Released: April 15, 2011

Songwriter: XV

Producer: J. Cole

[Intro]
Ten times removed, I forget about where it all began

[Verse 1]
Yeah, no Zack and Kelly but tell me and to The Max we go
And treat these verses like Margarito and Pacquiao
Teachers thought I’d never come out my shell and well
Now I hop on beats and go pistachio
They’ll never steal my dreams like Leo DiCaprio
So before the madness grow, I speak what they have to know
In a town that was small, I crashed in the lawn
The effect that I met was like a splash in the pond
See I, rap for my mom in the back of the car she said
Boy, you crazy, Momma’s little baby
I always told her I would drop a project one day
Now I’m takin' off, my project's on the runway
From suburbs of young nerds to projects that see gun play
To models on the runway, it’ll reach ‘em all in some way
They hit my brother with ten years, he said don’t leave
I said, there’s no weave baby brother I’ve been here

[Refrain]
Ten times removed, I forget about where it all began
So this is my beginning
I look to the sky, with a cape on my back
And they tell me the sky, is the limit
But I don’t know why, and when I finally fly
I'm gonna show em all, this is my beginning
I look to the sky with a cape on my back
And they tell me the sky is the limit
But I don’t know why, but I don’t know why

[Verse 2]
July baby but cooler than an October boy
With more lines than a zebra wearin' corduroys
On my high horse, I should go to Troy
Set my flight course, as my wings deploy
Postcards and Polaroids
But not enough time to buy a stamp and show my boys
In Japan eatin' fish that's coy with little soy
Then I’m off to London watchin' this bridge that we built destroy
Don’t take advantage of the simple joys
My Ma text all the time but I miss her voice
And I know you wish you caught me before I flew off
But I was runnin' red lights like Rudolph
Just so I can zoom off, like takin' Nike shoes off
Hit the stage that I grace to amuse y’all
Wanna be a pilot, you gotta learn to fly
And you wanna be a star, your home in the sky
That's why

[Refrain]
Ten times removed, I forget about where it all began
So this is my beginning
I look to the sky, with a cape on my back
And they tell me the sky, is the limit
But I don’t know why, and when I finally fly
I'm gonna show em all, this is my beginning
I look to the sky with a cape on my back
And they tell me the sky is the limit
But I don’t know why, but I don’t know why

[Verse 3]
Look, my RCA blast and some jewels that I cut like Cartier
Soon as I stepped outta the chamber like the RZA
Bobbin' to my Digital shit
Plan to lash at all the haters with this physical whip
My lyrics flow like, how much more can lyrical get
When all I try to do is put they soul on spiritual lift
The pastor tell it, I’m abusin' my miracle gift
When I just do like him and use it just to get me some chips
So if the rappin' this male do, just happen to help you
And fell through the cracks, and it happen to fit
Watch it connect your soul, my hustle like Russell
I just hope my grind connects with the globe
And then bring some more label reps to my home
Then I can pass the cake to the next nigga on
Fly maneuvers, Metropolis is on
I say bye to, but I will never be gone

[Refrain]
Ten times removed, I forget about where it all began
So this is my beginning
I look to the sky, with a cape on my back
And they tell me the sky, is the limit
But I don’t know why, and when I finally fly
I'm gonna show em all, this is my beginning
I look to the sky with a cape on my back
And they tell me the sky is the limit
But I don’t know why, but I don’t know why

XV

Donavan Johnson (born July 9, 1985) better known by his stage name XV is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Wichita, Kansas. He first gained major attention after the release of his twelfth mixtape Everybody’s Nobody, for which he received two awards from DJBooth.net. His name, XV, refers to the age (15) at which he began his musical career. On Monday July 26, 2010, XV announced that he had signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records via his Twitter page