I Turn my swag to eleven (on another level) Swag to eleven (swaggin like the devil) Swag to eleven (I be heavy metal) Swag to eleven, your swag ten and my swag better One swag, two swag, three swag, four swag, five swag, six swag, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, I be swagging Turn my swag to eleven like it’s one if you add ten or Like it’s eighteen minus seven, I get bacon like i’m Kevin Yeah, you should watch my loose feet You should watch me juking Bacon wears the Hanes, but my swag fruit of the loom-y Future stupid fruity, I guess that’s a good thing Colors on my chains, I got jewelry like mood rings Count to eleven like I’m Count Von Count I got the thunder and the lightning when I open my mouth The vampires try to bite me I be pointing them out Like, one hahaha, I’m pointing them out. Got swag like awards show presenter gift bags You could call me Billy Crystal when you see my wrist flashing You could call me Harry, she could be my Sally Everybody’s staring, wanting what she’s having. There aint no comparing, nobody like Grant On the track all alone I am overdrive swaggin I can see for miles ‘cause I got so many carrots in Got that Timmy Riggins swag, you nervous like Matt Saracen Friday Nights, got the lights, yeah, that’s right, I’m wearing them And I love my haters so much that I wanna marry them They all gold diggers, want my money and my power Their swag goes to ten, but my swag is one louder I be Spinal Tap, and you sad like Daniel Powter you were bad yesterday, I’m Today Matt Lauer Dammit, I’m the future, so bright like spring flowers And I make it rain - am I right - like spring showers I could recycle these cliche lines for hours When I turn my swag up, I blow out the power You could spell my name S-W-A-G My swag is focused, their swag is hazy My swag adult and their swag just baby Gotta grow and up someday maybe you could be me If I were bubblegum, I’d be swagalicious Don’t get to comfortable, my swag is vicious You could cook me dinner, you could do the dishes And if it’s not delicious you’ll be swagging with the fishes My life is total swag, that’s what I’m all about I got that roboswag, it’s all I talk about You got a swag question, ask what would grant do I’d get more swag because my swag got more swag than you I like that rock-n-swag, swagger-hop, and swag-n-blues I swag into your town, come and see me swagging through You swagging at the club, I’m swagging since the dawn I hop up out of bed, and my swag already on If you at a thousand, I be at a million If you at a million, I be at a billion Killing it at higher heights, swagging looking down at you I am that swagging dude, now who the swag are you?

In my white canvas (in my white canvas) In my white canvas (in my white canvas) In my white canvas (in my white canvas) I’m a cut-offs, no-socks, v-neck man, bitch Walking down the block on Bedford Ave Know there’s one low-top that you got to have Take my socks off, lace up, step into A pair of all white, low-top canvas shoes. Some of them are vans (vans), some of them are keds (keds) Some are old man shoes and some are women’s Sometimes you see ‘em brand new, most are ancient Me, I’m more a fan, dude, of when they’re faded. I get faded in these shoes, take ‘em to the bar Shot of Jack Daniels, can of PBR Can of PBR? Fuck it, they got it on tap Brooklyn, bitch, yeah you know where its at (fuck yeah) And it’s written on the brim of my bicycle cap Got a big Brooklyn industries messenger bag Kryptonite lock for my fixie round my back And I pedal in my canvases Manhattan Ave, bitches When I buy a new pair I always buy ‘em third-hand Pay three times as much ‘cause they’re high in demand They look good with my jeans, cut ‘em off bove the knees And my shirt makes a v, you can see my chest piece You can see my sexy hair, I got my Ziggy stardust Short on top, but the back’s all messy I like Plastic Soul Bowie but prefer Lou Reed I like doing bad blow but prefer good weed Got a stache on my face, haven’t shaved this week Stretch it out like my pants when I put them onnnnnnn me Only doing this song ironically And my white canvases, they’re on my feet Hold on, that’s my iPhone my parents are calling me They’re cutting me off till I get a job, oh please I say “I got an MFA I’m an artist, see, I’m only stalling till Dave Eggers calls back, honestly” Got my lo-fi tape deck, Speak a lot of fake french DJ played a great set Wavves, No Age and Miami Booty Bass Pitch- Fork front page mix Multicolored shades make me look like Lisa Frank Got my jack purcell courts as a bard undergrad And they got no foot support so my arches hurt bad I got problems with my dad, I’m too tall to wear these pants I read all my Judith Butler, I’m a scholar of a man I read all of my Foucault, now I’m balder of a man I’m a Marxist artist all-American Hey, I’m not a vegan, that’s one thing I can’t do But if you believe it, I got straight-edge tattoos I only like bands who have great hair and act all cool As cucumbers as I look great as I dance to ‘em Everyday BK, today I’m on Grand Street Wearing my best Ebay-bought white low-top canvas shoes

