Joy, Void, Destroy EP, by Christopher Michael Jensen

Joy, Void, Destroy EP

by Christopher Michael Jensen

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1.	Microphone Check 04:13	lyrics	buy track
Yeah, Christopher Michael Jensen, C.M.J., I've had a lot on my mind and, I'm just gonna try to get it all out Keep livin', and keep goin' I keep spittin', and keep flowin' Keep breathin', and keep lookin' I keep dreamin', and keep pushin' Microphone check, one, two, one, two I said microphone check, one, two, one, two Testing, yo, I'm ready, are you? Well, if you're ready, then I'm ready to groove I'm just lookin' for my inner peace, in a seat scribbling Emotions over symphonies from Infinity And infinity's how many possibilities That I could live to see manifest here literally I'm like a mix between Chuck D and Chun-Li Usin' knowledge to fight battles and succeed The next successor, been spittin' since grade seven Yes, and the last name's Jensen, not Jetson But I am the future like Elroy Rappin' 'til I'm red in the face like Hellboy Carry a legacy like luggage to a bellboy And shoulder that responsibility on my deltoids An aspiration of ascertainin' the accolades and Gainin' press coverage, in love with the public's affirmation An obsession with gettin' it and I have to make it Ain't succumbin' to a dry spell, no evaporation So I rinse my hands while I soak my feet Divin' in head first, man, and I don't believe In astrology but I'm probably Aquemini Outcasted from the masses, tryin' to rectify All my shortcomings as I fall down like a Thwomp 'Cause these worries got me bogged down like a swamp Time's of the essence, stressin' as the clock's tickin' I'm pickin' up the story, writin' as the plot thickens Keep livin', and keep goin' I keep spittin', and keep flowin' Keep breathin', and keep lookin' I keep dreamin', and keep pushin' Microphone check, one, two, one, two I said microphone check, one, two, one, two Testing, yo, I'm ready, are you? Well, if you're ready, then I'm ready to groove I had that lyrical combustion, songs like butane Found meaning underground, then I went and made two tapes I'm CM Cool J, told you it's a new age Crafted an EP to ignite a few flames 'Cause things are different since I started this Had to find the fire to get the spark again like an arsonist I'm an artisan who's buildin' like some architects But never fuck with the fake shit or the artifice So fuck the cars, fuck a mansion and a chandelier I just wanna try to save the world like a Planeteer Yeah, I got heart like Ma-Ti With enough moxie to make moves at mach speed 'Cause I'm way ahead of your sound, I got thermal verbals Since a juvenile, 400 degree inferno Top o' the thermometer, the rest turn cold While I'm gettin' rough and rugged as a dirt road I'm like a gerbil to these rappers, 'round 'em runnin' circles And stylin' on 'em like an animal, a fur coat I'm in merk mode, I'm Angela Merkel Leading everything, first place since the first note Otherworldly, words flow through wormholes But when worse comes to worse, though, I just work mo' I came to reign in Minnesota like I'm purple With lines so sick, germaphobes hate my journals Keep livin', and keep goin' I keep spittin', and keep flowin' Keep breathin', and keep lookin' I keep dreamin', and keep pushin' Microphone check, one, two, one, two I said microphone check, one, two, one, two Testing, yo, I'm ready, are you? Well, if you're ready, then I'm ready to groove
2.	Again And Again 04:29	lyrics	buy track
"Gives me enormous pleasure tonight to kick off the show by introducin' a guy who works under the abbreviation C.M.J., but ladies and gentlemen, Christopher Michael Jensen" Ohhhh, yo, we're just chillin' out, laying raps, yo Yo, this is for my fans, all the vocal supporters Even those never at shows 'cause of social disorders A long time since recordin' on my parents' computer To steppin' on stage with legends in a pair of my Pumas Doin' tours cross country and heat it up like the Congo Used to be an unknown name like John Doe But I'm launchin' lyrics like a longbow So that I can blow up like a bomb in the belly of Dodongo 'Cause I don't wanna flop like a bad diver Put out o' work like Uber and Lyft did to cab drivers And start bitterly succumbin' to misery In an industry that screws more people than Glenn Quagmire Need a place I can carve out and chisel High stakes and my mind state's riddled with riddles But I keep puttin' in time, though Sniffin' out all the things that count with my nose to grindstones Because I go again and again, makin' music Again and again and again and again I go again and again, makin' music Again and again, yo, you know I go again and again, makin' music Again and again and again and again I go again and again, makin' music, again and again Won't stop 'til I've written classics like Run-D.M.C. Or episodes of The Simpsons in Season 3 A seasoned emcee like I'm covered in paprika Ballers, put numbers on the boards like a math teacher But I