And his own story was as curious as his narrative The tale of this life is the tale of a writer of incredible vision An astute analyst and pundit A lyricist compassionate and callus A reckless hedonist, and disaffected malcontent I spit that Wonderama sh-, me and my conglomerates Shall remain anonymous, caught up in the finest sh- Get that type of media coverage Obama get, spit that Kurt Vonnegut That blow your brain Kurt Cobain, that Nirvana sh- Who gon' bring the game back? Who gon' spit that Ramo on the train tracks? That gold rope, that five-finger ring rap Runnin' with my same pack You can find the Christ where the lepers and the lames at Life is like a dice game One roll could land you in jail or cutting cake, blowing kisses in the wretch rain Nice whip, nice chain, a closet of skulls The stench is like slave blood at Providence Hall, yeah They built my city on top of a grave Nigga die, nigga get high and watch the parade Back in the early '90s "Where they at, where they at? Get the gat, get the gat" was a popular phrase Bally Animals and Rugbys was a popular craze Just the vivid memoirs of a obnoxious slave I pave ways like Nat and Harriet I blast on Judas Iscariot and peel off in the chariot I'm sitting pretty, spitting flames, gripping graint Ain't a damn thing changed How does he do it? My young lad, do you ask a dolphin how it swims? No Or an eagle how it flies? No That's right, you don't, 'cause that's what they were made to do You are about to bear witness, my friends To one of the greatest technological advances in modern history Behold, the Confectionery Behemoth They say "Candyman, Candyman, spit me a dream Blow a chunk of the levee out and spit me a stream" Knock a man's house down and build a casin A 2000-dollar government check from FEM I swam down sh-'s creek and came up clean With a new lease on life like Andy Dufresne It's the most poetical, Nat King unforgettable Clarence 13 X Allah's rhapsody from Bellevue I'm splittin' atoms, spittin' flames Bringin' change, things will never be the same I got the rap game singing "At Last" like Etta James Lames get they plane shot down like John McCain It's a dream, it's a dream The flow's elegant like Miss Coretta Scott King A lot of kings seen death and turn queen Crack they 24-inch rims in the ravine Respect the architect, never test the Elohim Goodnight: this is Jay Elec, live from New Orleans (New Orleans) My journey has brought me to an understanding of the divine forces With which we have all been bestowed It was in this search that I came upon a revelation Which has called me to guide millions of people Towards their righteous destiny (destiny) And on the seventh day...

