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MLK (Dream Big) 2​.​0 ft. See King & Matthew Shell

from The Past Is Always Present In The Future by Substantial

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  • Autographed 2LP + 7" Vinyl PACK
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Autographed copy of 2LP 'The Past Is Always Present In The Future' + 7" 'Follow The Master' b/w 'Cool Mornings' Single

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  • 2LP 12" Vinyl
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    2xLP edition of The Past Is Always Present In The Future pressed on BLACK Vinyl. All songs have been remastered for vinyl. Limited to 450 copies.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes with two albums*:
    'Sacrifice'
    'The Past Is Always Present In The Future'

    A $30 value for $20! An additional 20% off with Bandcamp SUBporter subscription.

    *Automatic download of 'The Past Is Always Present In The Future' included in order. Download card of 'Sacrifice' included in your shipment. 'The Garden' is no longer available for this package.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in an autographed semi-gloss finish digipak case with a 4 panel folder poster.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a matte finish digipak case with a 4 panel folder poster.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

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  • Autographed 2LP Test Pressing 12"
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
    SUBporters exclusive

    Autographed limited edition (3 copies) 150 gram black 12" vinyl test pressings of 'The Past Is Always Present In The Future'.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Limited Edition Cassette
    Cassette + Digital Album

    High-bias cassette tape. First Substantial album ever to be released on cassette. Only 100 copies available!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Autographed 2LP 12" Vinyl
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    2xLP edition of The Past Is Always Present In The Future pressed on BLACK Vinyl. SIGNED BY SUBSTANTIAL. All songs have been remastered for vinyl. Limited to 50 copies.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Past Is Always Present In The Future via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Full Digital Discography

    58
    releases

    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. , and , .

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about

"Martin Luther King stood for nonviolence. Now what's Martin Luther King? A street. And I don't give a f**k where you live in America, if you live on Martin Luther King Boulevard, there's some violence going down!" ― Chris Rock

lyrics

HOOK
Back stateside on MLK riding
Low in the whip look like no one’s driving (Repeat 3x)
Whether 395 or 704
Dream big baby stay steady on course

VERSE 1 (See King)
I grace these peasants with my presence King Martin Luther,
The streets with his namesakes the perfect place to find a shooter
A civil rights mover turning left up in a Cougar,
Watching the revolution on TVs took by a looter
On fire like H Street, tongue twerks on a break beat,
History maker tell spectator to take seat
Enjoy the experience of this social experiment,
Send shots at Cyclops; close the eye on the pyramid
I’m too dope it’s no legalizing this lyricist,
Father MC and your baby mother’s the surrogate
Hip Hop’s in my heritage, save it from the culture vultures and
The poet poachers, still not a player though I’m dressing like the coaches
Most of us fell victim, to well-placed pitfalls got my dawgs in the system
The chocolate city now suffers from vitiligo,
The dream died on that balcony pray it wakes up tomorrow

VERSE 2 (Substantial)
Mike King like the minister’s initial name
Fighting imprisonment and those with wicked aims
Who administer pain, but we navigate the baddest fate
Like our ancestors did use our head to carry weight
Many chose to move it so now they facing the music
Misguided warriors can’t find their place amongst the movement
So you know the guns stay shooting ‘cause the streets blind niggas
don’t see their a budding Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Tryna’ eat my dinner like what’s mine is yours…
Really what’s mine is ours, need to combine our power
Why shine for hours we can reflect eternally
For y’all to take me seriously, they’d have to murder me
No respect like the mascot in gold & burgundy
But certainly spitters this ill belong in infirmaries
Still dreaming temporary setbacks be deferring me
But my Corretta know betta she ride for eternity

VERSE 3
(See King)
Lost my sight at the podium, blinded by diabetes
A diet with too much sodium still writing this opium
Claim country in crisis gain control of petroleum
Dreamt big as a kid, grew to be a custodian
Mass media frenzy, beamers Benzes and Bentleys
Before we party'd with panthers but now the venue is empty
Still penny pinching while the devil’s Willie lynching,
Guess my brother was too poor to pay attention…Overstand!

(Substantial)
Baby soldiers taken over never be an older man
Ain't playing with a full deck, no one there to hold their hand
So they hold the steel like they wielding the wrath of God
Or hoping for a deal for their skill as a rapping God
….Hoping to give them chills with their catalog
Or hoop dreaming cuz they got skills with a basketball
Once you’re at the mall speaking to and for the people
Will you follow like sheep do or take a stance against evil while we’re…

HOOK

credits

from The Past Is Always Present In The Future, released January 6, 2017
(S. Robinson, J. Myles, I. Entsua-Mensah, C. King, M. Shell)
Produced by The Other Guys
Lead Vocals by Substantial & See King
Guitar by Matthew Shell
Mixed by Substantial

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Substantial Alexandria, Virginia

Virginia based International Hip Hop Recording Artist from Maryland.

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