Scenes, by Proper Channels

Scenes

by Proper Channels

supported by

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$10 USD or more
Full Digital Discography

18

releases

Get all 18 Proper Channels releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Arrow and the Song, The Return to the House of Haunted Beats, Speed Run, Surprise, Surprise (ft. Tone), House of Haunted Beats, The Dragonfly & The Moth, Recurrence, Too Soon, and 10 more. , and , .

Purchasable with gift card

$55.74 USD or more (25% OFF)

1.	The Usual 02:53	lyrics	buy track
[Plot Device] U Crescent, building 7, 3rd floor Met the group there when I was just a sophomore Rocking house shows and some local open mics Study the art, learn how to promote it right The usual, I make beats brutal too Write lyrics suitable, maybe even confuse a few But what you gonna do? Nobody wanna read If they do its just stupid shit on their news feed [Bon Mot] Keep writing, that's a doozie Been trying for awhile and it kinda got confusing Three lines in, pen pause, ten songs turn to eight Keep it moving, tend to hate everything I'm ever doing "Do it anyway" they tell me, "Never gonna sell," I think But drink until I feel a little better 'bout myself Been doing this awhile just for smiles and handshakes Give it back for free like some music to the fan base [KS Joel] Back in the days we rapped in a haze (UC) That was the place the Borgata met Paronomasia Three brains still trapped in a cage But when the team got together we hit it off like a bat to baseball Faced all fears armed with knowledge Flipped it into wisdom in the years beyond college Damn near half a decade on and off of the grind But we're buckling down now 'cause it's harvesting time Duck and cover, coming up from under the underground Gonna rupture the Earth's crust, pummel your structures down Erupt, through the surface, flood and smother your towns Until every single motherfucker's bumping our sounds We get down, to the rhythms that reside inside us Infectious, spread it like a virus Whether it's a feather to papyrus or thumbs to the touch screen Bring the vision to fruition turning nothing into something [Bon Mot] 'Cause it's the old whip owning, No gas having Finna lose focus, Like he never had it Composure just for hoping, Knowing he gone crash it Tending to the spliff he guaranteed to grab his nutsack Patted on the back like you'll be happy when you're old enough Screaming from a slumber water chugging from a soda cup Romanticize depression, idolize the dying Compromise with cheap drinks, poor lighting [Plot Device] Winding maze, we combine to find a way Forces outside provide delay But our eyes steady focused like a lion on its prey Disbelievers start choking when we climb up on the stage The dopest shit you didn't look for Catch me at the bookstore Really I should cook more Dusty fingers, see him at the record store Digging through crates all day 'til my neck is sore We're coming for the throne just to smash the crown And burn the whole castle down We're coming for the throne just to smash the crown And burn the whole castle down We're coming for the throne just to smash the crown And burn the whole castle down We're coming for the throne just to smash the crown And burn the whole castle down
2.	Monday Starts On Saturday 03:00	lyrics	buy track
[Bon Mot] Quit rapping? Here's to hoping Homie wouldn't notice he was choking unless he wrote it Rodents at his digits still his sole focus is growing His perspective, yet he knows he needs his notes to get it open Glowing like its daybreak Make way for King Can't-Seem-To-Put-Two-And-Two-Together-On-The-Same-Day Trash Can, last man to admit that the critics Don’t need epiphanies from the same page Wait till they verify that they heard it, Say his days are perfect like fulfilling greater purpose Now he's resting, rehearsing his routine until he learns it You guessed it. Two steps: have a job, work it Savor every single second spent outside a kitchen Wishing really hard won't make your dreams come to fruition Being positive will positively make a difference In absolutely nothing. Holler if you paying rent! [Plot Device] Witty poets, thinking that we’re so clever Pro effort, rock a show in an old sweater In cold weather, if its ever cold, it never snows ever Forever bold, code guesser, so-so dresser Up late with beats, keep it real quiet Else the neighbors waking up feeling real tired Reveal fire, Prometheus with mere wires Smile on my face even if its all real dire Mic in my hand, getting pretty obnoxious Otherwise low-key with my fingers in pockets Keep building ‘till we’re chilling on top steps, Even a locksmith couldn’t unlock it Couldn’t be topped if you was drizzling chocolate Wouldn’t be stopped, even if you said “Stop it” On some Monday Starts on Saturday, Last to play, trashing all your accolades
3.	Seconds 02:45	lyrics	buy track
[Plot Device] It’s all a mummery, money-hungry mumbling mummies, Bumbling dummies, and other phrases unbecoming Rumbling tummies been hunting, wanting a little something Wondering if there’s even any substance? (Or only fronting) A spokesman told me something, hopes he sold me something (Everybody tryna eat) But no, this ain’t a luncheon Yeah I’m munching, only on Lil’ Bits I’ll run up in your party singing songs like I’m Tiny Rick (Till it’s time to dip) Rhyming sick (While they miming shit) Rapping over voice tracks (Thinking they kind of slick) Just trying to fit (Might be its time to quit) Our music is so potent, you could hit a line of it No denying it, we providing it Beats inspired by The Man With The Iron Fists Metal Fingers too, Dilla, Nujabes, Stoupe More names than pics to flip in Guess Who You could wave your flag, stake a claim At the end of every single day we’re all the same Staring at the ceiling wondering if things will change, Dunno the answer, but the thunder brings the rain… Or at least telegraphs its presence Catch me chiseling epitaphs with lessons Catch me chilling with hella raps in sessions, Hungry as fuck, coming back for seconds [KS Joel] Coming at you from behind the scenes Been working like nobody’s business (Sorry not hiring) Major talent coming out the minor leagues I see y’all, playing tee-ball, trying to swing But couldn’t hit the piñata with two eyes to see How many strike-outs till y’all turn the lights out and become retirees? Be polite (find some privacy) And keep your pipe-dreams between you and your diaries My entire team focused on the finer things, And I don’t mean fancy mansions or diamond rings I’m talking making something that’s inspiring Trying to free myself from any mental prison that’s confining me But don’t expect me to rock your mic for free I’m surviving, but I barely find the time to breathe, Compensation for my labor (always nice to see) But this isn’t just a side hustle, it’s a way of life for me Can’t afford to meet more than twice a week So I’m wide awake at night writing rhymes while my wife’s asleep KS Joel, nice to meet you Walk a mile with me and I’ll show you what the fuck grinding means