It's coming Ladies and gentlemen, this time around the revolution will not be televised As we proceed, to give you what you need '09 motherfucker, get live motherfucker Ladies and gentlemen of the court In the hearing against The State of Hip-Hop Vs. Jay Electronica I present Exhibit C When I was sleepin' on the train, sleepin' on Meserole Ave out in the rain without even a single slice of pizza to my name Too proud to beg for change, mastering the pain When New York niggas was calling southern rappers lame But then jacking our slang I used to get dizzy spells, and hear a little ring The voice of a angel telling me my name Telling me that one day I'ma be a great mane Transforming with the Megatron Don spittin' out flames Eatin' wack rappers alive, shittin' out chains I ain't believe it then, nigga, I was homeless Fightin', shootin' dice, smokin' weed on the corners Tryna find the meaning of life in a corona 'Til the five percenters rolled up on a nigga and informed him You either build or destroy, where you come from? The Magnolia projects in the third ward slum Hm, it's quite amazing that you rhyme how you do And that you shine like you grew up in a shrine in Peru Question fourteen, Muslim Lesson two, dip diver, civilize a 85er I make the devil hit his knees and say the Our Father Abracadabra, you rockin' with the true and living Shout out to Lights Out, Joseph I, Chewy Bivens Shout out to Baltimore, Baton Rouge, my crew in Richmond While y'all debated who the truth was like Jews and Christians I was on Cecil B, Broad Street, Master, North Philly, South Philly, 23rd Tasker, Six Mile, Seven Mile, Hartwell, Gratiot Where niggas really would pack a U-haul truck up Put the high beams on Drive up on the curb at a barbecue and hop out the back like what's up Kill a nigga, rob a nigga, take a nigga, bust up That's why when you talk the tough talk I never feel ya You sound real good and you play the part well But the energy you givin' off is so unfamiliar I don't feel ya We need somethin' realer Nas hit me up on the phone, said, "What you waitin' on?" Tip hit me up with a tweet, said, "What you waitin' on?" Diddy send a text every hour on the dot sayin' "When you gon drop that verse nigga you taking long" So now I'm back spittin' that he could pass a polygraph That Reverend Run rockin' Adidas out on Hollis Ave That FOI, Marcus Garvey, Niki Tesla I shock you like an eel, electric feel, Jay Electra Oh my God Keep going They call me Jay Electronica, fuck that Call me Jay ElecHanukkah, Jay ElecYarmulke Jay ElectRamadaan, Muhammad A'salaamaleikum RasoulAllah Subhanahu wa ta'ala through your monitor My Uzi still weighs a ton, check the barometer I'm hotter than the motherfuckin' sun, check the thermometer I'm bringing ancient mathematics back to modern man My momma told me, "Never throw the stone and hide your hand" I got a lot of family, you got a lot of fans That's why the people got my back like the Verizon man I play the back and fade to black and then devise a plan Out in London, smoking, vibin' while I ride the tram Givin' out that raw food to lions disguised as lambs And, by the time they get they seats hot And deploy all they henchmen to come at me from the treetops I'm chillin' out at Tweetstock, building by the millions My light is brilliant I rest my case '09, Act Three First chapter of the end The last chapter of a new beginning If it's so the things we doin' we not even tryin' We better than a lot of y'all records, do you, man More than after, world premiere Me? For real though I ain't even gonna say nothing Matter of fact, I don't even why I'm saying this Jay you should get Puff to do this over We movin' out, onto the next record And um, I'ma let this just ride, ride, ride, ride, haha

When I was just a boy My momma told me, "Son You look so serious" (Smile and have some fun) When I was 17 My father let me know "Life isn't fun and games" (Gotta sell your soul) I don't know how I ended up So close to where I started I went to war for peace of mind What was it for? I'm dancing on a tightrope No time to mess around, oh Just trying to let my mind go I'm never coming dow-ow-own I found a preacher man To help me understand What we are doing here (What comes after life) And now the years have passed Been to the moon and back And all I've realized (No one knows but me) I don't (he don't) know how (know how) I ended up So close to where I started I went (he went) to war (to war) for peace of mind What was it for? I'm dancing on a tightrope No time to mess around, oh Just trying to let my mind go I'm never coming dow-ow-own I'm never coming dow-own I'm never coming dow-ow-own Teachers always say, "Stay in between the lines" "Promise you'll be quiet if you can't say something nice" Doctors always say, "Take these pills for your health" But now I can't remember how to think for myself I'm dancing on a tightrope No time to mess around, oh Just trying to let my mind go, ha I'm never coming dow-ow-own I'm never coming dow-own I'm never coming down (-ow-own)

Here at the party I came to alone Ramblers are rambling, you stared at your phone I'll stick around if you stick around too I wanna know why you hide in your head Where do you go when you glide down the stairs? I'll stick around if you stick around too You and I break out just a matter of time There's a reason we don't live forever Reason we don't live forever You and I break out just a matter of time There's a reason we don't live forever Reason we don't live forever You and I You and I You and I You and I Waking with you in the home that we've made Dishes are dirty and bills to be paid I'll stick around if you stick around too You and I break out just a matter of time There's a reason we don't live forever Reason we don't live forever You and I break out just a matter of time There's a reason we don't live forever Reason we don't live forever You and I You and I You and I You and I You and I You and I You and I You and I Now that we're older with gray in our hair Holding your hand as we glide down the stairs I'll stick around if you stick around too You and I break out just a matter of time There's a reason we don't live forever Reason we don't live forever You and I break out just a matter of time There's a reason we don't live forever Reason we don't live forever You and I You and I You and I You and I