M-Phazes - Then Till Now (Phazed Out) lyrics

[Verse 1: Eso] See it was hip hop that damn near changed my life From meeting Ozone in L.A. in '85 From my attempts to try and step on stage and rhyme To my beyond 2005 state of mind, from a copy of a culture To teaching a tradition, from electric boogaloo To the beat that keeps my rhythm, from Wanderin' the tracks, to the mud that's in my hand, from Wantin' to be black, to lovin' who I am From not knowing where you're from To the image of Sydney From noone knowin' hip hop to kids thinkin' they're 50 From the dramas on film To the dramas in life, from posh clothes To now knowin' they're worth half of the price And from thinking to be king you gotta have wealth To the inner revolution I call knowledge of self So from back then till now I still rap for the pleasure Being rich or poor man, I'm still happy as ever [Hook: Bliss] (You gotta understand me) You gotta understand me (I gotta understand you) I gotta understand you So we can stand together, recognise and vision It's one love, one life, sets aside our differences (You gotta understand me) You gotta understand me (I got to understand you) Cos that's what gets me by, in my life [Verse 2: Bliss] From a punk in the Bronx to the heart of the 'burbs From a dyslexic kid to a artist of words From a wild child to my parents trying to steady me From taking my Pac and Cube to giving me Heavy D From mimicking thugs thinking the lyrics were dope To getting no satisfaction cause it was mirrors of smoke From a home of hip hop to a land owned by rock From rhyming to my mirror to thousands blowing the spot But through all the cheers and the brew and the beers Was just a kid on the bus, headphones glued to his ears Who just grew through the years, to pursue with the tears The blood, sweat and make something with his crew and his peers See it was hip hop that put three lost souls on a map From showing us the country, to putting clothes on our back And from finding myself in my mic's reflection To this musical marriage that gave my life direction [Hook: Bliss] (You gotta understand me) You gotta understand me (I gotta understand you) I gotta understand you So we can stand together, recognise and vision It's one love, one life, sets aside our differences (You gotta understand me) You gotta understand me (I got to understand you) Cos that's what gets me by, in my life [Verse 3: Eso] From a major label deal to buskin' on the street Know this soul's not for sale when I'm f**ing with these beats The landlord of these lyrics with a touch of what can be And if it doesn't break ground you could trust it wasn't me The deepest of minds can't frame what I've imagined Three eyes on the train writing rhymes on a napkin See these kids don't have Bentley's, they sit and take the bus But if you're playing this tape your situation's sussed [Verse 4: Bliss] From backstage bu*terfly's to a pa**ionate debut From not having a path to bush bashing a way through From this rhyming release to stress I've got off my chest From chasing a dream to holding it hot off the press And from shoe store days to writing sessions at night To a culture that ultimatly taught me lessons in life So from back then till now I still rap for the pleasure Being rich or poor man, I'm still happy as ever [Bridge:] And we won't stop until we get that feeling That's why we get on up (yeh) That's why we get on up Ohhh we won't stop until we get that feeling That's why we get on up [Hook: Bliss] (You gotta understand me) You gotta understand me (I gotta understand you) I gotta understand you So we can stand together, recognise and vision It's one love, one life, sets aside our differences (You gotta understand me) You gotta understand me (I got to understand you) Cos that's what gets me by, in my life