majored in English so when the song's on I'm droppin' grammar like I let go of your mom's mom That line was kind o' funny like a rom-com And I got crowds cheerin' like they're wavin' pom-poms From Minnesota, sayin' thangs like bangarang Bangin' on my chest like I was an orangutan Spent my life tryin' to make a name That's synonymous with hip hop like Doug E. Fresh and Dana Dane My lyrics stay on fleek like outdated slang With greater flavor than the dipping sauce at Raising Cane's I'll keep rappin' until I'm passin' And then C.M.J. goes M.I.A. like “Paper Planes” Because I go again and again, makin' music Again and again and again and again I go again and again, makin' music Again and again, yo, you know I go again and again, makin' music Again and again and again and again I go again and again, makin' music, again and again Even when distracted I'm glimpsin' goals in my peripheral Never out o' sight, it's pivotal to get to the pinnacle Keep my vision focused like LASIK To do whatever it takes to make it People used to clown me and doubt me and question my devotion Then I hushed 'em up like a payment from Michael Cohen What used to seem impossible becomin' plausible Walkin' on the longest roads and hoppin' over obstacles Gained strength from angst and what was hurtin' me Slowly cuttin' out the adversity like a surgery Takin' the bad and I'm makin' it good 'Cause there's a new day comin' like Xavier Woods, so I'ma celebrate and let the confetti pop Ready, go, never slow, green lights at every stop And keep on droppin' cuts like when a machete chops So make sure ya keep an eye out like Fetty Wap Because I go again and again, makin' music Again and again and again and again I go again and again, makin' music Again and again, yo, you know I go again and again, makin' music Again and again and again and again I go again and again, makin' music, again and again
3.	Cold Day In Hell 04:13	lyrics	buy track
These amber waves of grain are stained with shame The bloodshed that runs red and paved the way A long shadow languishin' over the dawn's early light Blackin' it out, but swarms o' TIKI torches are still burnin' bright I don't believe in the devil, but if I did He'd be a narcissistic super villain with a wig A king with a crown that's red with white letterin' Assaults women and flirts with alt-right rhetoric Overly confident even though he's incompetent And surrounds himself with grovelin' yes men who follow him And Congressmen are worthless and turnin' into invertebrates Ain't got a spine, beholden to dollar signs How the gun lobbyists profit and help their bottom line They don't care about Stoneman Douglas or Columbine Demonize the poor but ignore white collar crime And leave everybody fucked like concubines No middle ground when morality's compromised 'Specially when the mess we're in is senseless and there's loss of lives And the U.S. military budget's on the rise It's greater than the next eleven countries all combined A nation that's as mixed up as its priorities Claim exceptionalism while shittin' on minorities History repeatin' itself, screams are echoing Fights under stars and stripes, due for a reckoning 'Cause it's a cold day in hell again Unsettlin', feel it in your skeleton So look alive, look alive There's a war goin' on outside, no where to hide I'm wakin' up to this cold day in hell again Unsettlin', feel it in your skeleton So look alive, look alive There's a war goin' on outside, who will survive? In this land of casualties, dyin' out like batteries Frackin' every fragment of these purple mountains majesties Oil's up inside of it and poison is the side effect Leakin' into reservoirs, destroyin' the environment Everything is burnin' down, goin' up in smoke, geez While they sell it with a smile, hidin' behind smoke screens Oppression goes beyond the surface, institutional Another day in America, business as usual I'm from the state where the cops murdered Philando And then let his killer walk free, a perfect example Police kill the innocent 'cause they have an irrational black fear So fuck a pig like Black Mirror This is a nation based on immigration That still will try to vilify attempts at integration Intimidation, trivializin' tribulations Tear apart families and stick 'em with stipulations Some hide in churches, livin' in the basement So ICE agents don't raid 'em and then displace them 'Cause some aren't privy to privilege of pigmentation That comes when you're white and they lighten the litigation They fertilize minds, plant misinformation And normalize lies by constant reiteration Hilarious narratives, inserted in the teleprompter Tellin' all their bullshit through manufactured melodrama 'Cause it's a cold day in hell again Unsettlin', feel it in your skeleton So look alive, look alive There's a war goin' on outside, no where to hide I'm wakin' up to this cold day in hell again Unsettlin', feel it in your skeleton So look alive, look alive There's a war goin' on outside, who will survive?
