(Yeah)
Woke up a giant trying to find a piece of
(Mind and)
Mind you I kept to myself on my island
(Quiet)
See no evil, hear no evil even
(Left my)
Left my love to go and serve my light and
Ever since a youth, was used to moving on my own
The lonely cub too cutthroat
Gave a fuck about your validation
Ever since a youth was used to moving on my own
The lonely cub too cutthroat
Gave a fuck about your validation
Came in '86
I was four, we was torn
It was me and amma, appa and my four
Older brothers, I was youngest and protected
In Montreal we landed
But Toronto made a home
Early sunny mеmories etched on Calеdonia Road
A couple factory gigs, split between the folks
Kept us all afloat
Hearts still full of hope
By '89 suburban dreams was being bought
So we packed it out to Brampton
Expanded out the plot
That's where I met this kid named Dex upon on the block
We best friends 'til this day (shit)
That's the work of god
Cause who'd have known a couple decades down the road
We'd be overseas and rocking shows and getting blown
But first I had to navigate this adolescence
'Twas a lesson in self hatred
I was placed amongst the racist
Plus the hatred was contagious
Oh so white washed and complacent
With them
White teachers
White schools
White Jesus
White rules
Went to catholic school
Raised a catholic fool
Taught the word of god
Told to hold my tongue
Never questioned who
Wrote the books they used
When they taught us all
How the west was won
It was all dispensed by puppets
I was on the fence like 'fuck it'
Luckily for me I found myself an Outkast CD
And through Andre Benjamin I tended my imagination
Luckily for me I found myself an Outkast CD
And through Andre Benjamin I tended my imagination
Ok now I got my confidence up I was lifted
I did my history found Hieroglyphics, Souls of Mischief
Through Organized Konfusion found my voice through all the Rawkus
I saw my pain in DMX an exit out my conscience
A couple rap groups, a couple rap groups
(Later)
I was making, made a bit of
(Paper)
But had to learn through, I had to learn through
(Failure)
That I was bound to be a solo dolo star from the start
Hit reset, shit was hard
Hit the bottle, hid my scars
Hit the bottom, ripped apart
Had a daughter, had no job
Debut album was a flop
Plus the devil's in my ear talking raw like:
"Boy you thirty five and haven't popped"
Need to stop, you a joke
Kill yourself, leave no note
Won't be missed
"You a mother fuckin' bitch"
Still I had to shake it off
For the sake of Mimi X
So I hopped back in the stu
And put my foot up on their necks
Wrote the greatest shit I ever penned
Ascended out my purpose
This the tale of king VDP
Made in Jaffna
They'll write it on my casket to remind them who the god was
Reporting from the ashes
Now behold the phoenix saga