The Coda

been a long way since subway art
roller skates in central park
statue of liberty after dark�
b-boys doing it, doing it
rhyme off the top a freestyle cypher
all about fun, before the hyper
prices dress code strictly like a
geek or a misfit deep in a life of
didn't think twice to clear a sample
drum break and a fill to dismantle
bass line and a phrase to assemble
beat and the source barely resembled
telephone lines are still on dial,
single records get shipped on vinyl
club and radio play the final
test for a DJ press it's vital

the theme of a hometown anthem
always been, will be survival
every now and then, you see a revival
a school and pride and a pack of vandals
the theme of a hometown anthem
always been, will be survival
every now and then, you hear a revival
a school and pride and a pack of vandals

fast forward to the future, rewind to the present
stop at the moment, record the movement
no pause for the students
of the game no excuse for snoozing
a shoe-in to steal from the rich that got rich from looting
you can consume but resume after chewing
the media never�gets tired of dooming
the world like it's over many times over
so what's the coda
they can ban the amp but you can't stop the camp to raise the lamp
oh, go a cappella commando�
spit with a fury than can blow ten candles
time flies when u write a fly rhyme
take a dope instrumental on a ride
let the high tides,
sweep�the nation, ill communication
live giving fives on wi-fi

soundman can you turn my mic up
he says DJ's gotta turn it down, uh
monitors blown out, speakers on feedback
song cut off, get a homey to beatbox
and the beat knocks like straight out the boombox�
you can hear it from the city to the boondocks
that's tagalog, baby and it's all maganda
tag a wall with a marker on the under
old school poster in the sun, no magenta,
yellow or black and the image off-center
see these poems like the kids in the shelter
we breed songs like seeds in placenta
and I'm the father, word to the mother
earth to the people, power to the peaceful
shoot for the moon revolutionary idol
never televised nor idle