4.	A Purpose To Find 04:27	lyrics	buy track
Feelin' fatigued, full of exhaust like car fumes When weary, livin's leery, look for light where dark looms Fishin' for hope and harpin' on it with harpoons But months get long and drawn out like cartoons Painstakin' like makin' claymation This stop and go life, these days I ain't patient I think I got issues with defining happiness As existing in the things that haven't happened yet Follow photos of old friends in Facebook feeds Married homeowners posin' with children, livin' their dreams We're light years apart if lookin' at comparisons Can't get my shit together, fuckin' embarrassin' I'm single, 30-somethin', workin' in a warehouse Keepin' to myself all day and tearin' my hair out Makin' medical study money, injected with a drug Givin' blood in a laboratory, pissin' in a cup Check to check, checkin' amounts in bank accounts Financial failures, fightin' for funds, fading out No riches in music unless you're makin' major hits Sellin' CD's goin' the same way as LaserDiscs Creatin' success ain't based on creativeness Craziness, the way we raise a fist just to make it limp Haven't said a prayer since I became an atheist Conversatin' with myself to maybe make some sense Ya know, 'cause, like sometimes it's just hard and doesn't feel like it's ever gonna come together, but If there's a will, there's a way There's a path, there's a door, there's a spot, there's a place If there's a will, there's a way There's a breath, there's a peace, there's a world that can change If there's a will, there's a way There's a chance, there's a shot, there's a gleam, there's a flame If there's a will, there's a way There's a purpose to find and a song to be sang Some cope with dope or get drunk from booze But there's an emptiness in me I fill with comfort foods And it goes way past the point of when hunger's soothed Sharp sadness in my abdomen like puncture wounds So my fat cranium's creasing a feather pillow With urges to roll up in a ball like an armadillo Sheltered in sheets, I grab o' hold of my knees Anxiety turned anger, heated like macaronni and cheese Glued to the news like Elmer's America's divided with sparks flyin' like welders Lyin' legislators passin' measures, screwin' things up So depressin', never feelin' like I'm doin' enough To fight back against these garbage politicians I mean, I'm supposed to be an artist on a mission But capitalism got me racin', tryin' to get by Countin' out my hours, lookin' where I can invest time Ambitions constricted by conditions Constructin' our addictions to things that make us victims People 'round me goin' nuts, chokin' up Towels soaked in blood from self harm, their arms are showin' cuts Hearts broken up, busted, disgusted, throwin' up Teardrops and vomit swirl as toilet bowls are flushed It's like your goals are just goin' down the drainpipe And your shine gets reduced to a brake light, but If there's a will, there's a way There's a path, there's a door, there's a spot, there's a place If there's a will, there's a way There's a breath, there's a peace, there's a world that can change If there's a will, there's a way There's a chance, there's a shot, there's a gleam, there's a flame If there's a will, there's a way There's a purpose to find and a song to be sang
5.	To Dream Or Be Aimless 04:22	lyrics	buy track
I'm tellin' ya'll it's a self-sabotage that's sappin' my energy I don't need to get lit, I am my own worst enemy I'm tryin' to find a balance between planning longterm And livin' in the moment because hopelessness does not work Sometimes I feel like I'm writin' the same tracks 'Cause the same problems keep repeatin' and play back Humiliated 'cause those close just give the same advice And I keep procrastinatin' but need to make it right Some suggesting vegan diets and yoga Or therapy to unpack my mind on a sofa 'Cause I've had a lot o' history and learned a lot o' lessons But still I'm second guessin' and assessin' several questions There's different definitions of success and how it's measured So I'm stressin' on gettin' to where I want, an obsession But my best friend told me that I'm overthinkin' it 'Cause I'm weighing solutions with excuses and they're infinite I contemplate my days and lay inside my home But I still feel like I've yet to even come into my own I see brand new constellations, but things keep on oscillatin' So I'm caught between a constant dream or staying lost and aimless Some evenings in this cramped bedroom are like solitary confinement Frequent frustrations buried inside me I'm adulting now, youthfulness slowly stalling out Put