Get all 9 Kabir Sen (MC Kabir) releases available on Bandcamp and save 40%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Man of the People (Song for Biko), Honestly, The Good Life (If You Only Knew), No More Excuses, Olympic Gold, The Time is Now, Peaceful Solutions, Fuel for the Fire, and 1 more.
1. |
Ride with me
01:40
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Do you wanna ride with me?
Do you wanna ride with me?
Ride with me it's now or never
Confide in me I'm down for whatever
We're flying free you and me together
Through the joy and the pain we withstand the weather
Forever I'm yours but you already knew that
Hold the applause we've already been through that
The same old songs? Nah, this is a new rap
Disregard the flow? Yo I really wouldn't do that!
Paint a picture with an endless supply
Of words to stimulate your heart, soul and mind
They transcend time, they can't be defined
Unless you're good with that yo we can't be aligned
My melodies, notes and quotes have been designed
By a third of a century called my lifetime
And anyone with common sense in their right mind
Would have to concede that the jams are quite fine
They spread to real heads through the music pipe line
Tell your friends you know a dude who really knows how to write rhymes Hip hop hero here to fight crime
Kabir, album five, you arrived at the right time.
Do you wanna ride with me?
Do you wanna ride with me?
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2. |
Thank You
02:28
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Now let me take you back to how it all began
I was learning how to freestyle trying to be the man
I started a business but had no business plan
Entering a world I didn't truly understand
But I always had a microphone and pen in my hand
And I always had some musical friends in my band
So gradually I began to build up my brand
Wrote songs to quench my thirst and fill up my fans
With tasty treats so sweet and melodious
Played piano and was obsessed with Thelonious
Made some bad decisions so erroneous
On the road to respect the journey was the loneliest
Achieved some success and got hate from the phoniest
Cats who talked smack but didn't even really know me just
Jealous, overzealous now they wanna be my homie
The situation had enough irony to throw me
Thanks to my people for all that you did
And thanks to my family for raising this kid
Thanks to my friends for all of your help
I'll always have your back and here's a toast to your health
And when I'm gone my music will live on
Where's your life? Did you lose it in the song?
Where's the right? Did you confuse it with the wrong?
Where's the mic? Did you forget to turn it on?
Nothing too flashy just reliable flow
Olympic Gold, undeniable yo!
Teaching is my hustle, I make viable dough
Is it rewarding? Yes decidedly so
Never fell off, just took a slide in the snow
Never left the game just took a ride in the boat
With my book of rhymes for when I need to write in a quote
Anything to make it more exciting and dope
I'm igniting the hope of the self defeatists
How, you might wonder, would I achieve this?
I just rip the song to shreds in little itty-bitty pieces
Stress releases in the form of a thesis
Thanks to my people for all that you did
And thanks to my family for raising this kid
Thanks to my friends for all of your help
I'll always have your back and here's a toast to your health
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3. |
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Ladies and Gentlemen: this is pure adrenaline
Music for the mindful, consider it your medicine
Masculine or feminine, testosterone or estrogen
Kabir and Ak coming with integrity that's genuine
Stray from the cookie-cutter carbon-copy regimen
We write for respect while you're all about the Benjamins
Appreciate life swinging like a pendulum
And use hip hop as an every day experiment
You are now checking rap's premiere set up artists
Get it right, Akro and Kabir rep the hardest
The Steve Austin of rap gets bionic
Increasing my economics enjoying a bit of chronic
While I drop the mega bomb that's slaying the demonic
Mercenaries in the game that be carrying the name wrong
And while they keep singing the same song
We got y'all, no need to fear remain strong
Shout out to all my ladies, shouts to all my mans
Everybody hold tight because you're in good hands
Everything's about to go according to plan
Be easy everybody cause you in good hands
Critical situation lyrical stimulation
That lifts me to the pinnacle of my vocation
We'll keep it rocking for y'all on one stipulation:
Throw your hands up as soon as we kick the bass in
Shake your ass when the snare ricochets in
I know that's two no time to be complacent
This is real rap straight out the basement
Beats keep banging till they bash your face in
Quite the phenomenon, hip hop it goes on and on,
Redefining culture so fast like it's Ramadan
Countries to continents, you can't tell the time I'm on
Look up that track, bring it back, that's that rhyme I'm on
