It’s a beautiful responsibility to chase your own standard
(*sinister laugh*)
Who was that?

[Intro]
Your creative needle has to keep moving
‘cause the burden of being great is always having to prove it

Your creative needle has to keep moving
‘cause the burden of being great is always having to prove it

[Verse 1]
Generously the creator gave this gift to me
Since then I’ve been persistent with its upliftment because I’m thankful for its delivery
From the start of things, prospering was a fore-dream
Thе process was exhausting
As I birthed my skill and nurturеd it like an offspring
No resting, I felt greatness was destined
‘cause my creative expression started to undergo an accelerated progression
A fresh pen became my best friend
And once I embraced that connection my affection for writing was never in question
No secret, the accolades came frequent
And with each sentence, the people would seek to see if I could equal it or exceed it
Ran straight through every bar that I was faced with
Saw greatness in the distance, challenging me to a race, that’s when I chased it
I caught and wrestled it into submission
Started living with the thought of [?] to precision
And though I’m grateful for creative thought flames I’ve been given
To live up to my standards I became painfully driven
[Hook]
A blessing and a burden
The lesson here is urgent
This gift that I possess made me feel stressed and undeserving
My standard was established while the rest were just emerging
It’s an endless quest to still inject the message in the wording

A blessing and a burden
The lesson here is urgent
This gift that I possess made me feel stressed and undeserving
My standard was established while the rest were just emerging
It’s an endless quest to still inject the message in the wording

[Verse 2]
No one forced me to pick up this torch, it was self-handed
Now on this lonely island of high standards I felt stranded
The pressure quickly found my back and upon that it had landed
I hadn’t planned to answer to that contrasting dynamic
The parameters expanded, to maintain that was relentless
The demand for more music doubled and it came back with a vengeance
Like a true professional, I remained ethical
‘cause falling a step below my excellent expected flow was unacceptable
Even when sleepy I’m conceiving deeply
The beats would incarcerate me
And only after completion they released me
For decades now I’ve wondered if I’m crazy for continuing to feed the very insatiable nature that enslaves me
What controlled me as a youngster still entraps me when I’m older
Sunlight taps me on my shoulder after collapsing in my folder
To make my work authentic and not fraudulent
So when my fans debate they can present it in their arguments
[Hook]
A blessing and a burden
The lesson here is urgent
This gift that I possess made me feel stressed and undeserving
My standard was established while the rest were just emerging
It’s an endless quest to still inject the message in the wording

A blessing and a burden
The lesson here is urgent
This gift that I possess made me feel stressed and undeserving
My standard was established while the rest were just emerging
It’s an endless quest to still inject the message in the wording

[Verse 3]
Expectation strengthened as my name was lifted
The people fanned the flames, and the initial dose of praise became addictive
But to think it’s ego-driven is absurdity
My purpose is to usurp every previous piece of work that you’ve heard from me
So minus all excuses and no matter what I’m going through
I wrack my brain to make sure I don’t slack or disappoint you
I don’t ever cheat my creative integrity
Or let one bad record leave any negative blemishes on my legacy
I stretched the boundaries to see how far I could get
So now I live with the consequences of the bar that I set
And yet it doesn’t matter consistently how you’ve been
I could put out nine albums in one day and somebody gon’ say now do ten
And if I did have any drop-off, it ain’t been much
New artists coming everyday, gotta keep up with that influx
I strain to write each word for each new ear that hears me suddenly
‘cause I never know which song will be their first when they discover me
[Hook]
A blessing and a burden
The lesson here is urgent
This gift that I possess made me feel stressed and undeserving
My standard was established while the rest were just emerging
It’s an endless quest to still inject the message in the wording

A blessing and a burden
The lesson here is urgent
This gift that I possess made me feel stressed and undeserving
My standard was established while the rest were just emerging
It’s an endless quest to still inject the message in the wording