[Verse 1: Bay Area hyphy male MC, bouncing hard on the slapping kick] Eight years in the stacks with a lamp and a chair Workin' nights at the port with a pen in my hair Ate ramen for breakfast and ramen for lunch Wrote three hundred pages and I rewrote a bunch Committee of five with the red pen out Every draft comin' back bleedin' question and doubt Mama on the phone sayin', "When you gon' be done?" I said, "Mama, it's a doctorate, it ain't supposed to be fun" Missed the barbecues, missed the games, missed the shows Had a bed full of papers and a car full of clothes But today it's the gown and the cap and the stage And tonight I'm gonna tear out every serious page [Hook: Bay Area hyphy male MC] Eight long years with my head in a book Now the gown's on the hood of the car, come look They can call me Doctor, I done earned every crumb Took eight years to get smart, gimme one night to go dumb [Verse 2: Bay Area hyphy male MC, the hyphy drums pushin' harder] Dean's readin' the names and the gym's real quiet Then he gets to "Marcus Lee," and my section's a riot Uncle Ray with the airhorn, Auntie Pam with the sign Little cousins on the railing in a crooked little line My advisor at the mic with the hood in her hands Three stripes on the sleeve, and it's heavy as sand She says, "Bend down, Doctor," so I bend at the waist [Half-Time: Bay Area hyphy male MC, the hyphy beat falls to half-time as the hood goes over his head] And she lays it on my shoulders and I can't feel my face Eight years in one second, and it's gold on my chest Mama in the third row cryin' on Auntie's dress Then the drums come back like a door in the wind And I'm off of that stage 'fore the dean can begin [Hook: Bay Area hyphy male MC] Eight long years with my head in a book Now the gown's on the hood of the car, come look They can call me Doctor, I done earned every crumb Took eight years to get smart, gimme one night to go dumb [Verse 3: Bay Area hyphy male MC, hyphy flow ridin' the slapping kick] Parkin' lot, five o'clock, every door open wide Got the stereo shakin' every car on the side Took the hood off my neck and I laid it on the hood Brought the hood to the hood like I said that I would Uncle Ray on the roof doin' dances from way back Cousin Dre on the trunk goin' stupid, no slack Got the stunna shades on and the cap on the dash And I'm swingin' on a light pole in a gown and a sash With the cupcakes Auntie made with my face on the top Mama hollers, "Doctor Lee!" and I tell her, "Don't stop" Eight years I was careful, eight years I was neat Tonight I'm a genius, so I'm dumb in the street [Hook: Bay Area hyphy male MC, last time, the whole lot bouncin'] Eight long years with my head in a book Now the gown's on the hood of the car, come look They can call me Doctor, I done earned every crumb Took eight years to get smart, gimme one night to go dumb [End]