Kabir and Akrobatik, the outcome's automatic
Consistent not erratic, every time not sporadic
No matter if you're black, white, Asian or Hispanic
The song's got your engine running, we're the rap mechanics
Shout out to all my ladies, shouts to all my mans
Everybody hold tight because you're in good hands
Everything's about to go according to plan
Be easy everybody cause you in good hands
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4. |
Bomb drop
02:56
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Bomb drop nonstop get ready for the onslaught
I'm on top and looking down from here it's a long drop
Make the song pop? blow it up? Long shot
Just make sure the beats and rhymes are fresh and the song's hot
Rappers are extinct, they were harvesting the wrong crop
Me? I've got a whole team and yes we are a strong lot
Fame's you're only goal? Well that really is the wrong thought
There's so much more to life than just trying to get your song bought
And yet I'm grinding like the rest of 'em
Promote shows invite people to my festival
Make connections networking with the best of 'em
Write rhymes all the time cuz they're my vegetables
I've got a closet full of hip-hop collectibles
I'm on a quest to reach a level that's exceptional
While never falling prey to the conventional
I'm unpredictable, you know that's intentional
Bomb drop nonstop get ready for the onslaught
I'm on top and looking down from here it's a long drop
Make the song pop? Blow it up? Longshot
Just make sure the beats and rhymes are fresh and the song's hot
Okay now what makes a song pop? Let's examine
There's lots of talent out there but it's feast or famine
You need simplicity a little stupidity
And a diva on the hook to increase the humidity
I just do my thing when I step in the vicinity
Open up your mind, feel the vibe for a minute G!
I'm a be rhymin' from here till infinity
Emcees are soft they never lost their virginity
Bomb drop nonstop get ready for the onslaught
I'm on top and looking down from here it's a long drop
Make the song pop? Blow it up? Longshot
Just make sure the beats and rhymes are fresh and the song's hot
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5. |
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This is what it is, what it was, what it could be
This is real hip hop, this is what it should be
The secrets of life from the Bean to the Bay
Real emcees with something to say
This is what it is, what it was, what it could be
This is real hip hop, this is what it should be
The secrets of life from the Bean to the Bay
My man Lyrics Born's got something to say
The secrets of life are well revealed to the eye
If you seek deeply inside don't over think it and try
To find meaning in places where it just don't reside
Or try appealing to people with whom you just don't jive
Wasted oh so much time and energy
Trying to appeal to folks that just don't connect with me
Tried to find chemistry where it don't exist essentially
All because I have this need to be everything
At all times to all people everywhere
When all I really needed was always there but I ignored it
Can't be Voltaire and the National Enquirer at the same damn time
Gotta make up your mind and go there
It's like you're trying to be funny to somebody
Who don't really understand your brand of comedy
No matter how many times you tell the joke they won't get it
You're over their heads with it their heads is bed-ridden
I'm getting it in I can't be anything less than exquisite
Going extra innings and I'm clinching the pennant
Dumb it down? Y'all tripping
Y'all need to smarten up and quit bed-wetting!
This is what it is, what it was, what it could be
This is real hip hop, this is what it should be
The secrets of life from the Bean to the Bay
Real emcees with something to say
This is what it is, what it was, what it could be
This is real hip hop, this is what it should be
The secrets of life from the Bean to the Bay
What's up Kabir? Yeah I got something to say...
Life is beautiful and yet so tragic,
Unusual maniacal magic
A never-ending highway watch it turn and twist
An endless supply of decisions and risk
Life can be wonderful yet so unfair
A nightmare making you scared to care
And even though the sorrow from your loss is looming
Never forget that pain is so human
Life is rewarding and yet so challenging,
A see-saw ride each side needs balancing
Developing your talents in modern-day skills
So get your hustle on and pay those bills
Life is a waterfall continuously flowing
It feels more precious as I watch my daughters growing
So I gotta keep working, minimize what I'm owing,
Drifting upstream with the current as I'm rowing
This is what it is, what it was, what it could be
This is real hip hop, this is what it should be
The secrets of life from the Bean to the Bay
Real emcees with something to say
This is what it is, what it was, what it could be
This is real hip hop, this is what it should be
The secrets of life from the Bean to the Bay
Kabir and Lyrics Born we're paving the way.....
