Two Cents

TWO CENTS VINCE CALIBER [Intro — relaxed, spoken, bass groove] Yeah… You ever notice everybody got advice? Especially people whose shit ain’t working. That’s crazy. Look. [Verse 1 — laid-back, conversational swagger] Everybody got two cents, I’m drowning in change Funny how advice gets expensive with age Everybody got answers, ain’t nobody got clues They can tell me how to live, can’t explain what they do Uncle told me buy a house, he been renting since the eighties Cousin said avoid commitment, got eleven different babies Homie told me save my money, spent his rent on a chain Said the market looking bullish while his checking account drained I ain’t judging, I’m just saying, that’s a hell of a position Everybody got a sermon, ain’t nobody got religion Got a brother selling wisdom by the hour on the net Got a course on getting wealthy, but he drowning in debt [Brief pause] Hold up. That’s a business model? [Flow returns — playful] Everybody got a blueprint, nobody built a house Everybody got a megaphone, nobody got a mouth That can say something original, something with a little weight Everybody serving opinions like they cooking up a plate [Hook — rhythmic, catchy, low male voice] Two cents, two cents, everybody got some Everybody got advice, I ain’t asking for none Two cents, two cents, keep the change, son If I took ‘em all serious, I’d never get nothing done Talk that talk, let it roll, let it bounce Everybody got opinions, let me count that amount Two cents, two cents, everybody got some Funny how the loudest people never listen to one [Verse 2 — smooth, witty, varied rhyme patterns] Lady at the barbershop said I need a better job Didn’t ask what I was doing, just assumed I had it hard Then she told me ’bout her nephew, said he making six figures Turns out he was selling pictures of expensive cars on Twitter Everybody got a highlight, nobody got a blooper Everybody knows a winner, ain’t nobody met a loser I was talking to a stranger, said he figured out the system Then he asked me for a dollar, said his wallet had gone missing [Pause — dry chuckle] Man, you can’t make this shit up. [Verse continues — pointed, relaxed] Got a friend who gives relationship advice every week Five divorces on his record, still got lessons he can teach Said communication’s everything, I nodded in agreement Then he blocked his current girlfriend over something on the weekend See, I listen to the message, not the volume of the speaker Some advice can make you stronger, some just make your vision weaker You can learn from someone’s failures, ain’t no shame in being wrong But don’t sell me all your shortcuts when you ain’t walked the road that long [Short rhythmic lift — controlled, clear] Everybody wanna coach, nobody wanna practice Everybody want the crown, nobody want the taxes Everybody want the truth until it touches their reflection Then they call it disrespect instead of taking the correction [Hook — rhythmic vocal doubles] Two cents, two cents, everybody got some Everybody got advice, I ain’t asking for none Two cents, two cents, keep the change, son If I took ‘em all serious, I’d never get nothing done Talk that talk, let it roll, let it bounce Everybody got opinions, let me count that amount Two cents, two cents, everybody got some Funny how the loudest people never listen to one [Bridge — instrumental groove, Vince spoken] Wait a minute… If everybody giving me two cents… How come I’m still broke? [Beat stops briefly] Must be inflation. [Verse 3 — calmer, reflective without losing the groove] Now I ain’t saying don’t listen, that’s a dangerous position Sometimes pride is just a fancy way of covering decisions Mama told me slow it down, I was moving way too fast Funny how the simplest words are the ones that seem to last Had a teacher tell me once, ain’t no shame in asking questions But the minute you stop learning, you start missing all the lessons So I keep a little room for the voices I respect Just don’t need a hundred strangers trying to write my next step [Measured cadence — final punchlines] Everybody got a compass, everybody got a map Some will point you toward the future, some will point you toward the past I ain’t gotta take directions from each person passing through I can hear what you believe without believing it too [Final Hook — full groove, natural call and response] Two cents, two cents, everybody got some Everybody got advice, I ain’t asking for none Two cents, two cents, keep the change, son If I took ‘em all serious, I’d never get nothing done Talk that talk, let it roll, let it bounce Everybody got opinions, let me count that amount Two cents, two cents, everybody got some Funny how the loudest people never listen to one [Outro — bassline continues, relaxed spoken voice] You know what? Keep your two cents. I got enough change in my life. [Short pause] And that’s just my opinion. [Instrumental outro]