my all into my callin' as a means to calm me down It's 2 A.M., one of those no sleep nights Baskin' in the glow of my iPhone screen's light Notepad app opened as I concentrate To document my thoughts again but haven't wrote a song for days And when you're at a loss for the right words to say You run the risk of a bunch o' tired cliches Get nothin' done, wake up in the afternoon Overwhelmed by the day and all the things I have to do But it's a new attempt to uproot the monotony Become another author of an augmented odyssey And honestly, I just wanna be the kind o' guy That my younger self would look up to and be inspired by I contemplate my days and lay inside my home But I still feel like I've yet to even come into my own I see brand new constellations, but things keep on oscillatin' So I'm caught between a constant dream or staying lost and aimless Yeah, I got a lot o' crushes on girls I'll never ask out Ironic insecurity has got me trapped now Always felt out of place in the dating scene Not used to lockin' lips or smearin' someone's Maybelline I take long walks while everyone is catchin' z's Or snugglin' their lover, type o' shit I never see Burnt out while I'm dining at Noodles & Company Alone with my anxiety, the usual fuckery But I'm tryin' to look at problems with a practical view A lot o' people say they don't give a fuck but they actually do Vulnerabilities with vacuous vibrations Revamp my vessel, unveil the vivacious Airin' out my dirty laundry like a clothesline 'Cause there's inspiration in the pain, it's like a goldmine We can recontextualize the pieces of our lives Frame a different picture and give it another side I contemplate my days and lay inside my home But I still feel like I've yet to even come into my own I see brand new constellations, but things keep on oscillatin' So I'm caught between a constant dream or staying lost and aimless
6.	Give Me Somethin' 02:54	lyrics	buy track
Infinity ~ Suite on the beat, it's a keeper Energized, I'm charged like VISA Ain't got a Bentley, ain't got a Beamer Ain't that rich but I got me a Kia I rock a lot o' spots like cheetahs Blazin' the stage but I don't smoke cheebah I'm a monster, growin' like Rita You, you're a jobber, me, I'm like Cena Storm in and there ain't no FEMA Respect, put it on me like Vita DJ, cut it up like pizza 'Cause this here everybody want a piece of Let's heat up like a fever I found a gem like an egg on Easter To hatch me a plan for the jam in your speakers Swing hips and shake that keister And give me somethin' I can really move to Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to 'Cause this ain't somethin' that you're used to (Give me somethin' I can really move to?) Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to Out with the old and we're in with the new new Hands high, put 'em up top 'Cause when I rap, man, I snap like a mugshot Too many rappers, but not enough hot And they can't flow like a vein with a blood clot Turn up 'til the mic gets shut off Shut down every town that I come across Because I'm the one like Chubb Rock That you have been waitin' for like a bus stop I'ma jazz things up like Sun Ra To go feed what ya need like a lunchbox It's like Em said, only one shot So yo, I'm ready to blow like a gun cocked But enough of the tough talk Ain't got time for the fake, no love lost Key to success and it's unlocked While I get down to the sound as the drums knock So give me somethin' I can really move to Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to 'Cause this ain't somethin' that you're used to (Give me somethin' I can really move to?) Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to Out with the old and we're in with the new new Yeah, give me somethin' Get up on the floor Yeah, give me somethin' I got a lot in store Yeah, give me somethin' Just give me somethin' more Yeah, give me somethin' Yeah, yo, just go And give me somethin' I can really move to Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to 'Cause this ain't somethin' that you're used to (Give me somethin' I can really move to?) Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to Out with the old and we're in with the new new Give me somethin' I can really move to Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to 'Cause this ain't somethin' that you're used to (Give me somethin' I can really move to?) Yeah, give me somethin' I can really move to Give me somethin', give me somethin' I can really move to Out with the old and we're in with the new new
7.	Borrowed Time 03:58	lyrics	buy track