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6. |
Technology
03:07
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Technology, the undeniable monster
Always evolving development is constant
Technology, you better learn how to use it
Infuse it with new ideas but don't abuse it
You gotta keep on learning in this rat race
Don't let technology pass you by
It's always changing better keep pace
Evolution is something that you just can't deny
The world is always changing inevitably through time
Constantly rearranging, get on board or get left behind
Some are just scared they say it's too confusing
Afraid of the unfamiliar ultimately losing
Others have been all up in it a for minute
Always looking for the next thing it's never finished
Some are in between a reality and a dream
They look at technology as the key to making cream
But if that's the case they better re-up like a fiend
Cuz it will all be outdated by the next big machine
I won't get swept up in the next new gear
I'm a try to master skills with what I have right here
And before I get caught up in the next big fad
I'm a focus on learning what I already have
In this consumer culture they know how to feed
On your love for what's new and your insatiable needs
So think about the cutting edge and what it really means
Learn your craft or all those gadgets aren't as cool as they seem
Technology, the undeniable monster
Always evolving development is constant
Technology, you better learn how to use it
Infuse it with new ideas but don't abuse it
You gotta keep on learning in this rat race
Don't let technology pass you by
It's always changing better keep pace
Evolution is something that you just can't deny
The world is always changing inevitably through time
Constantly rearranging, get on board or get left behind
All aboard!
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7. |
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The past is over the future is now
Make it your own create it with style and
No no man is an island
No more playing no violence
We are steadily rising
Through the plans we're devising
Making it breaking it down
The past is over the future is now
I Write and make it
Exciting just take it
To heightened new places
I'm frightened of faces
I beat up the beat
and just worked on the basics
My album's complete
And I'm pullin up aces
I don't play poker
but I know a joker
Like Steve Miller Band
Goddamn I just quote ya
Five albums deep
So by now I done told ya
Steady Improvement
As I become older
Refining my craft
I'm like vintage wine aging
Defining my past
By the way that I say things
The present, the hear and now
Is what I'm savoring
Standards are high
Commitment's unwavering
The future is blazing
a hole in the sky
It looks so amazing
I'm traveling by
Unravelling my chronology, all of me
Gift of Gab let's collab! Come follow me!
The past is over the future is now
Make it your own create it with style and
No no man is an island
No more playing no violence
We are steadily rising
Through the plans we're devising
Making it breaking it down
The past is over the future is now
Listen the mission I'm on
As a lyricist/songwriter/emcee is far
Way bigger than I am applaud
The credit is not mine at all
I'm merely a vessel that's lost
In rhythm the infinite force
Is giving me this to deliver across to ya
It was all a dream and a calling
Battling in my high school as a sophomore
Who would've thought that rapper would later be
Traveling nations and having a tour
Been through some lows got battered and scarred
So many places and tarots and bars
Future is all about tapping a source
And pushing my goals like a javelin forth
I'm average or the madness of it is
Happiness love we at destiny's door
The past is over the future is now
Make it your own create it with style and
No no man is an island
No more playing no violence
We are steadily rising
Through the plans we're devising
Making it breaking it down
The past is over the future is now!
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8. |
Human being
02:45
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I'm a human being who can't believe the things he's seeing
My mind is the prison, these thoughts are what I'm freeing
I'm a lost soldier in a world that's getting colder
Where struggles and burdens weigh you down like a boulder
I'm a rhythm writer, hip hop freedom fighter
Ignorance igniter, my microphone's the lighter
I'm a soul addict, music is my magic
My boy Geo made this beat for me in his attic
I'm a human being who can't believe the things he's seeing
My mind is the prison, these thoughts are what I'm freeing
I'm a lost soldier in a world that's getting colder
Where struggles and burdens weigh you down like a boulder
I'm a rhythm writer, hip hop freedom fighter
Ignorance igniter my microphone's the lighter I'm a soul addict music is my magic feel it from the basement and right up to your attic
It's undeniable, it's undeniable I have to write
It's undeniable, and it feels so right when I grab the mic
It's undeniable, it's who I am and I can't stop won't stop
It's undeniable, it's how I'm re-connecting myself with hip hop
I'm a human being who's unafraid of guaranteeing
This album's undeniable I think you'll be agreeing
I'm an entertainer with no need for a disclaimer
And through the storms I will survive like Gloria Gaynor
At first I was afraid I was petrified
And through all the highs and lows I just let it slide
But over time i built my skills and let it ride
The weather's looking evil better get inside.
