Ventilate

(album: Bad Dreams - 2001)

[madchild] Man, I can't believe I have to go through all of this again
I gave you your position
[prev] What, I thought we were friends?!
I didn't ask, you offered, you're short-tempered and demanding
It's my energy on stage that makes our show so outstanding
[mc] Look, when we first hooked up, my first thought was you're a pansy
You couldn't rap on beat, you little four-eyed geek
[prev] Yeah? And at the club there's a reason we don't hang out that much
You're double-fisted with two Heinekens actin like a lush
[mc] That's better than a leash, I tried to teach you to be tough I guess
it's hard to squeeze strength out of a cream puff.
[prev] Oh you're rough?
[mc] yeah thats right
[prev] Hey, let me pass you a pen
So you can fill an application at the Hair Club for Men

[CHORUS (2X)]
[MC] I meant everything I said
[Prev] Everything I said I meant
[both] When there's much on the line, yo, there's times you gotta vent
"Ventilate"
[both] We're magnificient together, it's a perfect combination

[Prev] Man, you know how many times I've had to swallow my pride?
Put my feelings aside so that we wouldn't collide?
[MC] I know I'm hard to get along with and much harder to work for
But I'm breakin my back while you're hangin out at the bookstore
[Prev] Yeah, but when I'm there I'm readin Icarus, kinetics in English
So when we make songs at least our music sounds distinguished
[MC] Come on man, I made this happen, you don't appreciate shit
[Prev] Yeah?
[MC] I'm the one who hustled, yo, you never put in one cent
You're dead-set in your ways, your stubborness
[Prev] What?
[Mc] How you think we got this far, it didn't happen from luck
[Prev] If I had a buck for every kid I battled and slayed
I'd had enough to start my own (edited) record label anyway

[chorus (2X)]

[MC] I hope you realize these songs weren't made for free
[Pre] Man, I know
But once the cash comes back you can recoup your dough
[MC] Yeah bro, but you ain't even signed a contract
[Pre] No, that's wack
[MC] I could get stabbed in the back
[Pre] You should know better than that
[MC] Well, it's frustrating to me, I got a lot on my plate
[Pre] Well, you're the one who put it there, I thought we already ate
[MC] Alright look, where was I back three years ago?
[Pre] Mininum wage?
[MC] That's right, and where we at now?
[Pre] Yeah, different page
[MC] OK, what's the significance of the point I'm tryin to make?
[both] We sound magnificient together
[Pre] so let's drop this whole debate
(How many states?)
[MC] Not many (How many countries?)
[Pre] Plenty
(How old are both of y'all?)
[both] Let's just say we're in our twenties
(How'd you come up with the name Swollen Members?)
[both] Drunk at Denny's
(Any last words?)
[both] Step up and you'll get kicked to the curb
[Pre] We're strippin your verse, we're rippin, you're a
[both] victim of words
[both] We're both putting in work tryin to get what we deserve

[CHORUS (2X)]