Black Panther - Sad Times ft. Arch Rival

When someone opens up and pours their honest to god feelings on a track I find it enthralling. Arch Rival lays down some exceptionally talented rhymes on the state of hip-hop that pique my interest to the utmost degree. I find his passion and deep roots in the culture of hip-hop rejuvenating and extremely real.

At the end of the track a man who I'm unfamiliar with is heard talking about his thoughts of how hip-hop has changed. He goes into a bit of a rant about the systemic problem of the culture as a whole and explains his disgust ever so plainly. I share much of his views on the current state of affairs, but I have hope that in due time more and more tracks of substantial value will influence the youth. This is a great song with some serious poetry on it, I suggest you give it a solid listen.

Lyrics: Black Panther - Sad Times ft. Arch Rival

Ever since I started my goal was in plain view

Write the illest shit I could come up with

And never do what they do

Stay true and give my all in every single verse

Scrutinize my every line bar syllable and verse

Striving for perfection couldn't write a rhyme in 5 minutes

If I did it I wouldn't be satisfied with it

I'm my worst critic

It's got to be impeccable

If someone else could have wrote it how am I exceptional

Not just another spitter I got what they lack

Got to keep up with the times and ahead of the pack

I use to hate every track leaving my sessions pist

Why'd I say it like that when I could have said this

Then the flow could have flipped could have taken a breath

Hindsight's a mother fucker and I'm plotting on his death

Trying to get everything right the first time

Which is why every rhyme is memorized by the time I write the last line

I take my time with every letters curved

I feel like if you're checking with me that's what you deserve

If I give anything less I was dissing you

I'm giving you what I expect from dudes I listen to

This simple truth is people don't even care

It's like they're lost feeling passion through the speaker is rare

The music's in the air but it's hearts not beating

I'm alone trying to resasitate it but I'm feeling like

Maybe there'll come a time when I won't be sad and lonely

Maybe there'll come a time when I won't be sad and lonely

I'm not trying to keep it alive just for me

I'm doing it for you and anybody else whose like me

If you like me than most likely you know the truth

Is if I leave no one like me will hit the booth

And its frightening because apparently

I'm the only one upholding what I thought was important while I was growing up

I guess I was confused

For believing there were other emcees such as myself I could believe in

I feel like leaving it all alone but if I do don't try to convince me otherwise I've got my reasons

It use to be that not anybody can spit I mean they still can't but we'll get to that in a bit

The simple shit started to sell cause people could rap along

Giving them the impression that this ain't difficult at all

That's what they want to hear so that's what the label signs

Now everything is so simple everyone thinks they can rhyme

And it seems like with some gun talk and a couple punch lines

They're guaranteed a spot on the dotted line

What I'm trying to express with the rhyme

Are my principles views and values and why it's so critical

That we take pride in our writing

With my poetry I make sure if I'm a track with 20 cats you notice me

Standards are different this I do know

Know this though words ain't shit without flow

Flow can't fluctuate without wordplay

And don't try to play with words without breathe control

No way

It won't work you have to refine every aspect

So you're not lacking practice creates the total package

Lil homie you're confused

If you think I won't protect this with my life or expose your shame with the ink

In the brink of an eye I could be gone or broken

I feel alone in my cause but I just can't help thinking that

Maybe there'll come a time when I won't be sad and lonely

Maybe there'll come a time when I won't be sad and lonely

Man I even hate thinking about this shit

I hate talking about it

They got shit twisted

Hip-Hop is done for real

It's up to real motherfuckers to hold it down

To keep it a true culture man

If you think hip-hop is garbage and its so fucked up the way it is right now

You know these young kids are eating it up, right?

How do you think they are going to translate it when they start doing hip-hop later on

Like the kids that are 10 years old now and they're hearing all this bullshit that's being played

To them this is real hip-hop cause this is what they are being taught

So when they start to translate it and make hip-hop on their own its going to be worse than that