Days fleeting, hearts beating but we're livin' to die Any time, we could all be gone in the blink of an eye Gunned down, poisoned, hit by a vehicle Maybe diagnosed with a disease that's untreatable Paranoid demeanor, live cautious This life's fragile as a Ming vase is And when it falls and smashes Wonder what they'd say within earshot of my casket Loved ones talkin' of things I accomplished While I'm layin' lifeless, embalmed with arms crossin' Will they speak of great feats to aspire to Or just be like (He was kind o' cool, it was nice we knew)? A legacy is not easily made and It can get snuffed out if ya get too complacent Heavy thoughts to carry But a reminder of what I still gotta do before that box is buried Takin' off from the starting line We ain't got a lot here, just borrowed time Gotta make it count, gotta make it last Gotta do everything you can before they take it back Takin' off from the starting line We ain't got a lot here, just borrowed time Gotta make it count, gotta make it last Gotta do everything you can, now take it back In yesteryear friends nearly met their demise But resisted the reaper who kept 'em alive I guess it wasn't their time, but then I think about mine The reality of mortality makin' me sigh Every breath's a gift I can't devalue The last thing will be the next thing I outdo No need to speculate and estimate my fate Can't waste time with an expiration date But some break, wishin' for a quick release Got demons beatin' down their doors with no peace Even names with fame camouflage their pain 'Til they hang like Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain But sometimes art we make is the difference between A life lost too soon or rekindling dreams Somethin' so powerful it can intervene To stop someone from puttin' their head in the guillotine Takin' off from the starting line We ain't got a lot here, just borrowed time Gotta make it count, gotta make it last Gotta do everything you can before they take it back Takin' off from the starting line We ain't got a lot here, just borrowed time Gotta make it count, gotta make it last Gotta do everything you can, now take it back Two deaths every second, twice as many births Might never cause the second, terrified to see the first And the gloom and shade doesn't illuminate No return, reachin' the rubicon as I ruminate What a wild world, our future lookin' dystopian Truth's hard to swallow, we're gaggin' as we choke on it Kids can't cope with this, consumin' copious Amounts of opiates to wall themselves off like Soviets And I'm seein' my nieces In a planet that's literally sinkin' and swimmin' through shrinkin' beaches And there's no bleachin' the blemishes, the bleakness Is a leadin' reason so many seem to be goin' seedless A myriad of mirrors, mortified by the reflection Neurological pathways gettin' congested Tunin' out the static for reception To do everything I can before my exit Takin' off from the starting line We ain't got a lot here, just borrowed time Gotta make it count, gotta make it last Gotta do everything you can before they take it back Takin' off from the starting line We ain't got a lot here, just borrowed time Gotta make it count, gotta make it last Gotta do everything you can, now take it back

about

It has been over two years since the release of Christopher Michael Jensen's last project, the critically acclaimed album A New Age. Since then, the Minnesota emcee has been featured in Complex, appeared multiple times on Sway In The Morning, embarked on two national tours around the U.S., and played shows with a number of hip hop legends, including Raekwon, Elzhi, Apathy, Aceyalone, Jonwayne, and Sims. With nearly two decades of hip hop experience under his belt, C.M.J. has been a stalwart of the Twin Cities scene over the past several years. Most recently, he became the host of the Fifth Element Open Mic at Rhymesayers' official record store in Minneapolis, as well as co-host/curator of the popular Local Dope $#%T showcase in St. Paul. At long last, Chris returns with a batch of new tracks on the Joy, Void, Destroy EP. On the new outing, C.M.J. weaves his brand of dense, clever, and introspective lyricism over the imaginative and varied production stylings of Infinity ~ Suite who cooked up beats for the entire set of songs.

credits

released June 28, 2019

2019 © All Rights Reserved
Executive produced by Christopher Michael Jensen
All songs written and performed by Christopher Michael Jensen
All tracks produced by Infinity ~ Suite
All tracks mixed and mastered by Ice God The Macgyver & Christopher Michael Jensen
Photography and artwork design by Christopher Michael Jensen