The Caliphate

(album: VOIR DIRE - 2023)

[Earl Sweatshirt:]
It gave me no release to hope for peace, we postal now
Over East, corroded sheet metal, my toe just found
He let it go, brodie left the heat on the coldest ground
To wrap around the wound unwound
I poured the bruise blood into the sound (And let some of the bruise blood come out)
Stole the crown, grew out of poster child
Serve a few once I stir the stew on the stove around

[Vince Staples:]
If you hit the county, you better hold it down
Grab the bounty, left him on Downey, screaming on the ground
Cup running over, son of Ramona, her poster child
The coast is clear, they wanna act La Cosa Nostra now
When we was there, they toned it down, how I'm supposed to smile?
When cheese attract the rats, police attaching facts
They ain't PC, they just trustees, I had to laugh at that
We never talk, just B-boy pose, paroling back to back
Soon as I clap, they scat, I been with all that jazz
I throw the pill like Uncle Phil, revolver hold McNabbs
They tryna hold me back

[Earl Sweatshirt:]
Holyfield when I go to him, talk
Ayy, bro, you know I'm not involved
We eagles on attack, big dog
Talons full of snacks, I couldn't kiss away my last
Gave all I had
I gave the mistletoe a tag
I know his clique'll crash, my bro gon' rinse his filthy hands
Show 'em what you got and I can't promise he won't pilfer that
Slow your roll, I promise you not built for that
Little man, I'm eating, I don't fast
Shady business in the black
Please observe the gone and dead
Tell 'em save a spot for them
The kid lost his collar then
Death be scraped up off all the chips
And left a trail of frowning faces and shaking powdered wigs
Tell 'em blame it on my wrist, it's steady as a scalpel's
Tell 'em I'ma face a thousand spliffs
The test of faith, I passed the quiz
With flying colors, then rubbed the vase, I had a wish
Magic man, find the funds to allocate and I'll appear
Taking numbers
Death parade around, it's grim, but he ain't take me under
Trauma from the thickest, niggas made it out of jams
In the mix, stay at attention
We global
Gallivanting, gloating
Back to back with croski
Fuck 'em and they parents and the parasites they hosting

[Vince Staples:]
You know you know me
Glock 32, I shoot like both the Kobes
Pop it when I'm lonely
At the seams, throwing twenties on her back like she Ginóbili
You fucking on the homies
Okay

[Outro:]
Actually, what, what is the message you want to give, to transmit to the public, to your listeners?
Well, I always feel that even though one is an artist
That we are first human beings and we live in the same world as any other person
So that we as artists should never close our eyes to what is happening around us
And the songs that I sing are just about my everyday life
And, uh, the things I say are those things that have affected my life