[Intro] Yeah… uh, uh. This that real talk, mic check one-two. Back when the beats hit heavy and the words cut through. Let’s go. ⸻ [Verse 1] I came up with a pen and a pad, no phone screen glow, Writing bars by the streetlight, wintertime snow. Mama said, (“Boy, keep your dreams in control,) But I was chasing rhythm, not a 9-to-5 role. Old kicks, cracked sole, still I walked proud, Freestylin’ on the corner, drew a cypher crowd. No fame, no chain, just respect in the air, Every line that I dropped made ‘em stop and stare. Now it’s clickbait, fake fame, streaming lies, But I’m from that era where the truth never dies. Scratch that vinyl, DJ spin it again, I’m the voice of the block, not a digital trend. ⸻ [Hook] Back to the essence, the boom and the bap, Where the mic told stories and the soul never capped. No filters, no gimmicks, just the heart on the track, Take it back, yeah — take it back, yeah. Back to the essence, the rhyme and the truth, Where the words had weight and the beats had proof. No cap, no act, just the booth and the facts, Take it back, yeah — take it back. ⸻ [Verse 2] See, I grew with the legends, Rakim on my wall, Nas in my headphones, I was learnin’ it all. KRS gave lessons, Pac spoke pain, Biggie taught me how to flip dreams to gain. Now everybody tryna chase that clout, But I’m tryna keep the roots what this game’s about. I don’t need no ghostwriter, my pen’s divine, I bleed ink when I speak, every bar’s a sign. So when I step to the mic, better clear that lane, I bring truth to the booth, I don’t play those games. Oldschool soul in a new day’s frame, Respect the craft — remember the name. ⸻ [Hook – Repeat] Back to the essence, the boom and the bap, Where the mic told stories and the soul never capped. No filters, no gimmicks, just the heart on the track, Take it back, yeah — take it back, yeah. Back to the essence, the rhyme and the truth, Where the words had weight and the beats had proof. No cap, no act, just the booth and the facts, Take it back, yeah — take it back. ⸻ [Outro] So when you hear that crackle of the needle again, Know it’s real — from the start to the end. This hip-hop ain’t dead, it just needed a friend, And I’m here to revive what we used to defend. Peace.

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