Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to
Wow, this one is so vague. I know all the words to hundreds of songs, including pretty much every song Run-DMC has ever released. I used to play a game with friends where we would just start rapping and the other people would have to identify the song. We also did it the other way around by challenging each other to say any lyric from a certain artist.
My pick for this challenge is “Trapped” by 2Pac
“You know they got me trapped in this prison of seclusion
Happiness, living on the streets is a delusion
Even a smooth criminal one day must get caught
Shot up or shot down with the bullet that he bought
Nine millimeter kicking’ thinking about what the streets do to me
Cause they never talk peace in the black community
All we know is violence, do the job in silence
Walk the city streets like a rat pack of tyrants
Too many brothers daily heading for the big pen
Niggas coming out worse off than when they went in
Over the years I done a lot of growing up
Getting drunk throwing up, cuffed up
Then I said I had enough
There must be another route,
way out to money and fame,
I changed my name and played a different game
Tired of being trapped in this vicious cycle
If one more cop harasses me I just might go psycho
And when I get ’em, I’ll hit ’em with the bum rush
Only a lunatic would like to see his skull crushed
Yo, if you’re smart you’ll really let me go ‘G’
But keep me cooped up in this ghetto and catch the uzi
They got me trapped….”
They got me trapped
Can barely walk the city streets
Without a cop harrassing me, searching me, then asking my identity
Hands up, throw me up against tha wall
Didn’t do a thing at all
I’m telling you one day these suckers gotta fall
Cuffed up throw me on the concrete
Coppers try to kill me
But they didn’t know this was the wrong street
Bang bang, down another casualty
But it’s a cop who’s shot, there’s brutality
Who do you blame?
It’s a shame because the mans slain
He got caught in the chains of his own game
How can I feel guilty after all the things they did to me
Sweated me, hunted me
Trapped in my own community
One day I’m gonna bust
Blow up on this society
Why did ya lie to me ?
I couldn’t find a trace of equality
Work me like a slave while they laid back
Homie don’t play that
It’s time I lett’em suffer the payback
I’m trying to avoid physical contact
I can’t hold back, it’s time to attack jack
They got me trapped
Now I’m trapped and want to find a getaway
All I need is a ‘G’ and somewhere safe to stay
Can’t use the phone ‘cause I’m sure someone is tapping in
Did it before, ain’t scared to use my gat again
I look back at hindsight the fight was irrelevant
But now he’s the devil’s friend
Too late to be telling him
He shot first and I’ll be damned if I run away
Homie is done away I should of put my gun away
I wasn’t thinking all I heard was the ridicule
Girlies was laughing, Tup saying, “Damn homey’s dissing you”
I fired my weapon, started stepping in the hurricane
I got shot so I dropped, feeling a burst of pain
Got to my feet, couldn’t see nothing but bloody blood
Now I’m a fugitive to be hunted like a murderer
Ran through an alley, still looking for my getaway
Coppers said Freeze, or you’ll be dead today
Trapped in a corner, dark and I couldn’t see the light
Thoughts in my mind was the nine and a better life
What do I do?
Live my life in a prison cell
I’d rather die than be trapped in a living hell
They got me trapped.”
– 2Pac “Trapped” from the album 2Pacalypse Now
2Pac is a brilliant lyricist. He is one of the best emcees to ever touch a mic.
This song is off his first solo album and it was released in 1991.
Just check out the multi-syllabic rhymes.
“do to me” – “community”
“concrete” – “wrong street”
“irrelevant” – “devil’s friend”
There are a lot more in this song too. See if you can pick them up in this video. Enjoy!
Go to the Day 9 Song – I Can’t Dance, well maybe