Slick Rick

[Verse 1] It started in the park, summer nights, heavy haze, Graffiti on the walls told tales of better days. Shorty with a boombox blasting the classics, Dreams of the block stretching far, elastic. I’m the bridge between the golden and the now, Pen dipped in ink, I’m carving a vow. To keep the soul alive, like a Basquiat canvas, Truth so raw, the liars can’t stand this. I spit vivid like Slick Rick on the mic, Every bar a page, every rhyme a slice of life. From corner cyphers to sold-out venues, The hood’s got its heroes, and I’m cementing my menu. [Chorus] They call me Slick Rick ’cause the stories I kick, Paint the struggle and the glory, every page so thick. From the alleys to the stage, watch the culture uplift, Every rhyme like a gem, something precious to grip. [Verse 2] A kid from the projects with a mind full of schemes, Dodging street traps, building castles out of dreams. Seen the fiends stumble, seen the kings tumble, Heard the whispers of the streets, every word humble. Loyalty’s a crown, betrayal cuts deep, When your brother flips, man, the nights get steep. But I kept my cool, stayed sharp with the quill, A general with the flow, a marksman with skill. The beats knock like hammers in construction zones, The pen strikes like lightning, breaking brittle bones. Stories of survival, every chapter’s unique, I’m the griot of the block, hear the wisdom I speak. [Chorus] They call me Slick Rick ’cause the stories I kick, Paint the struggle and the glory, every page so thick. From the alleys to the stage, watch the culture uplift, Every rhyme like a gem, something precious to grip. [Bridge] This for the hustlers, the poets, the lost and the found, For the ones who hear my lyrics and the rhythm astounds. For the youth with a notebook and a broken dream, I’m the proof you can rise, let my verses redeem. From cassette tapes spinning to streaming the flow, The essence never dies, just evolves and grows. [Verse 3] Now I’m sitting in the studio, pen in my hand, Looking out the window, reflecting on the land. The corner boys still hustle, the block’s still hot, Gentrified brownstones where the struggle was fought. But the soul of the city still pumps in my veins, From the boom-bap beats to the subway trains. It’s a cyclical game, every king sees the shift, But the real stay eternal, let the legends uplift. I’m Nas with a twist, Slick Rick with no chain, Just my word as my bond and a lifetime of pain. Put my story in the books, East Coast to the core, Every verse is my truth, nothing less, nothing more. [Chorus] They call me Slick Rick ’cause the stories I kick, Paint the struggle and the glory, every page so thick. From the alleys to the stage, watch the culture uplift, Every rhyme like a gem, something precious to grip. [Outro] Yeah, this for the boroughs, the real ones who listen, The ones who find hope in the lines I’m spitting. East coast forever, hip hop’s heartbeat, Call me Slick Rick with the crown at my feet. Word. [End]