Now what you hear is not a test, uh, I guess it kinda is I’m rappin’ over sirens and a digital traffic fizz Me and the beat and the folks downstairs tryin’ to find some peace Mic smells like coffee, eviction notice stuck to my keys I said hello to the tired, to the wired, to the folks in line To the ones on the shift at Target, clockin’ out at nine But first I gotta tap-tap the table, wake up the room Say jump to the scanner rhythm, make space for the boom Let’s rock, you don’t pause Rock the riddle that untangles your jaws Check it out, I’m the N-O-B-O-D-Y, that’s me Doctor of the bus pass, mayor of the USB-C Six-foot-one on a five-foot budget, still look neat Got a 2012 Corolla with a grocery bag seat I got bodyguards? Nah, I got neighbors in the back I got a library card and a solar power pack After work I hit Safeway, ramen and cheap pears News on mute at the counter while the cashier fixes her hair They say protests on Lake Street, sirens talk to the rain Someone tagged “WE STILL HERE” on the side of a train I ain’t got answers, I just got a pen And a cracked phone screen and a cousin who won’t text back again Short line Everybody go “Breakroom, breakroom, backroom, whatcha gonna do today?” (Say what?) We gon’ find one good minute in a sideways day Everybody go “Breakroom, backroom, vending machine!” If your hope starts actin’ strange, you borrow it from the team Well it’s on and on, and on and on The beat don’t stop till the data’s gone I’m the M-A-S-T-E-R of the neighborhood watch I’m the one who shares the Wi-Fi and the charging spot Now you feelin’ the highs and you feelin’ the lows The border news starts creepin’ into your toes You poppin’ your knuckles, stompin’ dust from your shoes Scrollin’ headlines ‘bout wars and kids and the blues Then damn, you start doin’ the freak Right outta your cubicle, right outta your week Saw a sign taped crooked on a courthouse door Said “Bring water, bring snacks,” so I brought four more I’m not loud like the megaphones, but I rap the same Got unpaid claims and a neighborhood name Ever went to a friend’s house, food just ain’t okay? Ramen’s soggy, peas look tired, chicken tastes like delay So you smile real polite, say you already ate Heart doin’ parkour while you negotiate your plate Friend says “Nah, eat up, I just paid the gas” So you nod like it’s fine, pray the moment will pass Then you look at the plate and the chicken’s slowly rottin’ Into somethin’ that looks like the news we forgot in You say “That’s it, I gotta leave this place I’m nauseous from the food and the look on your face” Bust out the door while the sirens still hum Run to the store for a bottle of Tums Call ‘em two weeks later, say “Yeah, we cool” They say “I get it, food’s hard, you still family too” They keep countin’ conflicts like it’s weather on a map Meanwhile my niece learnin’ fractions from a cereal cap World feels heavy when you grip it too tight So we pass it hand to hand under flickerin’ lights Everybody go “Breakroom, backroom, whatcha gonna do today?” Say it soft, say it brave We gon’ borrow tomorrow from a laugh today Everybody go “Breakroom, backroom, neighborhood!” If your faith needs batteries, yeah we got ‘em good On and on till the bus comes late On and on till somebody shares their charger I was gonna tell you ‘bout the mural by the laundromat… But the microwave says 0:17 And I’m still waitin’ [Words, Production, and Direction by Noizgenie.] [Cover Art Direction by Noizgenie. © 2026 Noizgenie.]
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