Invitation
Ad-lib. Intro (spoken)
I’d like to thank all of you for coming out this wonderful evening to share this music. Let’s give a hearty thanks to the cooks who’ve worked so hard in preparing everything for you!!! Yes, they are great friends of mine and I couldn’t have done it without them. And let’s not forget our musicians!! Providing the meat and potatoes of our sound, because I’m only the frosting when it comes to this. You didn’t think I was gonna leave here without saying good bye did ya?
Refrain (rapped)
Tick tick tock/ time is now/ give a knock/
Come in/ don’t be hesitant to bob your head the beat’s thump in’/
St. Olaf Hip Hop/ and we don’t stop/
Loaded with stories destined to make your heart drop/
ASC/ one MC/ and a sound team/
we’re the invincible crew plantin’ the seed/
Arts for Social Change/ we aim to rearrange/
The foundation for life as we know that’s deranged/
Verse One
Allow me to introduce Dark City’s the name/
M C in hibernation now awake from the rain/
Lookin’ to claim/ what’s not been said in the game/
A reflection of our world surpassing zones and time frames/
I’m a heartbeat lover/ a jukebox playing out of order/
Your long lost brother subdued by flashy cover/
I’ll fullful the role of a mic controller/
And start a party goin’ as the chi of yang maneuver
Straight through the mic/ to melt us as not two but/
One/ in the sense of the holy Judda/ and with tha/
On and on till the break of dawn / I’m gonna/
Build, build a common bond upon / the hearts a’
Every woman, child, and man in the Pause/ to share tha/
Honor heaven-sent as we commune and share tha/
Fruits heaven-sent and be true to uncover/
Lies drilled in us against our will/
As an artist/ and a steward on the hill/
You best believe that I will/ sharpen my skill/
Classically trained/ but with a street appeal/
I guess it’s because I try to keep it real/
In what I do/ and how I say what I feel/
with a doe or die attitude when I’m patchin’ the ill/
scopin’ to kill/ injustice and piss on it’s grill/
with the power of the pen ‘cause pain’s for real/
So come rock with me/ if you know that I will/
And show me your energy/ to help the flow that I build/
A promise with this kiss as a seal/ I pray you
Read a little closer if you know the deal/
Refrain
Tick tick tock/ time is now/ give a knock/
Come in/ don’t be hesitant to bob your head the beat’s thum pin’/
St. Olaf Hip Hop/ and we don’t stop/
Loaded with stories destined to make your heart drop/
ASC/ one MC/ and a sound team/
we’re the invincible crew plantin’ the seed/
Arts for Social Change/ we aim to rearrange/
The foundation for life/ as we know/ that’s deranged/
Verse Two
In Durham N C/ I spent some time as a youth/
Snot hangin’ out/ and un tied in the shoe/
A foreign kid/ amid the complex world we view/
It was then I learned the value of the human crew/
Through a few/ brothas who took me in/
As their own/ started with a look began
To break zones/ of differences shook the scene/
And swapped poems/ and songs of hope and books and
Spoke of new homes/ rocked a couple shows and hearts
With Zen flow/ to keep Hip Hop the love of my life/
From fake clones/ hollow like a marrowless bone/
With wak tones/ like you were comin’ from a cellular phone/
This art needs/ power of rhyme to fit scrip ture/
Within a meter/ to paint the right picture/
A mixture/ of rhythem sequence designed to switch up/
Unforeseen and impressive when it hits ya/
All useless/ even if the flow is glitchless/
When it lacks soul/ they fail to reach us/
Material goals/ on TV/ that fail to teach us/
Love and compassion/ harbor life and keep her sec rets/
It breaches/ hate built up by leeches/ secrete this
Sweetness/ stronger than plum or peaches/ and feat ures/
Deeds of countless truth seekers/ defeats reapers/
From the worlds cash keepers/
Refrain
Tick tick tock/ time is now/ give a knock/
Come in/ don’t be hesitant to bob your head the beat’s thum pin’/
St. Olaf Hip Hop/ and we don’t stop/
Loaded with stories destined to make your heart drop/
ASC/ one MC/ and a sound team/
we’re the invincible crew plantin’ the seed/
Arts for Social Change/ we aim to rearrange/
The foundation for life as we know that’s deranged/
Verse Three
Hip Hop is about filling a room with love/
Seventies vibe/ or the crowd/ ascend like fly ing dove/
When all they had was pocket full of hope for clubs/
They had their own party rockin’ with spinnin’ dubs’/
So even though the lives they led were hard/
They still found moments to dance for better cards/
For them rap became colors to paint their scars/
And Hip Hop community became their avatar/
From smothered dreams/ to streams of gun scenes/
Hip Hop faced these/ and overcame with great ease/
It’s ability/ to preserve humanity/
Remained more contagious than the AIDS disease/
Elongated break beats/ of funky drum hits/
For the DJ and MC/ all were sacred moments/
None of them pushed Hip Hop to be on show biz/
‘Cause real magic starts when a single microphone is/
Used like the cortisone/ soothing agents heal/ till the
Wound is gone/ catchin’ lyrics every-time a word is born/
Whether you sippin’ long/ or along singin’ the freedom song/
The elements inspire us all/
All ready baby/ the tail end of the track/ now bring it back/
For the late birds/ read about the movement in the papers/ vapors/
Indicate that the rap is hot/ abused a lot/
So help me set it right for the block!!!
Refrain
Tick tick tock/ time is now/ give a knock/
Come in/ don’t be hesitant to bob your head the beat’s thumpin’/
St. Olaf Hip Hop/ and we don’t stop/
Loaded with stories destined to make your heart drop/
ASC/ one MC/ and a sound team/
we’re the invincible crew plantin’ the seed/
Arts for Social Change/ we aim to rearrange/
The foundation for life as we know that’s deranged/
Ad-lib. Interlude