1. |
revival
01:43
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writing with my eyes closed
revival
from the opposite state where we shoot the five-o
HI tide flow, ancients from the HNL raised me well
sent me to sea
they filled me with the spirit and made me a sail
trying to put my city on, I ain’t aiming to fail
but no matter how long I travel I know where home is
spin the globe, but keep coming home because I’m homesick
no intentions of keeping up with the joneses
I’m lapping the pack cause when I go, I goes in
lot of friends left and won’t come back soon
rep my city on the map, running out of thumbtacks
still insecure, still afraid you won’t like this
still unsure if I’m comfortable with my likeness
first world problems, imposter syndrome
wish it were enough to be beloved by my kinfolk
if I stop making art, will I die?
probably not, but if I stop making art who am I?
I am a shadow who is trying to be honest
teachers said he had potential, so my life is a promise
who is it to?
who am I to you?
who am I when the beat ends and this song is through?
who am I when the record stops spinning on the last track
and my voice lives in your memory as a flashback?
thank you for coming with me on this journey
sail boat
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2. |
yolo
01:57
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this beat got me feeling lucid, feel me like masseuses
no fake spiritual rapping bout chakras and sutras
let’s go to the root of the human problem
simple formulation: why are all people not included?
most are bad scientists, hypothesis unproven
I aspire to Socrates, I gotta be this foolish
know thyself, I know that I know nothing at all
so when I step to the mic there ain’t no fronting involved
you ain’t gonna solve nothing ’til you solve yourself, bruh
that goes way way way beyond self-love
I’m talking integrating shadow, overcoming limitation
reading some philosophy, practicing thoughtful contemplation
or maybe I’m wrong and you should YOLO bro
but YOLO won’t help you when Bachan gets cancer
YOLO won’t help when grandpa in the hospital
and drugs he’s on have got him all fired up and hostile
YOLO won’t help when Uncle Claude almost dies surfing
or when mom’s car wrecks and she needs surgery
YOLO
YOLO
death is coming soon I can hear him creeping up on me
I’m prepared to pay the fee, I require nothing free
done wasting my time with debaters talking right and wrong
if you up I ain’t concerned cause I know the tide’ll fall
that line was addressed to my self
these songs are therapy, call it requisite help
my friends hold me up, thanks for letting me belt
I’m holding nothing back, so every effort is felt
YOLO
YOLO
YOLO
YOLO
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3. |
metaphor
01:56
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not trying to impress, I’m trying to relate
to be honest, there’s not a lot on my plate
less busy than I appear, spend most time plotting
people seem unapproachable until you watch them
up around seven, read for three hours
then have breakfast, drink coffee, and shower
teach until the evening, maybe catch music
but most nights come home, sit alone brooding
is that impressive
seems like a blessing
is that impressive
still seems like a blessing
I been in love a few times, sorry if you’re listening
probably mad that I’m more honest on a beat than when we’re intimate
it’s not that I don’t care
it’s that so often my thoughts take me away and I’m not there
that’s not fair
insert cliche here bout love and war
we need a better metaphor cause war requires dying
tired of trying and failing
ships weren’t made for harbor, this body was made for sailing
that’s not an excuse, it’s a reason
I am the only cause of my heart’s treason
sometimes I wish I could stay
and then inspiration comes and it takes me away
that’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation
this tug of war ‘tween impulse and patience
the rope is my soul, strain at both ends
while watching partners become my old friends
I been in love a few times, still don’t know what love is
is it thought? action? ritual passion?
I don’t know what time is
if our memories fade, then did we really find bliss
or was it illusion, sometimes I can’t remember your smile
and it hurts me to lose it
need a better metaphor than a boat at sea
cause there’s no love near when I’m floating free
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4. |
will (feat. DJ Packo)
01:42
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I used to be afraid to write about myself
my middle school students didn’t care bout nothing else
they taught me patience, kindness, and understanding
and that a good teacher must be loving and demanding
I’m more the latter, working on the former
wish I was a WonderTwin so I could take the form of
water, let me be the wave
that carries people to the promised land and not to the grave
I will not degrade
I will recompose
I will be the verse
I will be the prose
I will be the word
I will be the truth
I will will a world where only the evil lose
I want to not lie when they ask how I am
and I say that I’m fine, wish they’d ask me again
more honest the second time, why is it the case?