It's undeniable, it's undeniable I have to write
It's undeniable, and it feels so right when I grab the mic
It's undeniable, it's who I am and I can't stop won't stop
It's undeniable, it's how I'm re-connecting myself with hip hop
I'm an educator in search of something greater
Focused on the here-and-now preparing for the later
The music motivator, analyze the data
The lab results came back with one conclusion: I got flava
My daughter's name is Eva and she's no doubt my savior
We marvel at her growth and keep an eye on her behavior
My message spans the globe on both sides of the equator
No matter who you are my music's the translator
It's undeniable, it's undeniable I have to write
It's undeniable, and it feels so right when I grab the mic
It's undeniable, it's who I am and I can't stop won't stop
It's undeniable, it's how I'm re-connecting myself with hip hop
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9. |
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You better (wake up) you've been sleeping too long,
I've been on the grind and you'll find I'm too strong,
Just (wake up), you've been asleep on the job
It's time to learn some manners cuz you act like a slob,
You better (wake up), I'm a tell you right now
It's a complicated world you better figure it out,
So just (wake up), no debate time to motivate
From Boston to Japan to the land of the Golden Gate.
Wake you up with a caffeinated rhythm, after each rhyme's been assassinated spit 'em opportunities are upon us go and get 'em, he claimed that he wanted to succeed but no one let him, learn a lesson or two about the pains and aches, build strength learn to ball don't make the same mistakes, a lot of people are sick of rap cause it's insanely fake, I've been walking through the jungle where it's mainly snakes, in the vocal booth I slay these takes, engaged to the microphone SAVE THE DATE, props to Edo G who paved the way for a Boston dude to do what I do today, and to all the weak emcees with nothing new to say, here's some inspiration for you to play, bang it in your whip see what your crew will say, it's time to salvage the career you almost threw away
You better (wake up) you've been sleeping too long,
I've been on the grind and you'll find I'm too strong,
Just (wake up), you've been asleep on the job
It's time to learn some manners cuz you act like a slob,
You better (wake up), I'm a tell you right now
It's a complicated world you better figure it out,
So just (wake up), no debate time to motivate
From Boston to Japan to the land of the Golden Gate.
You better wake up, You better wake up now (x2)
Whenever you try to get with me your egotism is equal to your stupidity, pop sticks get dropped quick, you're trying to eat soup with chopsticks? Edo's bigger, Edo's brighter, rappers got a spark of an underwater lighter, I'm a fighter in spite of the odds, amongst wrap gods I'm a writer, (wake up) cuz you're a little too sleepy, you realize that you'll never ever beat me, real life is unscripted, your one sandwich short of a picnic, we're teachers not brokers, made a killing on the stock market, killed our brokers, your year? It's our year, cake up to wake up it's Edo and Kabir yeah!
You better (wake up) you've been sleeping too long,
I've been on the grind and you'll find I'm too strong,
Just (wake up), you've been asleep on the job
It's time to learn some manners cuz you act like a slob,
You better (wake up), I'm a tell you right now
It's a complicated world you better figure it out,
So just (wake up), no debate time to motivate
From Boston to Japan to the land of the Golden Gate.
