Baby Steps, by KS Joel

Baby Steps

by KS Joel

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Full Digital Discography

17

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1.	Not Sorry 01:48	lyrics	buy track
I would probably begin with an apology If I did not believe in quality over quantity A lot of fools try to zoom through the odyssey I'm taking baby steps until I'm steady on my feet The path zig-zag, I'm walking wobbly It doesn't bother me; still I can't stand the thought of being Just another wannabe trying to hit the lottery So I'm watering roots 'til I can see the fruits blossoming In all honesty, I'm trying to live responsibly And do whatever's best para mi familia y mí So I don't mind the gaps in the chronology I cherish every minute I'm given; that's all it means No half-assing, I want to give it all of me And honor the art form's forefathers properly Leave behind the toxic ideologies Peace and equality over violence and misogyny Proper Channels cut through dead air and static Raw like Stretch and Bob, clean like Kidd Kraddick Get up on the stage, applause automatic But that is not the reason we wreak havoc We do this 'cause we've had it These back-stabbing labels ain't respectable Extract a rapper's cash, slap 'em in the trash receptacle From the mainstream to the sub-terrestrial Vultures want to get the dough, and yet they don't respect the culture Tomfoolery, dead fucking serious Used to rap for laughs up in school cafeterias Funny how it happened, now they call your dude a lyricist Using the music to communicate human experience But I'm just another story written in the infinite A piece of the puzzle depicting all existences A brick in the wall, but we all got gifts to give Peace, Love, and Rhythm's what I got, y'all, here it is
2.	Company Time 04:31	lyrics	buy track
[Verse 1] I whistle while I work; never done it different Even when the customers are jerks, and the money isn't shit, It's another day, another $7.25 an hour, Another chunk of time spent trying to figure out how we're gonna pay the rent Plus the power, plus gas, Plus Uncle Sam and his buddies trying to fuck me in the ass Plus food, clothes, medicine, and if I'm lucky, maybe save up a couple bucks just in case of a rainy day Meanwhile, staying sane, thanks to the games we play Making funny faces like Damon Wayans in Major Payne Crumple up a receipt, peep the fadeaway We make ends meet and still manage to keep the pain away In the kitchen, cutting up on the line In the back alley grinning, just busting a rhyme In the bathroom, shitting on your company time If I said this wasn't any fun, I must've been lying Still, the end of the day comes just in time 'Cause all work and no play makes Tommy lose his fucking mind Pretty simple, ain't nothing to it Plus the music helps me through it, and it goes a little something like... [Chorus] Push through the stress and the grind, and take it one step at a time Go home, relax, and unwind; just take it one step at a time Pinch pennies while they nickel and dime, and take it one step at a time Move forward, never pressing rewind when we take it one step at a time [Verse 2] Walking through the waking life, making strides, 'cause the aim is to make it like my dreams Taking time to appreciate what's nice is the key to alleviate the aches and strife; it seems Like everyone's an expert on the economy, please! Direct your lectures to anybody but me Yeah, I went to college, and I got a degree Still I'm at the pizza shop, and I'm a father-to-be! Playing background jazz periodically To big-wigs and fat cats of the bourgeoisie For free food, plus some cash, hundred dollars apiece Not to be rude, but that's a water drop in the sea That I'm swimming in. Still, living in poverty beats A nine-to-five in a box like a colony bee Behind them cubicle walls, I'd always long to be free No disrespect, it's just not the best option for me I need the freedom that allows me to practice my craft So when I go home, I'm home, not just back in the lab Best believe on deliveries, I'm rapping on tracks Wrote this whole song at work, as a matter of fact, I just... [Chorus] Push through the stress and the grind, and take it one step at a time Go home, relax, and unwind; just take it one step at a time Pinch pennies while they nickel and dime, and take it one step at a time Move forward, never pressing rewind when we take it one step at a time [Outro thing] (Take it one step at a time) Time flies when you're having a blast Be careful 'cause you might get trapped in the past The present is a gift, never let it slip away Tomorrow isn't waiting to become today, we say: Time flies when you're having a blast Be careful 'cause you might get trapped in the past The present is a gift, never let it slip away Someday never comes, so get it done today Time flies when you're having a blast Be careful 'cause you might get trapped in the past The present is a gift, never let it slip away Tomorrow isn't waiting to become yesterday Time flies when you're having a blast Be careful 'cause you might get trapped in the past The present is a gift, never let it slip away Someday never comes, so get that shit done TODAY.
3.	Drop in the Bucket 03:06	lyrics	buy track
I just want to make a difference I want to be a bright light shining in the night like diamonds in the sky I want to stand with conviction A concrete pillar of truth, and instill in the youth the will to ask, "Why?" I want to sing songs of redemption, attempting to reconcile the objective insignificance of this existence With the simultaneous recognition that every decision made remains written in the infinite Lend me your ears...or whatever you got to give Lost minutes from the years you forgot to live I've learned appreciation for each grain in the hourglass Not trippin' that our vision's limited to the bottom half A lot of masks just covering the same face Take the paved jogging path, run into the same place I'd rather go the road less traveled Leave my footprints in the gravel Grab a sharp rock, carve my name in the bark (Maybe that'll make me feel like I didn't go out without a battle) Then happily take the dive into the river With sunglasses, a silly hat, and a six-pack; no paddle Just a little backstroke, floating in the current No matter which way the winds stir it I know I'll be okay; and even if I'm not That won't stop this cold world from turning I used to weave, bob, dip, duck, dive, and dodge obstacles Now I just run through them like I'm unstoppable It's no optical illusion If you can convince yourself it's possible, then it's possible Sisyphus with the boulder Citizens in the streets being treated like enemy soldiers Politicians sold for a pocket full of gold To the old man in the back stacking chips on his shoulder Sisyphus with the boulder Little kids praying they even get the chance to grow older Atlas carrying the weight of the world up on his shoulder Zipping his jacket as the weather gets colder If you're a high roller or low budget, Throw your hands in the sky like you're trying to touch it And live like you love it 'Cause every single one of us is just another drop in the bucket If you're a high roller or go low budget, Throw your hands in the sky like you're trying to touch it And live like you love it, 'cause when it's all said and done, Every one of us is just another drop in the bucket