cause I can’t believe anyone who knew me would stay
that’s honest
my shadow boxing my lights out, unconscious
I want this moment to last
but afraid that if I hold tight, the sand will slip through my grasp
I will fade away
I will disappear
I will live today
I will face my fear
I will be the word
I will be the truth
I will will a world where evil is good too
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5. |
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oh, Ohtoro
this got that bon dance feel to it,
don’ it
now let them horns blow
step
I came up on the shovel dance
my people digging roots while the band play
bon dance, the only time I ever let my flags wave
I’ll admit I can’t spit a lick of Japanese
but still move my hips to rhythms that my people handed me
wooden geta on my feet keep my cypher complete
naw I’m rocking rubber slippers and I’m feeling the beat
I used to have a hopi coat, but outgrew it with age
so you can find me in a tee around the band on the stage
now bring the strings in
that’s nice
now let the horns blow
step
you can skip this track if you ain’t from where I’m from
where people dance in circles till the summer is done
I say you can skip this track if you ain’t from where I’m from
where people dance in circles till the summer is done
I grew up between Soto Mission and Hongwanji in Nu’uanu
I remember the drums playing late into the night
remember walking with my mama to the bon dance
little ass kid with a bowl cut and a hopi coat
trying to remember the moves and forgetting
eating yakitori and saimin between songs
dancing
now let the horns blow
step
I still go back
I forget my steps sometimes
but when the music plays
the drums play
I remember
you can skip this track if you ain’t from where I’m from
where people dance in circles till the summer is done
I say you can skip this track if you ain’t from where I’m from
where people dance in circles till the summer is done
let the horns blow
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6. |
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SANS VERSE
white flag was the first time I heard
someone from my state rap, then heard Emirc
Honolulu was the anthem back then
and still bumps, like riding in a truck
used to write that emotional rap
still do, cause I can’t stop, won’t stop feeling
wrote slam poetry, but kept flowing free
something similar to pacific ocean breezes
I love the HI state hip hop vibe
rubber slippers in the cypher outside
Jazzminds: Big Mox, KLuv, Deadbeats crew
inspired the kid to freestyle for the first time
still remember how a first love feels
all butterflies inside, let em out on stage
been writing for the past nine years
break chrysalis open, now I let my words off page
ZACK CHORUS
I used to love her
ooooh, I love her still
I used to love her
ooooh, I love her still
CREED VERSE
We can take it back, back in the days
back pack in a daze when a rap was amazed
In a track with the ADAT packed in the playback
Snapped to your face black tapped in the 8-track
I remember recording at Joe Dub’s
I used to mess up with my lines but then the fam showed love
Regardless of repertoire or crew I had to call
Got one shot to fall but always ripping it raw
Made some mistakes and always try to improve
On the next move to do in order for power moves
Put on my shoes and ready to bust flows
Wherever the bus goes, wherever I must go
So much soul and passion for this reaction
This hip hop thang got me loving the fashion
The culture, the movement, the style how we do it
The truest congruent to my life is music
ZACK CHORUS
I used to love her
ooooh, I love her still
I used to love her
ooooh, I love her still
SANS
put your hands up if you love that real hip hop
put your hands up up one time
put your hands up if you love that HI hip hop
put your hands up up one time
now put your hands up if you love that real hip hop
put your hands up up one time
put your hands up if you love that HI hip hop
put your hands up up one time
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7. |
nu'uanu
02:47
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I love where I’m from
I love it so much
my valley scenic
you ain’t seen it
Nu’uanu and Hialoa
those be my streets, kid
23 years in Apartment 25
I stole the street signs after a tropical storm
they blew down and I wanted em encouraged by mom
she told me wait a day, grab em after sunset
so nobody would see, does that make her my accomplice?
probably not, but I stole the signs and I’m proud of it
the eight one seven, Noa in the back of the valley
we’d write songs on his porch and post em
they missed me at the Okazuya while I was at Harvard
Kalihi on port, Manoa on starboard
Sam’s Delicatessen fed me more than my moms did
I worked at Huckleberry Farms before it closed
and they rebuilt the shopping plaza with the Banyan tree that was in Hungry Lion
still enclosed
remember VHS copped from the video shop
rent em for a weekend, two dollars a pop
Jurassic Park, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Pokemon Blue version, I chose Squirtle
Royal School fool, super super citizen
Kawananakoa Middle, the botball champion
shoutout Mr. Hasuko, for telling me that I wouldn’t get my life together ’til I turn thirty
I’m not there yet, still a few years
but I’m back now with some new peers
teaching downtown, back where I was grown
this is a love song to the valley I call home
Nu’uanu, land of my birth
I will love you until I’m scattered in earth
Nu’uanu, land of my birth
I will love you until I’m scattered in earth
my valley scenic
you ain’t seen it
Nu’uanu and Hialoa
those be my streets, kid
my valley scenic
you ain’t seen it
Nu’uanu / Hialoa
those be my streets
I go by Sans on the microphone
but my name is Sterling Higa
I was born at Queens Medical Center
and I lived my first twenty-three years in Nu’uanu Valley
at the corner of Nu’uanu Avenue and Hialoa Street
I will forever claim Nu’uanu as my home
and I will always, always come back
thanks to Ohtoro for making this music possible
thanks to my mama for being my mama
and thank you, for listening
sail boat
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