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10. |
Anything at all
03:57
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I don't say it enough so I'm a make sure I say it right here
You're a wonderful woman and I love you so much my dear
As time ticks on with the days, weeks, months and years
It's all in focus and the outcome's clear
I don't tell you enough so I'm a tell you the deal right now
You're incredible baby and I love everything you're about
And through the pain that life will surely bring
You can count on me for everything
Everything, anything at all
Everything, anything at all
I've been watching you and the amazing mother you are (you're amazing!) I've been thinking about it, you and I we've traveled so far
And through the years we'll proudly watch her grow
And where her life will lead we just don't know
I don't thank you enough so I'm a thank you some more right now
You know my music career's got me running all crazy around
But you always told me to pursue what I love to do
And everything I do I do it just for you
Everything, anything at all
Everything, anything at all
Everything you want, anything you need
We listen to each other - that's what makes our love succeed
We've had our differences and we sometimes disagree
But compromise and trust help us navigate the sea
And when the ocean's waves come crashing down on me
You're the one who gives me shelter you know how to set me free
You've always had my back and you enable me to breathe
So anything at all I'll give you everything you need
Everything, anything at all
Everything, anything at all
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11. |
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You venture to the center but you hit the helm
Meanwhile across the galaxy I skipped a realm
Dip through spaces refreeze glaciers
I reappear with a cloak and five mages
We cast a spell that's vast as Hell
Thoughts propel, splash ash across the well
Let's all excel, crosses and garlic spells
Regard the smell as poison where goblins dwell
Well, inhale thoughts that fall frail
Your consciousnesses is a wall that's been scaled
On the other side problems I've thought reside
Off the side will foster lies
Confusion, one contusion
Sun's moving, earth's been clued in
Illusion it's a total eclipse
Gravity flips sideways, polarity glitch (switch)
We were lost in a world there was no return
Surrounded by people showing no concern (x3)
We were searching for respect we were yet to earn
Because the lessons of this life we were yet to learn
Unbelievable, inconceivable,
The data was lost and unretrievable
A dream deferred, yet it's unreachable
A lesson was learned yet it's unteachable
Class dismissed, I can't seem to make up all the time I missed
So I vanish in the air like a cloud of mist
And get props like plays and a pound of fists
(you like the sound of this?)
I ain't down with this - a world with no return
I left a trail of crumbs but the trail was burned
Other exit strategies we failed to learn
It's a scene from "inception" and I'm waiting my turn
Even Satan's concerned, but he keeps it on the low
Stuck in a nightmare, nowhere to go
Hotter than hell but colder than snow
Now the longer you wait, the older you grow
We were lost in a world there was no return
Surrounded by people showing no concern (x3)
We were searching for respect we were yet to earn
Because the lessons of this life we were yet to learn
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12. |
Keep spinning
03:52
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The world keeps spinning baby
Enough to drive you crazy
Should I slow it down? Yeah maybe
Cuz I miss just being lazy
One man's fact is another man's opinion
One man's moment is another's life continuum
One man's sanity's another man's delirium
One man's waste is another man's cereal
One woman's calm is another woman's rage
One tells the truth, the other lies about her age
One woman's free, the other's locked in a cage
One's scared of crowds, the other rocks the stage.
One kid's joy is another kid's pain
One boy's son is another boy's rain
One girl's glee is another girl's sorrow
So appreciate today in case there's no tomorrow
One life ends while another one's beginning
One game is over, the other's in the first inning
One team slumps while the other keeps winning and these opposing forces help keep the world spinning
The world keeps spinning baby
Enough to drive you crazy
Should I slow it down? Yeah maybe
Cuz I miss just being lazy (x2)
The world keeps spinning, try not to go crazy
Bumpin' Cee-Lo while my daughter picks a daisy
Reminiscing back to the good folks who raised me
Took the kids to London so they all could meet the baby
Just a dude with three lovely ladies
Honda Accord, no Lex, no Mercedes
A music teacher on a Hill called Shady
Lights, camera, action - Scorsese
More? maybe, I never want to give it up
I need music like a champion needs the title cup
I need beats like collectors gobble vinyl up
From edits and re-edits all the way to the final cut
The more I learn, the more I wanna know
The more I travel, the more places that I wanna go
The more I write, the more i wanna flow
And the more i make, the more I'm gonna owe
The world keeps spinning baby
Enough to drive you crazy
Should I slow it down? Yeah maybe
