My lifestyle was so far from well
Could've wrote a book with the title "Age Twelve and Going Through Hell"
Craft is the biggest tag (5 of 10). The six lyrics come from I Gotcha Back (3), Swordsman (2) and Duel of the Iron Mic, and 5 are credited to Liquid Swords; they cover street imagery, learning from your upbringing, and independence from politics. The four interview lines, all through brisbanetimes.com.au, are about the writing process: words, storytelling in every song, "half short, twice strong", and the lack of a perfect lyric.
I was always taught my do's and don'ts
For do's I did, and for don'ts, I said I won't
Half short, twice strong. It means less is more.
Yo, picture bloodbaths in elevator shafts
Little shorties take walks to the schoolyard
Tryna solve the puzzles to why is life so hard
Every song has a story. Even if it's not a narrative story, even if it's not always about storytelling. It's just about painting a visual picture.
There is no perfect lyric.
It takes time. It's long. I take words and think about how I can use them in a story. It always starts with a word.
Yo, I'm not caught up in politics
I'm no Black activist on a so-called scholar's dick
“Swordsman”Verified · Genius
But with knowledge of self from off the shelf
Made things seemed complicated now small like elves