4.	Mark It with an "E" 02:00	info	buy track
5.	Good 06:59	lyrics	buy track
I’ve been thinking way too much lately I’ve been drinking more than I should I’ve been wasting time going crazy When it’s all good I’ve been hanging ‘round with my baby ‘Cause she’s the one who treats me just right And even though sometimes we get angry That’s all right (it’s all right) We’re all right (we’re all right) But soon she won’t be my only baby ‘Cause she and I’ve got one on the way And she gon’ grow up, and be her own lady One day Some day Well right now, I’m just trying to be patient So I can be the best I can be And I don’t mind if you want to hate it That don’t bother me Sometimes, I let life get the best of me Sun shines, but the bright side I forget to see Too focused on this cloud above my head, it keeps Chasing me around and showering down heavily. Sometimes, it’s like the world is my enemy Potholes all over the road up ahead of me Sometimes, I think I’ll never be successful, even With all the ingredients, I don’t know the recipe But somebody told me when I was a younger man Something I knew but didn’t truly understand, said, “You better do your damnedest to fix what you can, but there’s No sense in tripping about what’s out of your hands," so I've been trying to stop sweating petty things ‘Cause stressing everything never brings anything ‘cept Depression, anxiety, depleted self-esteem I think I need to let it be, ‘cause I’ve been thinking way too much lately I’ve been drinking more than I should I’ve been wasting time going crazy When it’s all good I’ve been giving way to frustration When things don’t go the way I thought they would But I don’t got no time for complaining When it’s all good Swelling with the negative energy ’til I Cry me a river I can float down merrily “Ain’t nothing but a dream,” said the melody So I go with the flow and don’t dwell in the memories Move steadily, forward trajectory Progression’s the objective irrespective of your destiny Full speed off in the wrong direction, honestly could Never beat creeping at a positive velocity Baby Steps, yeah, that’s the philosophy Gotta crawl before you walk, before embarking on the odyssey You gotta speak before you’ll ever spit the hottest heat Gotta get your ticket if you want to win the lottery Gotta be deceived to appreciate the honesty Gotta feed the seeds right so they can grow properly Gotta see the light to navigate through the atrocities I’ma let it shine, and nobody's stopping me... I’ve been thinking way too much lately I’ve been drinking more than I should I’ve been wasting time going crazy When it’s all good I’ve been freaking out on the daily 'Cause fear and doubt been clouding my mind But now I know those things won’t restrain me When I leave ‘em behind So I’ve been trying not to be lazy 'Cause time don’t stop when I close my eyes So I can’t sit here wondering, “maybe” No, I’ve gotta spread my wings and fly... But I’ve been thinking way too much lately Or maybe not as much as I should I breathe when things don’t seem so amazing ‘Cause I know it’s all good
6.	Blossom 02:54	lyrics	buy track
Back in the days when I was a teenager Before I had status updates up on the Facebook You could see me strumming the six-string, second nature Pops used to say it reminded him of Jimmy Page, but That old Stairway to Heaven decayed, So I went my own way trying to catch the elevator A Nowhere Man, probably still trying to understand my plans, But I promise I'ma see you on my way up Pay up my dues, watering the roots for later So by and by, maybe I can taste the fruits of labor Stakes is high, nobody knows it more than I That's why I won't deny my gifts in the name of playing it safer And it's easy to find something to be afraid of For me, music's fundamental like free throws and layups, so I'll take the risk 'cause the reward is much greater, And if nothing else, I'll show myself what I'm made of So here's to all of y'all following your calling Patiently waiting while the heavy rain's falling Upping the ante 'til your chips are all in Hoping someday those flowers gonna blossom And I was still a kid when I found out I was having a kid Scared me to life like you might imagine it did A radical shift in paradigm happened so quick And half the time, we didn't have the time to sit and try to fathom it Still rapping in the storms, mostly sunny weather Feel like Paul McCartney, yeah it's always getting better And all of my fear disappeared the day we met her Call me Dad from 2016 'til forever And never seen my family as a limitation If anything, their love fuels my inspiration The motivation that I hadn't felt before I'm 24 going on 'til I can't go on no more Can't stop, won't stop 'til it's finished Life is music, it's up to us to write the lyrics So when it's all over and I'm gone, You can listen to my spirit living infinitely in these songs This one's for all of y'all following your calling Patiently waiting while the heavy rains falling Upping the ante 'til your chips are all in Hoping someday those flowers gonna blossom Peace to all of y'all following your calling Patiently waiting while the heavy rains falling Upping the ante 'til your chips are all in Knowing someday those flowers gonna blossom

about

Debut release by Proper Channels emcee KS Joel, “Baby Steps” documents his personal growth surrounding the conception and birth of his first child. The EP is a musical reflection of progress, a celebration of the journey of life, and a reminder not to take it all too seriously.

credits

released December 17, 2018

All lyrics written and performed by KS Joel
All beats produced by Tbone

Tracks 1, 2, 3, and 6 recorded by Tbone at the Boneyard
Track 5 recorded by Evan Hall at The Recording Mill

Mixed by Tbone at the Boneyard
Mastered by Bruce Templeton at Microphonic Mastering