DJ Shalem - Listen Up lyrics

Verse 1: Listen up, you know just what the tough do when the gettin's tough We get goin', I kept flowin' when life was on some “Give it up” Did it s**? Yes it did, it was rough, I will admit as much Did a f**in' song every minute the critics didn't touch Did enough rappin' to wonder if it's gonna happen but No one could make me wrap it up, say it's a day and pack it up Throw it away and back it up. Quit and get real with it? This is real, I'm ‘bout to snap and f**in' get militant But no, I keep it on the low before I O.D I hold the pain inside like the bottle around an O.E I wanna drain my eyes, these tears, they overflowin' But they say that a man ain't supposed to cry, how can I show it? So I wrote it with the pen but the pad was too small to hold it Never noticed. Even if I had italicized and bolded Every quote I ever spoke and blown it up just like the slogan On a billboard, they would still forget the flow, so it's a no-win No it ain't no point in holdin' my breath, I know I'm talented The flow, I f**in' wrote it to d**h, no one can challenge it I found that it just doesn't make a difference what you're spittin' If it's different, ain't no one wanna listen and say they down with it Now is it pitiful that you was scrapin' by While other rappers make it, when their talent's invisible to the naked eye? They can try and hold me. That's all I'ma say is they can try… I take ‘em to the motherf**in' edge and see if they can fly And when it turns out they can't? I guess the story is done Like Icarus who flew too close to the sun I used to do the music, too, ‘cuz it was s'posed to be fun It's disappointing when you ain't the star you s'posed to become They trying to cut my career off like a tourniquet You say I have a gift, and yet I swear sometimes I wish I could return the sh** But it'll all be worth it if Grip is the last man standing at the tournament I'm married to the music now, it's permanent But what if I flop, what if I stop, what if you're hot But no one hear y'all? When my tree fall, do it make a noise or not? I find it hard to keep goin' when every second is a struggle And the best still need to hustle for a check, what does that tell you? Yo, the game is f**ed, no wonder all these rappers gone and gave it up Pull the plug out on they f**in' microphone and hang it up I'm changin' up my grip on the bat, I'm doin' different things The only way you get a hit's if you swing I told my girl I was thinkin' about quittin' She looked me in the eye like “b**h, is you bullsh**tin'? If this is your real mission, pursue it within an inch of your life They try to boo it, say f** ‘em and keep spittin'” I keep Grippin', already ready, steady, get set I'm ‘bout to turn the microphone into confetti then jet I could rap ‘til the beat drops, and still f**in' rap on a beatbox I rap ‘til the f**in' CD [stops]