Girl, why you gotta be so far away from me? Ooh, I just spent an hour on the train to see you Yeah it's the pits sitting on the 6, 4, 5 All the way from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side Girl you know I'd never ever ever think to leave you Though it's an endeavor every time I want to see you Gotta eat in advance and hit the bathroom, gotta pee first Gotta charge my iPod and pick out something to read too Sometimes at night I'm tired, gotta try not to fall asleep or I'll wake up at 125th Street, this is what I go through to see you And me and you, we got a thing that's true enough to cross the East River and all of Queens too. And me and you, we got a thing to do, that's cross the East River and all of Queens too. Yorkville to Carnegie Hill You're near to my heart, and you're nearer still rent gets dearer and dearer still but i'd mill to be with you I'd live in a walkthrough just to kiss you My roommate could walk in, but that's not the issue Though I guess we could set up a system, But that's neither here nor there, like Midtown Think of all the hours that we miss now Stead of strap-hanging, we could both sit down We could have heart-to-hearts, serious now We could make art, or quilt some quilts How do you think you'd look in Williamsburg Wear American Apparel and all plaid shirts But that's never gonna happen, So I guess I gotta move to Manhattan I hope you know I'm not trying to put one by you You know I know you gotta go as far as I do And I am thankful for our relationship Even if our neighborhoods are not adjacent yet Could you see me in a place on 80th? Meet at the station on Lex and 86th? We could get bagels at H&H and just Watch old ladies and love this place. I admit I'd miss the guys on my stairs who smoke up, drinking Hennessey out of styrofoam cups But I think I could leave that behind Go to a place where the streets are tree-lined I'd be the Upper East Guy, you could be my Upper East Side girlfriend, that's so nice We could start a new Upper East Side Life Central Park on the weekends, see the Streets are so lovely, so much old money I'm more Young Money mixed with Doug Funny That's me exactly, I'm not even bluffing Ton of people are living the high life, no slumming But my life is running to the Montrose Ave platform as the train is pulling Away it's so mind-numbing, pop above ground to text you I'm coming, go back down and the next train's leaving, I think I really gotta get out of my lease, no more nights on Boerum Street, Upper East Side on June 15th.

Good afternoon, my name is Grant, I'm on the track, I'm gonna rap for you. Five months ago I was a graduate and had to move, Now I'm an adult and I live in the Big Apple but I got some life advice I gotta ask of you. First question I've been obsessing bout the message I've been sending by the way that I've been dressing by my age, I'm sick of guessing, been aiming for my twenties, but depending on the clothes and day I'm middle-aged or teenage angst, from late to first period to working at a bank, full-zip hood, quarter-zip north face, from younger brother to older father, crawling from the gutter to graduated Harvard - oh wait, see that's why this is hard, yo? worried bout my image with a schizophrenic wardrobe, dirty jeans, sneakers, t-shirt, sport-coat? What I need is new clothes, but I can't afford those. Hold up, big boy shoes, nobody likes you when you're twenty-two, and it doesn't matter even if they do because you always feel so mixed up, cause there's all the favors you've been taking, promises to yourself you've been breaking, it can be a lot for you to get used to (but for now we just have to do what we have to) So question two, the money issue, what do you do when you make less than educators do at public schools but you still have to wear a suit and you still have to plan a future of law school and all kinds of loans to get through. And question three, when purchasing dress shirts: wrinkle-free? They're okay, right, 'cause they're superior, vastly. Question four: how often do you need to dry clean? My suits are like me: you like them for trying. So finally, five, me: I got free time, see, I get off at five, leaving too much