Released: July 17, 2014
Featuring: B.o.B Mally Stakz
Songwriter: Joell Ortiz B.o.B Mally Stakz
Producer: The Heatmakerz
[Produced by The Heatmakerz]
[Intro]
Yeah
[Verse 1: Joell Ortiz]
Early on I knew I was a fan
Hummed the ice cream truck beat holdin' mommas hand
Told ‘em to turn it up in the dollar van
Nobody moonwalked better in they pajama pants
I used to try to tap like Gregory Hines
"Lean On Me" word for word, I knew every line
My moms blasting Anita Baker
No wonder I can bake it with a piece of paper...
Yea
Looking back, daddy left bad
It was cool though, music was my step-dad
I was raised by Stevie Wonder
Lionel Richie, Luther and all the Jackson brothers
I used to close my eyes and see far away
On harder days I would chop it up with Marvin Gaye
It was just a matter of time
I took a crack at the rhyme and worked this magic of mine
[Hook: Mally Stakz]
So when I felt like doing wrong, you helped me get it right
And when I felt like giving up, you gave me one more try
And when I felt like it was over, you didn’t let me die...
No, you didn’t let me die, music saved my life
[Bridge: Joell Ortiz]
So many different artists I get soul from
Still I move to the beat of my own drum
I’m an avenue and street away from where Hov from
Rest in piece, Biggie Smalls, (baby baby)
[Verse 2: B.o.B.]
Rock away, cats bumping gangster rap
I grew up in an era when it was a thing to trap
It was the world that I was always angry at, a maniac
Full of rage with nowhere to aim it at
We came up in the hood, but everybody ain’t adapt
My parents did the best they could, I knew my best to pay them back
I pay ‘em back, but just let me take it back
With no fashion, just airbrushed shirts and faded slacks
If you could do it no better you’d rock a Coogie sweater
All we knew was the hustle, we never knew no better
Getting crumbles the phrase, everybody could relate
We thought it’d last forever, who’d knew it’d be just a phase?
They labeled me a delinquent
Wasn’t nothing a teacher could ever teach me
It’s a miracle I ain’t get caught in this street shit
If it wasn’t for hip hop I wouldn’t be breathing...
Bands
[Hook: Mally Stakz]
So when I felt like doing wrong, you helped me get it right
And when I felt like giving up, you gave me one more try
And when I felt like it was over, you didn’t let me die...
No, you didn’t let me die, music saved my life
[Bridge: Joell Ortiz]
So many different artists I get soul from
Still I move to the beat of my own drum
I’m an avenue and street away from where Hov from
Rest in piece, Biggie Smalls, (baby baby)
[Verse 3: Joell Ortiz]
Somebody pinch me, this can’t be life
All these big cameras and fancy lights
Man... this must be a mistake
Just yesterday my mother cutting the cake
On my 10th birthday she told me to make a wish
Here I am right now surrounded by all of this
All of this, man, what a crazy life
Music, you really save my life, you really saved my life
[Hook: Mally Stakz]
So when I felt like doing wrong, you helped me get it right
And when I felt like giving up, you gave me one more try
And when I felt like it was over, you didn’t let me die...
No, you didn’t let me die, music saved my life
[Bridge: Joell Ortiz]
So many different artists I get soul from
Still I move to the beat of my own drum
I’m an avenue and street away from where Hov from
Rest in piece, Biggie Smalls, (baby baby)
[Intro]
Yeah
[Verse 1: Joell Ortiz]
Early on I knew I was a fan
Hummed the ice cream truck beat holdin' mommas hand
Told ‘em to turn it up in the dollar van
Nobody moonwalked better in they pajama pants
I used to try to tap like Gregory Hines
"Lean On Me" word for word, I knew every line
My moms blasting Anita Baker
No wonder I can bake it with a piece of paper...
Yea
Looking back, daddy left bad
It was cool though, music was my step-dad
I was raised by Stevie Wonder
Lionel Richie, Luther and all the Jackson brothers
I used to close my eyes and see far away
On harder days I would chop it up with Marvin Gaye
It was just a matter of time
I took a crack at the rhyme and worked this magic of mine
[Hook: Mally Stakz]
So when I felt like doing wrong, you helped me get it right
And when I felt like giving up, you gave me one more try
And when I felt like it was over, you didn’t let me die...
No, you didn’t let me die, music saved my life
[Bridge: Joell Ortiz]
So many different artists I get soul from
Still I move to the beat of my own drum
I’m an avenue and street away from where Hov from
Rest in piece, Biggie Smalls, (baby baby)
[Verse 2: B.o.B.]
Rock away, cats bumping gangster rap
I grew up in an era when it was a thing to trap
It was the world that I was always angry at, a maniac
Full of rage with nowhere to aim it at
We came up in the hood, but everybody ain’t adapt
My parents did the best they could, I knew my best to pay them back
I pay ‘em back, but just let me take it back
With no fashion, just airbrushed shirts and faded slacks
If you could do it no better you’d rock a Coogie sweater
All we knew was the hustle, we never knew no better
Getting crumbles the phrase, everybody could relate
We thought it’d last forever, who’d knew it’d be just a phase?
They labeled me a delinquent
Wasn’t nothing a teacher could ever teach me
It’s a miracle I ain’t get caught in this street shit
If it wasn’t for hip hop I wouldn’t be breathing...
Bands
[Hook: Mally Stakz]
So when I felt like doing wrong, you helped me get it right
And when I felt like giving up, you gave me one more try
And when I felt like it was over, you didn’t let me die...
No, you didn’t let me die, music saved my life
[Bridge: Joell Ortiz]
So many different artists I get soul from
Still I move to the beat of my own drum
I’m an avenue and street away from where Hov from
Rest in piece, Biggie Smalls, (baby baby)
[Verse 3: Joell Ortiz]
Somebody pinch me, this can’t be life
All these big cameras and fancy lights
Man... this must be a mistake
Just yesterday my mother cutting the cake
On my 10th birthday she told me to make a wish
Here I am right now surrounded by all of this
All of this, man, what a crazy life
Music, you really save my life, you really saved my life
[Hook: Mally Stakz]
So when I felt like doing wrong, you helped me get it right
And when I felt like giving up, you gave me one more try
And when I felt like it was over, you didn’t let me die...
No, you didn’t let me die, music saved my life
[Bridge: Joell Ortiz]
So many different artists I get soul from
Still I move to the beat of my own drum
I’m an avenue and street away from where Hov from
Rest in piece, Biggie Smalls, (baby baby)
more tracks from the album
From the album
- House Slippers (2014)
Joell Ortiz popular songs
- Outta Control (Freestyle)
- Battle Cry
- Hip-Hop
- Stay Schemin Freestyle
- 5 AM in Brooklyn
- Hip Hop (Remix)
- Brothers Keeper
- “0 to 100” Freestyle
- Fuckin’ Problems (Freestyle)
- Nissan, Honda, Chevy (Remix)
- Music Saved My Life
- Modern Day Slavery
- Life in the City
- Latino
- House Slippers
- Roll Deep
- Kill at Will
- One Shot (Killed For Less)
- Big Pun’s Back
- Marijuana Man
- Cocaine
- Soldier
- Make It Without You
- Stalker