Self Exam lyrics

[Intro: Akin]
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. “Self Exam.” Check it out, y’all. Life story like this. Check it

[Verse 1: Akin]
I was born at the end of the disco era when
The b-boy was the life of the party
Then in [?] Benin Republic, West Africa
I started out ‘til eight years old—then we bought it out
Looking for a job abroad, daddy found one
He was intellectual and mamma was too
A match made in heaven or the curse of voodoo?
Well, we got situated in the Sunshine State
‘Cause I was adapting to change and tryna assimilate
Thoughts ran through my head. Kids couldn’t relate (Why?)
‘Cause I got [aches?] on my fingers and my dinner was late
Yo, I had no toys, was forced to be creative
I wrote scripts with sticks, pretending they were people
Made a movie called War. Went and made a sequel
My parents were traditional—they loved discipline
My sisters were good, but I was bad at listening

[Hook: Akin]
Knock, knock. Who’s there?
Is it my childhood unraveling? Nah, it’s my adolescence babbling
I guess I better let him in
Hello drugs, family, God, depression, and music
[Verse 2: Akin]
Coming of age in the mid-90s. That was me
Poetic juvenile into hip hop—an emcee
Perfecting my craft of when days were darker than [Shaft’s?]
Black, leather jacket. I sat and weathered the wrath
With some paper and a pen, my thoughts my medicine like
“I’mma be [?], so f*ck Excedrin”
Yo, mom and dad arguing. That sh*t is old
A battle of words—the nerds may win [?]
Guess that love was lost and war found a home ‘cause
Mom had the couch and dad slept alone
Not naïve to the fact—I was well aware
That the bond that was love was no longer there
That sh*t ran with the wind and [?] turned to sand and
They got divorced and I was caught between
A tug of war. The legal system at the door like
“Did your daddy beat you and who do you love more?

[Hook: Akin]
So, knock, knock. Who’s there?
Is it my adolescence unraveling? Nah, it’s my manhood babbling
I guess I better let him in
Hello past, present, future, life, and understanding

[Verse 3: Akin]
Accepting manhood is a challenge I’m willing to face
Take your time. Said, “Mom, I’m willing to pace
Myself ‘cause I gotta be twice the man that my father was [?]”
I gotta make it whether slaying crack from 9-to-5
Releasing stress over beats just to stay alive
It’s all a hustle—nowadays, I just maintain
And let the good times roll, then embrace change
I’m kind of glad that I made it up thus far
See, knowledge of self is bigger than a rock star
Now, understand the wisdom here
And let Speck drop the beat—sh*t is crystal-clear
We let ‘em know that
[Hook: Akin] (x2)
Knock, knock. Who’s there?
With those, my thoughts unraveling—yeah, that was Akin babbling
I guess y’all better let him in
Hello world, family, music, life, and understanding