up to TV, and I want to be productivity incarnate, but darn it, too much lost to Glee or Modern Family, call it yuppie or just boring, nights with just me, it's still sucky but I guess I'm lucky my free time is mine and not my company's question six: what the fuck do you do at the bar with the seven dollar beer and the eight dollar cover charge, cause if you party in your povo apartment the class of 09 thinks you've flown off the radar, ten, my girlfriend lives on 94th and lexington, so every time she says baby let's make the trek again, I'm like, let's pretend, let's just spend the day in bed, an intra-city long distance relationship, but my patience is expiration-less, the duration is English Patient-ish, okay, that's made up, but it's all okay because she's go great I don't even know why I'm saying this. Eleven, twelve, no time and so many questions left, thirteen, why am I directionless, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty: fuck. Hold up, big boy shoes, nobody likes you when you're twenty-two, and it doesn't matter even if they do because you always feel so mixed up, cause there's so many things you feel you're waiting on, such big dreams that you've been banking on, it can be a lot for you to get used to (but for now we just have to do what we have

Ay yo, listen, I'm in the kitchen, I'm on a mission and I'm mixing so efficient you're wishing for what I'm dishing up. You're never rich enough, not enough vanilla or missing some chocolate chips, but I'm precision, bitch, listen up.  Deus domini, I'm a deus domi, the hustler home, open the oven, homie. Bake so much it's stupid, my cookies are smart ones, cupcakes are cartoonish, you could call them R. Crumbs. I am not done, I make this an art form, I will take your sour grapes and I will bake a tart, son. This morning I made dutch babies, literal wake and bake, taste makes you nostalgic like Roger Ebert for Steak N Shake. Girls text me, like, hey sexy, your cornbread is the best and so I think we should be besties, you be my top chef, i could call you Kevin Gillespie, I thought he should've won so I'll just spell it out directly. Out my kitchen, get up out my kitchen, Gucci Mane, ay, get up out my my kitchen, out my kitchen, get up out my kitchen, Bobby Flay, I'm a throw you out my kitchen. I got cookies in the oven, gotta wait ten minutes,   You can't catch me, call me the gingerbread man, can't match me, like polka dots and plaid what, you want seconds, I swear kid, you got it bad, I call my scones Fat Joes cause they're cooked coke crack. Let me restate that: I'm not cooking actual crack, I use baking soda for making dough rise and just that. But my oven is habit-forming keeps you all coming back. I got the block lined up when I cook up a batch. I'm the male Rachel Ray - no, wait, fuck that. I'm more Anthony Bourdain, more fame, gourmet, gourmand, or Tom Colicchio, I'm a master of my craft, and I'm rolling in the dough, no, wait, again, fuck that. See I'm rolling out the dough, you bout to know my breakfasts's the stuff of legend, pancakes and eggs, say yes please, Grant's the best chef and MC, he's the greatest, now get your plate and let's eat Maple butter, we on that, craft beer, we on that, whatever you're gonna make next year, we on that, sweet potato pie that make your girl say aw yeah, but I only make it with my girl, aw yeah. She's a better cook that I am, often when I say I made it I am lying, all that I did was do a little bit of dicing, but listen, I helped, so I'm a cook, get the fuck up out my kitchen

If you're jealous or you're angry Of all things I've been making What you should really do is thank me You could never brew like I do, when I I do a brown ale, I do a lager I do a stout or a pils or a porter I do a whitbeir, whatever you order Ferment the wort, when I'm done then I   Yo can you hear me? It's Grant the beer geek, the man who's clearly the best at anything that's beer-y. Don't believe me, I'm serious, well then, have some belgian Delirium Tremens. Ha, tell me that's not heaven, tripel your pleasure, let me fill your goblet again, that's six times, now you're feeling tipsy and it's time for another round so come on and sit down with me. How bout another glass of framboise, lambic peach, wild yeast crowd-pleaser and a charttopper Every peach I use in my brew is a lucky peach, momofuku favorite David Chang name-dropper Everything I make, man I guarantee that nothing that you ever taste is ever gonna be a face-dropper Brave talk? Maybe, but hey, man just wait and see when Garrett Oliver is calling me to make offers Barley wine aged wise enough to make proverbs Gonna open up the line now