saturday
featured artist intro
this page is for one of my favorite rappers, the ynoe. his music stayed with me in a way that still feels hard to explain. some artists become part of the background of your life quietly. then one day you realize a song has been carrying a whole season for you.
i found him when i was younger, depressed, online too early, and spending too many nights alone with weed, my computer, and youtube. my mom worked all day, so a lot of my world happened through a screen. i would dig through cyphers and music videos looking for artists that felt real to me. somewhere in those nights, i found the ynoe.
his sound
the ynoe felt like a breath of fresh air to me. his sound was rooted in underground boom-bap, with raw drums, dusty loops, and a delivery that felt direct and unfiltered. he sounded like his thoughts were spilling out of him before he could clean them up.
his music felt tired, reflective, aggressive, lonely, and comforting all at the same time. there was a heaviness in it that never felt fake. even when the songs were rough around the edges, that was part of what made them feel alive.
music/video links
lyrics
yo i think you grabbed the wrong mic catch you again and that shit is on sight (i was writing raps on prom night) i came to the rock it all night thanks for the love but i had the wrong flight (i was writing raps on prom night) you could play the song twice check for the flaws but this shit is all nice (i was writing raps on prom night) these other crews are all hype high as a kite but i'm doing alright (i was writing raps on prom night) i felt like shit before the weed came all my girls got a mean frame pulled her out from rap i never need game you could check the replays around the city runnin' relays rockin' 180's with the clean sways yo, i'm tryna be paid i'm cashing checks when the beats played and i ain't taking paycuts like dwayne never let the dream fade my body's built to feel extreme pain yo, and i ain't stopping till i see spain yo, it's time to be brave this heatwave make your knees cave yo, and all my rivals dug in deep graves quit it with the clichés there's better ways to spend my weekdays while your making songs i'm writing screenplays put that on my street's name my (?) blade make you seek aid full of pride from all the noise my team's made yo, i enter each stage complete rage since a sweet age yo, i let the ink drip on each page yo i think you grabbed the wrong mic catch you again and that shit is on sight (i was writing raps on prom night) i came to the rock it all night thanks for the love but i had the wrong flight (i was writing raps on prom night) you could play the song twice check for the flaws but this shit is all nice (i was writing raps on prom night) these other crews are all hype high as a kite but i'm doing alright (i was writing raps on prom night) even though they like to try me, they can't out-wine me since the womb i kept it grimy, since 1990 yo, i'm spittin' flows with ease and a hard emotion i make'em feel it overseas and never crossed the ocean these girls love to chew you out when you ignore a call but you come second to my rhymes, i choose this over all i'm wrecking samples, watch me do it here to set examples i'm coming at you, bodies dropping till they build a statue get your hands up off my crown you need to let it go we got a microphone down it's like that every show catch me schemin' in the lab and you already know my pen is bleeding on her pad she got a heavy flow i turn the water into wine and make them flee to churches i turn a thought into a rhyme and they repeat the verses i'm getting stronger in my prime i know i keep you nervous if they don't pause it and rewind then that defeats the purpose i provide the people service here to feed the those urges in '99 it only took me 'bout a week to learn this this goes out to mcs tryna reach the surface if you ain't coming out my crew then you're completely worthless yo i think you grabbed the wrong mic catch you again and that shit is on sight (i was writing raps on prom night) i came to the rock it all night thanks for the love but i had the wrong flight (i was writing raps on prom night) you could play the song twice check for the flaws but this shit is all nice (i was writing raps on prom night) these other crews are all hype high as a kite but i'm doing alright (i was writing raps on prom night)
lyrics
they say a microphone's a man's best friend you're barkin' up the wrong stage my friend shall tha ynoe begin? man i came here to rip apart the gimmicks it seems like whack mcs are the hardest critics when all they know how to do is mimic observe me, learn how to rip it that's why you singin' for a mob of crickets i came to steal the show and blow yo mind you came to my show to blow me but suck a dick! 'cause i ain't single honey, i'm in love with the mic had me head over heels since our honeymoon night every time i rhyme, leavin' chills down my spine i know you fed up when they just spit the same lines never had to buy you drinks to get you in between the sheets we like to be freaks and have a threesome with the beat you leave my knees weak, baby every time we speak tonight's another show, i came to sweep you off your feet see these suckas try to grab you every day, but they're weak they got a problem with it, we can take it to the street you can't hang with me, while you lacin' up those cleats two things i hate: you mc's & police talkin' shit from the bench, muthafucka take a seat man you're just a third string running back to me this hip hop scene's just a xerox machine where'd you get your rhymes? oh yea, you ripped 'em off from me and it doesn't take much for me to mark out your team create a murder scene and i'm dippin' out clean on the mic i'm mean, i spit gangrene see me and you are different, man we're not the same thing i grab her by the waist and then i'm blowin' off steam i drag you out your house and call it chavez ravine beat you black and blue when i do it for the green i don't wait for label money, i just stick 'em for the cream see how i rock a party? i do this shit with ease check the scoreboard, all my squad's in the lead the stage is my campfire, leave it with debris i got this shit on lock and don't nobody got the keys your rhymes are spoon fed, now it's time to come clean i rode with pioneers and we're tired of you thieves i'm takin' shots at everybody, callin' out mc's callin' out you suckas and i'm callin' out og's everybody got the green light, you don't deserve to breathe i came to choke this bitch out, i came to make her bleed you might also like cheers the ynoe hooked the ynoe revival the ynoe (put down the micorphone son surrender, forfeit did i hear somethin' 'bout a crew? what they wanna do? you better... x2) ha! you thought we were gonna fall off every time i rock it your dame is takin' her bra off you ain't gonna do nothin' about it, you're all soft got a lot of shit on my chest, i'm lettin' it all off everybody here listen up, pay attention i came to attack you and the crew that your reppin' i'm pretty pissed off, from lettin' off my aggression now it's time for war, the microphone is my weapon dawg, you need to leave the venue now, before you get hurt i'll take a shit on your mixtape, that's how i network it's pretty evident, i'm sayin' this loud and clear give a fuck if you've been puttin' in work for years, bitch! yo, in case you thought you knew, this is l.a zoo and if you want it, we'll start beef with any l.a crew you know, you hear us makin' noise, yo this shit ain't new it's duck season mc's, there ain't no room for you
