Song Cover Image

🟧The Shorthand Cartel - (1992) Easy, Not Soft [v1aS01]

[Intro: (spoken word, dry and close-mic)] no scene, no script, just composure, and a point. we stay cool, we stay solid, let them talk, we do not. [Instrumental: (organ loop rides, swung hats, snare cracks, light scratch accents)] [Verse 1: (Kellen, bright high tenor, staccato speed, tight pocket)] cool as a new breeze, but the grip stay firm. you rush and you fuss, we just nod and confirm. other rappers act wired, talk loud, then get weird. we talk low, cut clean, make the whole room steer. shades on, gaze calm, but the pen stay sharp. you bark for attention, we slide through the park. i fold words tight, like a suit with a crease. you spill yours loose, like a drink on a fleece. quick nod to Arsenio, then vanish, no ceremony. Bulls red on the screen, then we dip, no testimony. we do not chase heat, we create the condition. they chase names, chase fame, lose frame, lose position. damn, you can feel it, that ease with the muscle. you try to be smooth, but you strain and you hustle. we stay unbothered, still razor and measured. you stay overworked, trying hard, still shaky and pressured. [Chorus: (all three in unison, chant-repetitive, hook sits in the pocket)] easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. [Verse 2: (Ari, mid-tenor, gritty and controlled, confident swing)] laid back posture, but the cadence stay strict. other rappers talk big, then they move real quick. you lean on a gimmick, we lean on the standard. you reach for the loud, we stay cool, still branded. peace on the face, but the talk got teeth. you flash at the front, but you soft underneath. yo, we sip slow, but we move with a purpose. you run in a circle, look busy, look nervous. quick nod to Yo MTV Raps, then back, no rehash. they want a big reaction, we give a small laugh, then dash. we do not do drama, we do not do pleading. we do not do maybe, we do not do feeding. shit, they copy the stance, but they miss equilibrium. we stay cool, still gold, still premium, still premium. talk smooth, hit hard, that is how we behave. other rappers talk tough, then they fold, then they cave. [Chorus: (all three in unison, chant-repetitive, hook sits in the pocket)] easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. [Instrumental Breakdown: (drums strip, bass forward, organ loop filters, scratches flicker)] [Verse 3: (Soren, low baritone, heavy impact, ruthless calm)] easy in the step, heavy in the hand. other rappers get jumpy, we steady where we stand. you loud like a crowd, but you thin when it counts. we quiet like a vault, but the weight still mounts. i speak slow, then it hits, like a door that shuts. you speak fast, no craft, all dust in the guts. calm does not mean weak, it means i can speak. cool does not mean soft, it means i do not creak. quick nod to the Sega, then the talk gets done. quick nod to the Jordan, tongue out, then we run. we keep our circle small, but the reach stays inside. you keep your circle loud, then the whole thing dies inside. fuck a fake cool pose, with a grin and a shrug. we real cool, still cruel with the pen, like a plug. we float on the groove, but the force stay true. other rappers sound light, that is not our crew. [Chorus: (all three in unison, chant-repetitive, hook sits in the pocket)] easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. [Chorus: (same hook, bigger unison, drums hit harder)] easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, we glide, still built like stone. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. easy, not soft, other rappers stay tense. [Outro: (organ loop fades, snare knocks, scratches tail off, tape-sat decay)]