to take callers "I had a pint I think you're fine, do you take stalkers?" Bless 'em, I take skeptics and make converts IPA goes with everything like your fave Converse I'd say that it's a revelation, a St. John We going to Britain to the States like Jay Sean What's on tap? Game on: I got my California Common coming out next week And you know when I pop a bottle you'll be right near me Because ever so briefly, ESB, I'm pretty awesome, IPA, OMG I'm double bock and you're just schlock like MGD I'm magic hat, you're tragic man, woe is me I crafted the beat, magic hats and major keys Keep it going to the end I'm blowing Anchor Steam If I know how to brew, you need to learn how to drink It's not your frat house, dude, no pissing in the sink No beer bong, no ice luge, come on, it's time to think Turn down the Dave Matthews, you're gonna learn from me. I just sit here and sip like all slow You get pissed, you get blitzed, you get blotto A college kid spring break trip to Cabo So much shit hits your lips you get mono, Have you ever even drank from a bottle You're like, "uh, no, I shotgun, though" You drink Natty, so fratty, I'm not so I'm classy, crafty, an aficionodo All right, you're gonna tilt the glass slightly and pour against the side "Dude, I know how to pour. I play beirut. Stop being such an asshole" Okay, so I'm great, but I can still make mistakes too, see  Sometimes the night just winds up unusually I told Brad I got kicked out of Brooklyn Brewery What happened - I blacked out, was acting stupidly  That's what five glasses of Blast will do to me Tolerance not exactly what it used to be If you're not used to me now, you're like, who is he criticizing for imbibing when he does it like usually? Hypocrite, the only difference is his is the more expensive shit, elitist, I bet he even reads and shit. Sorry, is that too elitist? Yeah it is. I'm bad at this, bad at acting like I'm bad at this. I am an arrogant bastard, Stone, beat fat like if you had a tap in your home, and my thoughts are unfiltered, all UFO. Got a hook like a Harpoon, yeah, that go.

I got my tie on I got my grown man swag on tie on I want you to know that I have one tie on paisley, solids, plaid ones tie on Lookin hella old in my half-knot So first I'm gonna flip it, and then I run it through Then I'm gonna flip again I run it through It's the full windsor, and this is what I dude Looking good for the pictures, cause I'm adult, dude I got a tie on, you can see it wrapped round my collar, I am looking like an actual baller, I mean like a travel day basketballer, an aging scholar or maybe your father. Used to say "rather," now I say "rather," used to eat pizza with my hands, no longer. I'm stronger, i have to shave more often, if you think I don't listen to opera, you're wrong, son. Grown up, now I can call people all son, and it's all cause of the tie that I got on. I look like a serious guy when I rock one, earnings will mature 'cause I IRA Roth them. Used to wear short sleeves but I looked fourteen, now I'm power-lunching with chairmen of the board, please, Lloyd Blankfein likes my paisley, didn't want to party with him but he made me, now we're in Miami with all of these ladies, they want to talk stocks and have my babies, it's crazy, it's 'cause I put on this tie, five minutes ago I was a regular guy, Larry Summers just walked by and gave me a high five and said hey man, we're gonna have a rager tonight. We'll send a towncar if you bring the wine, I'll bring the caviar and some extra ties. We can wear three at once, we can really go wild, we can make a lot of money and set it on fire. We can do blow any time we get tired. Is that a Ferragamo, yo I really like it. Yeah, that's right, Larry Summers likes my tie, bitch, and you know Lou Dobbs? Dude is a riot. He brought his posse, with partied till five, if you've never worn a tie, I really think you should try it It's like this: I used to be a hamburger, now I'm a half-pork, grass-fed hamburger. Yeah I used to be a chicken wing, now I'm a buttermilk, triple-dipped, David Chang Grub Street chicken wing. I bring warmth in the wintertime with my vineyard vines Christmas tree merry Christmas tie. Hipsters cry when they see me in my skinny tie, I typify all that they vilify but I look really fly. I mean dignified, now I'm a business guy, and my business is dressing like I'm fifty-five. Tell me, were you ever given ecstasy by Win Bischoff? I was, wearing raf simons. I like fine wine and tasteful-sized diamonds now, all right I'm lying, I don't but my tie does, Skip McGee just called me, we were supposed to light up, since I put this tie on, I'm busy, I've been tied up.

