Slow Cook

Part 1

[Hook]

Slow cook, dry rub, little flame, let it sit

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

[Verse 1]

Yeah, I fight to not write diss tracks

Distracts from the vision, reversing syntax

Win that, found a brother battling in [Keytown??]

He said a war don't make a king

It's what you do with the crown

The ground crumbles at the feet of the humble

But if you dope, you dope, just keep the pride way low

That's the hip-hop I fell in love with

That's the hip-hop I throw my dubs with

Round robin a mic stomping

Six exit east of Compton

Trying not to be the old dude always screaming old-school

Hating on the new dudes, knowing I could school fools

Instead of leveraging veteran status for they betterment

Ligaments been itching like them kids coming to get me

When you finally reach pinnacle, it's hard to not be cynical

But slow down, enjoy the view

Many are called, chosen few

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

[Hook]

Slow cook, dry rub, little flame, let it sit

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That low flame marinate, the dry rub, gotta let it sit

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

[Verse 2]

On that boom-bap dad back when my neighbor's dad

Ran his truck through they living room

And they set the crib on fire like "if I can't have you, no one can"

Tainted love, mixed messages, curses and blesses

Like patience is a virtue, but I ain't afraid to hurt you

Like crack smoke is silly, but crack sales is kingly

And the black man is god but if you try to touch the squad *pow*

My uncle Charles got smoked by a bloke reppin' Ghostown

And I wish I coulda known him

My granny said he cold on that saxophone

And he's why I love music

It's crazy how a man you never met can influence you

Like the music for which you listen could shape how you raise your children

Like crooked men with dope pens inspired how I make my living

Gang affiliation, how it fascinated a nation but

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

[Hook]

That slow cook, that dry rub, marinate, gotta let it sit

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That slow cook, that head nod, the neck brace, that stank face

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

That's the hip hop I fell in love with

Part 2

[Verse 3]

Yeah, b-boy, pinoy, me and kuya Efechto

Roll into your show like "aché[?] ate"

Destroy, deploy, eclectic fresh flow

Sho' nuff showed up like "don't play, José"

Take tokes of this fire hydrant of wokeness

I inspire the dopest emcees to stay bold, kid

Heavy-handed pen stroke, been dope since Reaganomics

Trickle down and ruined my hometown if I'm honest

Me - just a city boy, show me no pity, boy

Stand up, man up, the only rules of the committee

On some climbing over fences to edge of the LA River

And scribble the syllables the city thought were silly

But we was all we had though, next door to the vatos

Between Florence 13 and dieciocho

This is how we grew 'em, hybrid hip-hop and hoodlum

True school 'em cause the one you enrolled in is failing ya

Backpack of rhyme books, no hooks, that's for radio

My favorite emcees don't play no stadiums

Outside the Palladium, battling the openers

Only audible audience stood in awe and awkwardness

Obvious we were too young but better rap than guns

Master kickflips, I don't hold semi-auto clips

They haggling for me to get a blue rag dangling

From my pocket, tangling with the wrong crowd

Stop it but that's the hip-hop I fell in love with

That's the hip-hop I threw my dubs with

That's the hip-hop we rock the club with