TobyMac
Rise
[Intro]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh

[Verse 1: Flynn and CookBook]
There's a passion inside, there's a sound in my mind
And I always try to get out and free
In a room full of dudes who are older than me
I was just young and naive; I'm just a passive emcee
Who was happy to be in a crew, who could see some potential in me
And eventually we disagree on the beats, and the raps, and the lives that we lead
But in between we live out our dream until the third scene
When they steal our hope, our record deal, and our self esteem
Two years of my life I'm depressed and mean
Not only pray about this mess, I obsess and feen
And start questioning
Why I can't get no green?
Why'd Jay want to leave the team?
Why don't they put out the record and just give us free?
Why we got to start all over til we're minus three?

I guess we now know how a joke felt
With the whole load of the world on his shoulders and no help
Trying to make a comeback when life is below belt
Low blows or no belt the playa with no help
Never would've dreamed that the t's minus one
While my man's in the bed thinking now his time's done
Now it's time to run have my daddy [?] now falls
But I still get the call and my ear never stall
And I can't stop, won't stop, the blood sweat and teardrops
Rise to the top of the heap got a clear shot
And Imma take it make it big in spite all the negatives
Since I'm of the greatest kids and now I've worn the latest kicks
Fitting in [?]
We would blow up the scene wearing tshirts and jeans
And we'll finally have green with the joy in our hearts
Cause the adverse effects only advance the dream

[Pre-Chorus]
Who would've known that the five alone
Could've toured and survived after five alone
In survival mode it kept holding on
And now it's Babylon and kept growing strong
And now they

[Chorus]
Burns up you can believe we do
What we gotta do to move up
From the head of the class, to the top of the game
Til we burn and fade we burn

[Verse 2: Flynn and Sareem Poems]
It's like blast off and off in space we go
And where this space ship stops only God seems to know
Hey yo I do this for my people, my sisters, my bros
My future, my now, my memories that flow
It's like a fountain on a mountain, majestic and fresh
Spilling and filling, abundant in depth
It's so glorious, magnificent, triumphant, and blessed
See we five rise to comprise life of LAS, yes

All by myself trying to find myself
I was all alone, couldn't find no help
Didn't want to feel the pain that I felt
Didn't want to hold, because I'd been dealt
Thank God for my help, family and friends
These are the people that are there in the end
There's been a change but then I'm smiling again
Can't hold a grudge, got to go make amends
Giving in to my anger can't be good
Far from a thug, I was born in the hood
Daddy could but he didn't try to pick me up
Mommy got hooked on crack and we split up, time will tell
Family love smothered things
Grandma's faith, overshadowed all my doubt
The [?] of madness saying
"Young thing, life past 18 is only just a dream"

[Pre-Chorus]
Who would've known that the five alone
Could've toured and survived after five alone
In survival mode it kept holding on
And now it's Babylon and kept growing strong
And now they

[Chorus]
Burns up you can believe we do
What we gotta do to move up
From the head of the class, to the top of the game
Til we burn and fade we burn

[Verse 3: UNO Mas]
It was August 31st when I started feeling ill
Couldn't stand, couldn't walk as I felt the cold chill down my spine
As the needle broke skin and went in
Thought this was a battle that I wasn't going to win
Two months of my life changed everything I knew
Stared death in the face and got love from my crew
As I lay all alone in a room feeling cold
Got scars on my arms, getting fed through a tube
And I knew what to do, had to keep hope alive
In the midst of it all, yeah I know I would survive
Even when they put me out and took out the pain
Said they was a slight chance I might not remain
But I wasn't hearing that, put my life in God's hands
Just a test to my faith cause I know He has plans
And I gotta understand what's the reason for those days
A new sense of purpose and a chance to give praise

[Outro]
Who would've known that the five alone
Could've toured and survived after five alone
In survival mode it kept holding on
It's Babylon and kept growing strong
And now it burns