Bushwick, word, haven't you heard, we were priced out, out of Williamsburg, repping your hood is kind of absurd, we were priced out out of Williamsburg. 1-3-4, the Third Floor, we were priced out out of Williamsburg 45 minutes to get to work, fuck it we were priced out out of Williamsburg This is how we flee from from the hipster scenes, window screens were things that we didn't need, the little key's for the mailbox, big key's the front door, deadlock has no key so what is it there for, we're on the third floor, 3C, C3, either or packages not gonna reach me, grocery and sandwich shops at every cross-street. Pedaling past the bodegas I'm flossing, Riding down Graham Ave, tight pants rolled up, messenger back on my back, yeah I showed up a boss, but people look at me like I'm lost, silly hipster, the Bedford stop's where you get off. No, I take the long road, push it back, corner of Montrose & Bushwick Ave, and I don't know what to call it, so I call it the train stop, or just Grant's house, cause I'm the one you name-drop. Now listen, I take the L to the office, 8:10 am and I get there no problem... 'cept I'm twenty five minutes too early, surly, teeth not quite pearly, tie a little curly so I give myself five to look slightly alive 8:15 on the train all shiny and bright, too late! the delays will start in no time like... there's an incident ahead on the track all the Manhattan trains are told turn to turn back, so now I'm chilling out in Bedford Ave, looking like a big tool 'cause my shirt isn't plaid, my suit looks better on the four or the five but will I ever get there alive. More delays at First Ave the time's flying by, now I'm ten minutes too late, wait, songs about going to work suck. So I got a white collar job (with the ties to match)... I'm priced out of Williamsburg In fact, I work on the side of the law (for Morgenthau)... I'm priced out of Williamsburg I only have one pair of tight pants (from Pac Sun, no less)... I'm priced out of Williamsburg And I left the legs on so they're full-length pants (not hip)... I'm priced out of Williamsburg I got mostly dress shirts in my closet (my girlfriend picked my outfits)... I'm priced out of Williamsburg My Manhattan Ave is some housing projects... I'm priced out of Williamsburg I hate existentialism, Vice Magazine, no-fi surf rock bands and v-neck t-shirts, I can't grow a beard, have no tattoos, think vegans are obnoxious and have never "spent time abroad", but tonight I'll ride my bike into Williamsburg

So you think 'cause I'm in my twenties that you really got me tagged With my liberal voting record and my closet full of plaid My liberal arts degree, and my blog, the cloth bag I bring to Trader Joe's Wait, though, hold up, not so fast, bro See I'm no Animal Collective fan, and I didn't wait in line for Grizzly Bear last summer on the waterfront 'cause I was all up on my iPod listening to the Movielife and Punchline, adolescence is over, I've grown up just fine, but my playlists could be made into punchlines. If there's something shameful about pop-punk I am shamed, but damn, got Saves the Day in my bloodlines. Tell me what you thought about when we were young my cousin, played me a Punk-o-Rama, and Fenix Tx, and Blink, basically I was obsessed. Next April saw Green Day and Blink with Axel, Max, Adam, my Dad, that was that, Soon the names in my life were like Vagrant and Drive-Thru, Asian Man and Kung Fu, pretty soon I tried to be a bad-ass punk, at fifteen that meant Dickies and Atticus, and this all-ages scene, we tried to start a band but first we had to learn our instruments and that was tough I know it's shit but it's my shit And I can't help but admit that I like it I don't do any good to hide it Yeah, so don't fight it, no, don't fight it I took my drivers' test June 6, 03 or 04 Drove to the store, bought that year's two CD Warped Tour Went back to the Accord, took the booklet out and Read the lineup and the liner notes and started Back for the house 'cause I wasn't allowed to listen in the car yet. That was when Axel still wasn't good at the guitar yet And I could play bass We were the worst, like Cursive said, art is hard What I would have given for two minutes and three chords And a chance to make 'em pogo on the teen center floor. That year, I got an iPod and finally had iTunes My library was 90% put out by Drive-Thru Somewhere down on Third there's a place we used to go Got away from it all at the all-ages shows We all loved the Locals, they turned into the Matches I was Army of Carolers, we turned into Action Booked our first show in January weeks before it happened Three songs and no drummer, hadn't really practiced Valentine's day, we played, I was shaking like a madman We made stickers in the printer passed em out in the back And that dude from Locale helped us set up our amps It was rad, nothing's ever felt as good as that. we got asked back. Yeah, my band played a show and got asked back. This isn't high school, this isn't high school But now I'm home on a Saturday night And somehow this still feels right All the power-chords and angst vocals, they really feel like mine Without the disco-influenced post-punk riffs that's fine You know I still rock out to white lights and she's so lo-fi, all-ages shows, friday nights I'm gonna stay eighteen forever, I'm gonna stay like this forever