Cuz I miss just being lazy
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13. |
forEva
03:28
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Baby I want you to know
I love everything about you
can't wait to watch you grow
Special dedication to Miss Eva Rose
your personality and your flavor grows
I watch and wonder what the future holds
and I never let the feeling turn from new to old
who will you become? It's too soon to know
I keep telling myself to give you room to grow
I've got an unequivocal love for you, you know
but you're growing up fast I hope you take it slow
Baby I want you to know
I love everything about you
can't wait to watch you grow
A letter to my daughter musically I'm sending
you've got the type of curiosity that's never-ending
and every kid you meet I see you naturally befriending
we call you "crazy cakes" that's a nickname I'm commending
you're running all around energy you're expending
life's a roller-coaster ascending and descending
make the most of it, yes that's what I'm recommending
and through the end of time you're the one I'll be defending
Baby I want you to know
I love everything about you
can't wait to watch you grow
Patience is the key, wait right there for me
your pops gets kind of shook when you're on a danger spree
but at the same time I know I gotta let you be,
gotta let go gotta give you room to breathe,
how else you gonna learn? I gotta sometimes set you free,
and even though that's difficult it's how you'll learn to see -
my love is eternal, you're my family
and Eva I'm a raise ya like my people raised me
Baby I want you to know
I love everything about you
can't wait to watch you grow
Baby your mama loves you just the same
She loves just being around you
And that'll never change
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14. |
The everything
03:42
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This is the rough, rugged, raw
Not for the soft only for the hardcore
This ain't epic fail or swag
This is Ultra-Mag, a critical beatdown in a bag
This is music with a purpose
This is content that probes deep beneath the surface.
This makes a tough guy nervous
It makes affluence and wealth feel worthless
This is the boss against his workers, a square against a circle,
Boston Celtic green versus L.A. Laker purple,
Hip Hop for the people, this is universal
This is something very different, check the role reversal
No less, no more this is everything you asked for
This is the present, whatcha dwellin' on the past for?
This is the stimulant enhancer
This is the question and the answer
This is the power of ideas,
A salad of rhymes and sounds wrapped in a tortilla
This is onomatopoeia,
Fulfilling great potential like the principle of Nia
This is poison, mixed and cut up by Medea,
intended for Theseus but stopped by King Aegeus
a west side story like Tony and Maria,
or the rise and fall of a dictator in Korea,
this is justice, "Free Mandela", "Free Mumia",
It's the legend of Biggie, Heavy D and Aliyah
Whether you're a Rolls Royce or just a Kia,
The finest single malt or some sangria
This is all of my intensity
Mixed with my propensity
To act the part sensibly, is that the way it's meant to be?
This is it essentially
Remain strong mentally
And be yourself, not the person you pretend to be
these are the burdens overwhelming and extending me, music is my guiding light, it's righteously defending me
My energy is everything that I'm expending see, and if lyrics were cash I'd be on a spending spree
Your rhymes ran out, go get a loan from lending tree in fact your lack of imagination is offending me
I'm sick of all that weak sauce you're sending me
your raps are broken and they really need some mending B
This is your reconstructive surgery
Hip Hop is the oath and you've committed perjury
This is my way of fighting burglary verbally
leaving weak emcees in the infirmary
This is all that you've been missing, plus the dreams that you've been wishing,
mixing new and old ideas, innovation and tradition
Keep it fresh (that's my mission) put the key in the ignition,
Acting on my own volition, ask me for permission
This is a strong coalition
Organize now, sign that petition
Exercise intelligence, use intuition
Do more think less (subtraction by addition)
These are the thoughts of a teacher and musician
With no breaks for choruses and no intermission
Food for the famine, this is your nutrition,
Under most conditions words are still my ammunition
This is the new edition
The latest installment from the technician,
This is the opposition,
Bring your "A" game, I welcome real competition
This is the everything so listen,
Extinguishing all of your doubt and your suspicion
The Olympic Gold commission
This is my hip hop deposition
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Kabir Sen (MC Kabir) Boston, Massachusetts
Kabir Sen (AKA "MC Kabir") is a hip hop/soul artist, music teacher, singer, emcee, songwriter and producer from the Boston area. He has worked with many hip hop luminaries over the years and performs regularly with "The Krush Faktory" at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge (1st Saturday of every month) and at Bull McCabes Pub in Somerville every Thursday night. His 7 albums are all available here! ... more
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