lyrics
as i swig another bottle till it's hollow feeling drops of whiskey on my lips til my body starts to bobble and waddle where's the alkahol i'm a down it all seeing everything twirl i guess i'm about to fall in the hard gravel this vandal creates a flow i go crazy every time this liquor takes control i'm coming out swinging, so just try to duck cause, see, me? i'm the type to be a violent drunk when times are rough i don't like to be stressing liquors the only cure for my type of depression swiggin rum when the whiskeys done either that or i'm drinking bacardi 151 to drown away the sorrow and drink away the pain but as i do that things still remain the same i ain't done yet lets have a 20 blunt sesh man i'm sick of brew and i ain't even 21 yet i'm just trying to drink and they're telling me to stop fuck that shit i'm a take another shot take a sip of scotch every last fuckin drop all day everyday man until my liver rots i'm just trying to drink and they're telling me to stop fuck that shit i'm a take another shot take a sip of scotch every last fuckin drop all day everyday man until my liver rots so then i start thinking at the bar drinking then i'm like what the fuck, where's my martini? i just realized i need to get my crap handled but i'm already swiggin with the homie jack daniels i always knew that i was headed for a dead end to tell the truth alcohol is my only best friend tha ynoe is the only mc that you knew of and fuck chicks there's no such thing as true love just do drugs this is what my cousin told me as long as you got money you don't need no fuckin homies you know the flow but it doesn't mean you know me though come from a broken home knucklehead with no control it's no luck i'm an alcoholic so what you know what i still drink till i throw up get me another round homie cause that stuff was weak then the bartenders says i think you've had enough to drink i'm just trying to drink and they're telling me to stop fuck that shit i'm a take another shot take a sip of scotch every last fuckin drop all day everyday man until my liver rotts i'm just trying to drink and they're telling me to stop fuck that shit i'm a take another shot take a sip of scotch every last fuckin drop all day everyday man until my liver rots so you better take cover when i'm swinging at you bacardi's near me chances are i'm drinking that too drinking that brew, got rum give me that too get some vodka yeah i'm was thinking that too they say i'm killing myself homie but i beg to differ beer is beer, wine is fine, man but liquors quicker currently that light in the road is getting dimmer sclerosis of the liver choking getting sicker roll it up, light it up and then smoke it up if you really think about there's nobody you can trust so try to think stressed out thats why i drink an all day drinker is what i try to be rack another bottle, then you start to swallow, crack it when it's hollow like there's no tomorrow, look and try to follow roll them j's up i'm a be straight up man i rather stay drunk what i need today is some more e&j man fuck a chaser i rather drink it straight take my own life but i got no knife i only got a gun stick it to my windpipe i'm going psychotic you can only take enough cock it back boom another fool bites the dust just trying to drink but their telling me to stop fuck that shit i'ma take another shot take a sip of scotch every last fuckin drop all day everyday man until my liver rots.... until my liver rots
lyrics
man everytime i see you i could hardly speak, you got that kinda beauty that sweeps me out my feet. so i slipt her this note asking her if she would date me, it had 3 boxes pick 1 yes, no, or maybe. you said maybe and shortly after that we were dating. wasn't long after that until i made you my own lady. never hurt me and i promise never to hurt you. the color of her eyes, onto the scent of her perfume. the shape of her thighs, to the way she licked her lips. how she said she was mine, to the way she moved her hips. and i admit every kiss i shared with you was like the first. im'a flirt, my lips touching yours seeing fireworks. and when we make love got you with your legs up, and you know its even better when we make up. just so you know this is all coming from the heart. i shoulda knew that you were just trouble from the start, and everything was cool, at first it was all legit. now all we do is fight and get into arguements. like the one last week, about that bottle of vodka. your always wasted, and you have an alcohol problem. i think i know that shit trick im always drunkin, and only im in charge of my alcoholic consumption. so all of that negativity shit, you just need to quit it. i knew i shoulda dump you, the day that you let me hit it. yeaah words hurt,... your in love, no wonder why the birds chirp so when i think of love that shits just a word, fuck love that shits for the birds and for all you chumps out there, loving those females. all you foo's are straight believing a fairy tale
personal reflection
thank you for putting words to the ugly feelings people are usually too afraid to admit out loud. anger, loneliness, emptiness, survival, all of it was there without being hidden behind anything polished.
grief is strange when it is attached to someone you never actually knew. it is not the same as losing someone from your daily life, but it still lands somewhere in you. it shows up in the tenderness of watching their music videos and seeing their actual face there, alive and expressive, knowing that the person behind the art is gone while the music keeps moving through people anyway.
our society does not hold artists like this high enough. they create the music and entertainment that people lean on every single day. without art, without music, without the people willing to give pieces of themselves to the world, what would we even turn to for comfort? so thank you.
so this is a little marker. a final thank you and love letter. a place to keep the songs close.