Want to save some money, but girl you know I’m hungry So there’s only one place that I really ever wanna go So we step inside, I fill my red basket high Idle in the aisles cause I spend all of my time in Trader joe’s Gotta go to Trader Joe’s the old bank on Atlantic Ave Get my shopping done for the week, throw things into my shopping bag Half a dozen apples, I always make my own snacks Gather the samples in my backpack and take ‘em home, so bad I’ma win the raffle because I brought my own bag You could say I’m so Van Jones, ‘cept he got so canned And I got no cans, tomatoes in no bags, so fresh, so red Take a look at me, I’m so rad Everybody that I know coming over to my place for Rock Band and bromance And we’re gonna drink Mission Street IPA, Trader Joses, still no cans Hey Joe, I’m still a fan of two dollar salad bags Killer mixes romaine and spinach, salads ridic delicious Lunch today, Joe was on it, I made a veggie omelette Took some eggs and some cheddar some feta and some bell pepper If only you could smell it, whole neighborhood was so jealous Open a restaurant or sell it, yes I am an omelette zealot I’m so smooth like ooh-wee, a mango mix smoothie with bananas 19 cents each This shit is nineteen cents each I got twelve items please put me in express see the line is not so bad at all My basket feeling heavy, I got the wake-up blend, free trade organic coffee Hey, my day starts with TJ, okay, that makes it balling Every time you call me, I’m gonna be shopping Run from my place to the old bank, Brooklyn Heights no stopping me wanna start the day? imma show you how get some oatmeal flakes in a bowl right now and a Glass of OJ, just pour it out Not from concentrate, like an orchard now Then I get that wake-up going now In my coffee maker, I’ma go downtown To my job where I already made my lunch Night before ninety-nine cent pizza crust Damn, you get a lot of dough for a little Bam, the taste is sho not little Slab of extra-firm tofu, Kansas City barbecue Got that three cheese blend, don’t be scrooge Got veggies, pretend that it’s good for you Through that week and you’re going through all your food One place to go, and one thing to do Joe, I’ve known you so long and I know you so well I used to go with my mom up to san rafael Now I’m older I go there all by myself But the cornbread mix is still not a hard sell So wave that flag, ring that bell I’m imagining the new pizza smell And the beer bread mix that I bought as well Thanks to you TJ I’m eating well Now let me take a minute to whine Bout the New York wine laws I can’t find the Two buck chuck or three buck chuck Cause I don’t drink enough anymore too cheap for other stores Besides, I don’t dream about other stores No Friday evenings spent in other stores I don’t even think wanna think about other stores TJ got me coming back for more

My friends are so successful, so successful I'm doing well but they're on another level I feel awful, cause it is stressful (cause i get jealous) And that's obnoxious (and that's ridiculous) I used to be okay, but now I think I'm losing it Hearing about all the people I used to go to school with These are the people who are working through the weekends On the fast track for maximum achievements Yeah, their lives are like Vampire Weekend But with more degrees, at least two Ivy Leagues in. Live on the east coast, take the right vacations Ecotourism, Southeast Asia Only go to California to work for Facebook, Yeah I saw that pic of you and Zuckerburg on Facebook Couple A is relocating to New Haven one Yale Law and one masters' in public administration Couple B, one's at MIT, working on his PhD, His partner's at Harvard, and he is starting on his med degree They'll finish their education eventually And one of them will be president, potentially And they like Massachusetts for now, but hopefully They'll put their Mandarin to use when they relocate overseas And all my girlfriend's friends work in consulting My girlfriend's friend's boyfriends work in consulting And they work stupid long, it would be insulting If they didn't make stupid gaup all throughout the whole thing Brooks Brothers pants, tops, and the whole thing When they walk in the shop, they buy the whole thing Kidding, they gotta save up for B school Since pre-school, never got a B, fool And I guess I would be talking about me too After all I went to school with these people It's obnoxious, I can see this Just out of college, already elitist I rank myself based on my achievements That's not me, how I'd get to be this My friends are so successful, so successful I'm doing well but they're on another level I feel awful, cause it is stressful (cause i get jealous) And that's obnoxious (and that's ridiculous) I really can't sympathize with your honor roll problems How your worldview broadened when you studied abroad How you fine-tuned the micro-finance business model And when you go out on Fridays you buy your own bottles But you been more serious since you met Paul Farmer You and all your doctor friends just went to Guatemala Let's talk about emerging