I'll reminisce for a spell, here's part of my bio
A young man, but a while since I started to rhyme, though
Lookin' back to the early years of Napster
Downloading some b-sides by Marshall Mathers
Watchin' some rap videos on MTV
And my brother had a folder full of MP3's
Ridin' 'round town with him in his car
Cash Money and DMX on burnt CD-R's
13-years-old, and when I turned 15
He got me Supreme Clientele and The Expansion Team
I even recall my last day of 8th grade
When my brother purchased Enter The Wu-Tang
Mom-and-pop shops had the records I'd buy
I got used copies of Illmatic and Ready To Die
Mainstream to underground, bought all the classics
First heard Atmosphere in '03 on a class trip
Not too long after, I remember me
Gettin' to go to my first show at age 17
Thinkin' back on it fondly
Got to catch Immortal Technique's set followed up by Brother Ali
This was back in 2004
They had the fans screamin' and fiendin' and shoutin' for more
And I was playin' talent shows, makin' albums at my home
Hard to imagine back then what would happen down the road

Yeah, hip hop, it started out in the park
And there's a lot o' different people that I found in this art
The beat is similar to the sound of my heart
And honestly I'm just proud to be part

After high school, college was a drain, got some knowledge in my brain
But all I really wanted was to hop up on the stage
Depression as a freshman kept extendin' eight semesters
Never missed a class, but spittin' raps was better than a lecture
Started writin' a mixtape in the back of my class
Teacher taught Shakespeare while I was practicin' tracks
A couple months shy of my graduation
I dropped the project and plotted what to make next
And I gotta thank Zuckerberg and Tom
The Internet helped with the discovery of my songs
Finished school in '09 and then I knew it was time
To fully do this music, pursuin' a movement and grind
I kept studying the culture and honin' my craft
Until eventually I'd get to be an opening act
Started networkin' insane and sendin' out e-mails
Tryin' to book venues while broke, workin' in retail
Meetings every place I'd go, had to learn the basics, though
Tryin' to stay afloat at nearly vacant shows takes its toll
Frustrations showed, then I had a falling out
With some individuals I didn't need to be around
A blessing in disguise, I was wrestling with my
Own desires to go find out what would benefit my life
And then I found it, and it's still hard to describe the
People I met next and what we'd start to inspire

Because hip hop, it started out in the park
And there's a lot o' different people that I found in this art
The beat is similar to the sound of my heart
And honestly I'm just proud to be part
Uh huh, because hip hop, it started out in the park
And there's a lot o' different people that I found in this art
The beat is similar to the sound of my heart
And honestly I'm just proud to be part

Began hangin' with a bunch o' young artists and bonded
It was like a family and people started respondin'
Right place, right time, it was something organic
House parties and cyphers and it kept on expandin'
Dropped some compilations, songs were playin' on the stations
Local press and interviews and things just started changin'
A domino effect, did a lot o' shows and sets
The crowds got bigger, we were on a roll and kept
Finding different ways to grow what we were doin'
Some fell by the wayside, but others kept it movin'
Yeah, it really pained me when some of the drama ensued
But it helped me to learn how you gotta get through
Ambition and toxins are a bad mixture
Had to remove the negative to develop the picture
Got savvier at business with minimal debt
Even got a lot o' props from heads givin' respect
That kind of emotion, man, it's wild how it feels
Awesome things blossoming, and it felt so surreal
The day I got to rap for Sway on Shade 45
I even played with Cage and Slick Rick, performin' live
The kind o' stuff you think about with your eyes closed
I've come so far, I'm opening for my idols
So listen closely to what I say on the mic
Because I owe it all to hip hop for changin' my life

Yeah, hip hop, it started out in the park
And there's a lot o' different people that I found in this art
The beat is similar to the sound of my heart
And honestly I'm just proud to be part
That's right, you know that hip hop, it started out in the park
And there's a lot o' different people that I found in this art
The beat is similar to the sound of my heart
And honestly I'm just proud to be part