayle) Oh oh ohhhh (Substantial) I do my best work while they’re resting Blessin’ it forever, I’m forever gettin’ blessings (Stephanie Gayle) Oh oh ohhhh (Substantial) I do my best work while they’re sleeping Year round warrior, more than just a weekend (Stephanie Gayle) Oh ohhhh (Substantial) I do my best work while they’re resting Blessin’ it forever, I’m forever gettin’ blessings (Substantial) VERSE 2 I just want to make our lives a little bit doper Can't stop ‘cause our goals ain't ever been closer I don't plan to fall ‘fore we reach curtain call Want the honor and the spoils way before it's all over Working like my family life is on the line nightly So a vacation at this time is unlikely Got a brother down, feeling like I'm ‘bout to drown Trying to keep my mind sound as I let the rhythm guide me Why I'm feeling like I'm failing, even when I achieve Fatigued ‘cause I'm out here working like a machine Both my daughters sad and my wife's a little mad Even though I got the bag I'm too spent to spend some QT I’ve never heard a success story that’s guilt free But I refuse to let my love for music kill me Time I'm on is bartered, So I gotta do it smarter I don't want to die a martyr in the end. Guess we’ll see. HOOK
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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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STREAM/DOWNLOAD: http://smarturl.it/inmydaughterseyes In My Daughters' Eyes, the latest single from Substantial's upcoming EP, Recompositions, is a soulful, heartfelt, self-produced ode to his children where he paints vivid portraits of their world with a chill, sparse delivery and honest lyrics. The melodic hook reminds his daughters, "Chin up, fix your crown. You got this!" The lo-fi production is lush, filled with guitar, piano, synths, soothing vocals samples of his frequent collaborator Stephanie Gayle (formerly known as Steph the Sapphic Songstress) and edgy drums. IMDE Credits: Produced & Written by Substantial STREAM/DOWNLOAD: http://smarturl.it/inmydaughterseyes LYRICS HOOK Keep growing, baby, keep growing! It’s your moment, baby, it’s your moment This life’s a battleground. Don’t let it get you down! Chin up. Fix your crown. VERSE 1 She see love, she see trust When she... thinking about both she see us She see anger, she see pain She learning not everybody think the same She see laughter, She see tears Seen some run, while others confront their fears She see failure, she see success She see... getting either, that don’t mean that you’re done yetW She see beauty can be fully clothed or undressed She see people reach their goals while others are oppressed She seen state test, she seen recess Seen some joy while many others seem to be depressed, she just Seen some games and some comics, she obsess about it Seen some chapter books and art she get lost in for hours Seen some progress, seen some others not address the problem Hopefully she see herself as the right one to solve it HOOK Keep growing, baby, keep growing! It’s your moment, baby, it’s your moment This life’s a battleground. Don’t let it get you down! Chin up. Fix your crown. Keep growing, baby, keep growing! It’s your moment, baby, it’s your moment This life’s a battleground. Don’t let it get you down! Chin up. Fix your crown. You got this! VERSE 2 She see love, she see trust When she... thinking ‘bout both she see us She see gadgets, She see addicts She see the users tell her that she can’t have it She see movement, She see music She see... that there’s more than one way to use it She seen bright days. She seen dark nights She see that there’s more to reach if she can just walk right She see that there’s more to teach if she can just talk right She see problems only me and my wife can make alright She see her big sister talking daily bout Fort Nite Meanwhile both her parents complainin’ bout the alt right She ain’t understanding everything that she sees But one thing that’s apparent is this here life ain’t easy Here for both daughters til they no longer need me to teach’em When my time comes they gon’ still hear me repeating... HOOK BRIDGE Keep growing, keep blooming, stop trying, start doing, you got this Always improving but falling is human, don't stop it Forward you're moving as long as you do it the smartest Some want you in ruins cuz they never knew you a goddess So whatever the challenge I know that you'll handle it, honest And whenever you can't, I'll be there with a plan, that's a promise Don’t be scared to take chances that’s for your advancement, you’ll profit Be whatever you can whether surgeon, commander or artist HOOK
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(Cuts) Gotta earn your spot Black man get on your job Gotta earn your spot Black man get on your job (Verse) Burning both ends of the candle has become a bad habit Tunnel vision for the future and the plan to go and grab it Ain't no punching in or clocking out, any pain you walk it out Laughing at my doubts like what the hell you talkin' 'bout I ain't come this far for me to be stoppin' now Sacrifice too much for me to not be poppin' now Built my future off my past, took a note from Dame Dash I ain't working for my first name, I'm working for my last It's 2AM right now, they upstairs, sound asleep I'm in the basement four to five nights out the week Cranking out the master plan, working through the vision I'm the captain of the ship, I dip and swerve it with precision Nonstop, 'til we reach the dock, pull it right up to the spot On a hundred acre lot, turn the key into the lock Only then can I relax, sit back and take stock Thankful for it all, what we had and what we got (Hook) The stars form a sea As far as our eyes can see Kissed by moonlight at midnight While the children sleep I can't close my eyes ‘Cause they're fixed on the prize Workin' all night, ‘til I find That castle in the sky Oh oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're sleeping Year round warrior, more than just a weekend Oh oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're resting Blessin' it forever, I'm forever gettin' blessings Oh oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're sleeping Year round warrior, more than just a weekend Oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're resting Blessin' it forever, I'm forever gettin' blessings (Verse) Win by any means the recipe, rest up when I rest in peace Stacking bars obsessively to fortify the treasury I ain't father y'all and you didn't birth or marry me Apparently, ain't got the time to care 'bout how you measure me Busy raising Queens in a world full of jesters To do amazing things with the tools they were blessed with Without a man approval, whether Trump or Mansa Musa When trying to make your dream come true, must protect it Til then, I'll be slavin' so our home remain a haven Built this business with their mama so it's theirs for the taking If they want it, they can get it, different plan then I'm with it I ain't just writing lyrics, every night I'm fighting limits Trying to push'em up, timing might be bad but it's good for us Food for thought and bellies after nights when I was cooking up That ain't good enough, I'm just trying to give'em freer lives Burnin' midnight oil while they sleep at night (Hook) The stars form a sea As far as our eyes can see Kissed by moonlight at midnight While the children sleep I can't close my eyes, ‘Cause they're fixed on the prize Workin' all night, ‘til I find That castle in the sky Oh oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're sleeping Year round warrior, more than just a weekend Oh oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're resting Blessin' it forever, I'm forever gettin' blessings Oh oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're sleeping Year round warrior, more than just a weekend Oh ohhhh! I do my best work while they're resting Blessin' it forever, I'm forever gettin' blessings (Cuts) Gotta earn your spot Black man get on your job Gotta earn your spot Black man get on your job

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Recompositions: A remix project written and produced by Substantial featuring Carolyn Malachi, Greenspan, Kenichiro Nishihara, Mason Lieberman, Stephanie Gayle & Precious Joubert.

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released February 22, 2019

Written, produced, mixed and mastered by Substantial

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Substantial Alexandria, Virginia

Virginia based International Hip Hop Recording Artist from Maryland.

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