markets and the dollar Global human rights UN give a holler And next fall I'm applying to law school Wall Street criminals i'ma prosecute All right, I want to keep the struggle alive even though all my friends all work in finance And I can never do enough with my life There's so many wrongs, so hard to right them So many fights, it's so hard to fight them Besides, I kind of like to buy nice shit That's where it starts, you make compromises You take the corporate job, only five years And pretty soon you are working for the giants Used to be David, now you are Goliath You were public sector, now you're private Used to take the subway, now you just fly it Used to be ashamed, now you fly it Got your own plane, got your own pilot I digress, I'm only 23 And all of my friends seem to be doing better than me We got some time before the New York Times wedding announcements that crown them American kings and queens I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound bitter or mean I'll still bake something great for our next dinner party And when you're making your new administration I'm Grant Damon, hey, could you remember me? I fully understand all of this is ridiculous These kind of issues are only born out privilege And privilege is born of systemic oppression I learned that in college Sociology lesson I learned that in non-profits Capitalist aggression We teach the elite exactly who they should be next Teach for America but then move on to real checks Cause I can see I got a great deal, yes And I don't like to preach, who I am to preach But success is like a scale or wheel Unless you do your best to make sure that others can do their best Then… you're not doing much, see that? I gotta change myself, and I mean that Cause if you want change, then you gotta be that Okay, sermon over, let's bring back The chorus for one more round of insecurity, yeah My friends are so successful, so successful I'm doing well but they're on another level I feel awful, cause it is stressful And that's obnoxious

This is where I'm at, and it's not where I thought I'd be When I was fifteen, eighteen, twenty It's kind of odd when you watch your priorities go changing, I've seen so many But I control my life, and I am growing into my own clothes, picked out the wardrobe And someday I might change my mind, but This is all I got, and for now it is just right The last time I came back to San Fran, it was December 2009, how does life fly so fast, man? now it's a March day in Brooklyn and it looks just like it did on the first day I moved in, June 15, it's been nine months, nine songs, carrying this album like a child, but I'm not done, song is like the day, cause it's gonna be a hot one, it's been a long year, I have learned a lot, like, I could rock clubs or I could study law, but I'll be honest, it's been hard just getting started, I feel lost sometimes and miss Boston, gotta remind myself, be more awesome. That's how I operate as the days march on so when I turn twenty-three I can say I did it all. I did a lot already, but I ain't did enough. I hope the world's ready, I can't dream big enough. I used to dream about swinging a mic onstage at concerts, teenagers singing all my relationship problems, then I went to college, got more self-conscious, didn't want to be called immature and obnoxious, rearranged my passions, no more singing songs, took some real classes, got a real job, but still need a path to map out how I feel so that's why I keep rapping - cause this is real talk. You're like get real, dog, no one wants to hear about your boring life, 9 to 5, super ordinary mind. And I know you're right, but here's your oversight: this is all I know, and you know what you know you write, besides a star don't start to shine overnight, and when it's my time yeah, I will shine so bright, center of the solar system, I'll be your guiding light, lead you to the promised land every time I'm on the mic, my flow is like your old prom dress - overtight, and what I'm saying needs braces - overbite, an eighth grader filling pages - I overwrite, so basically I am the greatest, but you know that, right? They say Kanye made it okay for rappers to be sad, well, I did that for years first, I just did it badly. Now I'm better at it, and I'm finally happy. Guess you never have what you need, exactly. This track is sappy, I would understand if you went back to Swag to 11, that one's more catchy, oh Grant why you so self-loathing, cause you just heard me, but I already know me. I know I'm okay, but someone's gotta hate, anyway, here's the station identification, this is grant damon coming out your laptop, your tinny speakers muffling the rap talk, this is not a track that you blast on the blacktop, or in the dance club, or in up the the trap but maybe coming back home as the night wraps up, alone in your headphones I'm okay with that, uh This is where I'm at, and it's not where I thought I'd be When I was fifteen, eighteen, twenty It's kind of odd when you watch your priorities go changing, I've seen so many But I control my life, and I am growing into my own clothes, picked out the wardrobe And someday I might change my mind This is all I got, but for now it is just right