4.	Intermission ft. TreyBall & Friends 01:43	lyrics	buy track
[intermission]
5.	On Track 03:32	lyrics	buy track
[Bon Mot] Proper Channels keeps it pumping like your heart beat All my solo sets seem like an art piece You try your hardest then you bomb within the hour Our auto-pilot sacrifice your life to higher powers Don't take it personally, y’all don't deserve the worst of me Seen me at a show, then you've already had the best of me Eating anything as long as worms is in the recipe Shitting where I'm sleeping, drinking mad aggressively A theme is what we'll call it Fact is I've detracted back to binge alcoholic Staying hostile if emotion is the obstacle All I wanna do is love intimately as possible But DAMN y’all make it challenging Never practice then act baffled when you up to bat and see the crowd traveling Bathroom, street, bar, Grab a bite to eat or Straight up leaving just to be wherever we are [KS Joel] See no hear no speak no shit What we consume is what we are In my own lane I’m located Staying On Track like a streetcar We the shit like Winnie the Pooh See the crowd jump around like Tigger and Roo Spit the truth in the mic and we give it to you And everybody start looking like Eeyore Y’all fly, we soar, Gonna blow like C4 Explode with the rhythm and give em a little vision of the mission we sing for, like Hold up, wait a minute Let me put a little bit of soul up in it Got a whole lotta rhythm going round Got a real type of thing going down, getting down We want the funk, give it up or hit the exit The sound is so eclectic, rock acoustic or electric We get chill, we get hectic Beats get killed and resurrected Dialectical perspectives come together, get connected Tune in to receive the message: Proper Channels ain’t shit to mess with Speak our minds through beats and rhymes We redefine what’s unexpected That therapeutic music moving through the wire out the amplifier Straight into my brain it takes me higher [Plot Device] Bumping a little something to get me through the day Pops was a drummer, that’s probably why I grew this way Taught me lessons that I remember to this day Recollecting vivid memories of what he used to say Now I’m running out of room, tripping over records Blurring the border between hoarder and collector Give that extra effort, we’re pushing progression And getting sicker I can feel the congestion Feels like, real life, real hype, clear sight Proper Channels spreading like lice on field mice Real live, living and breathing, giving, receiving, divvying even, existing with reason I used to thread headphones up through my sweater sleeve Tripped out when I heard that’s what Geo was telling me Skipped class, spit raps, wrote some elegies With out a dope beat, I would have never felt complete
6.	Keep It Moving ft. ET Deaux 02:37	lyrics	buy track
[Plot Device] Keep it Moving Let your body rock Everybody From the corner to the block Keep it moving, we can’t stay stagnant Can’t move the whole if you can’t move a fragment Everybody acting, masked in a rat race Getting snatched when the cats chase Living in the last days, a glass raised, Grass blazed in a hopeless retreat A path broken and steep, climb up to the pinnacle Meditate a little, return into the physical Gargoyles, talons, split dutches Scream Phoenix, use talent to lift clutches A cold world, imbalanced, sick substance And a bunch of motherfuckers who make really good puppets Cut your strings Cut the bullshit [ET Deaux] From the corner to the block Shake your body don’t stop We gone keep the party flowing Gonna make your body rock From the corner to the block Shake your body don’t stop We gone keep the party flowing Gonna make your body rock They say life is bout the cream and I’m rising to the top Breaking locks, coming for your spot Chilling with the Plot I’mma do it with my team ‘till we chilling in a yacht Manifesting all my dreams, so to settle I cannot We done came a long way Got a long way to go Evan Thibodaux coming with the flow like a pro Gonna water all my seeds Watching as the grow Turn em into trees so I’m reaping what I sow When you see me yeah you already know That I’m shining so bright and it shows Breaking down the weed and roll it in a Dolo Then I light it up and pass it to the bros [Plot Device] Keep it Moving Let your body rock Everybody From the corner to the block Just let your body rock to the rhythms we create If you’re feeling it, then we relate All you gotta do is nod your head Just let the music leave your problems dead
7.	Dear Me ft. Aleah Hyer 04:48	lyrics	buy track
[Bon Mot] You think you're gonna be a lawyer or a doctor Paranoia ain't a problem, you gone do some college proper So naive you thinking Ivy League like Harvard Hardly ever got em, so confused on values of a dollar And as the time progress you find the sciences to hold your interest best Rather than the lying or the dying breaths Out of state seems great for an escape But that will fade the day you realize all your friends are gonna stay And you say it's ‘cause you hate the heat or rain But behind every new complaint the truth is you're afraid Change is dangerous ‘till you rearrange your major Switching to business since nobody's paying for the extra year Yeah you hate it, practice patience and complacency Only thing retained would be the lessons heard perfected here And he ain’t happy, but your Dad says that he’s proud of ya Mom's not, Bon Mot's just a cop-out of college but You tried less hours and staying in, Just to find out it takes 40 a week to pay your rent You come home for 6, you miss class at 10 And wonder why the same shit keeps happening But stay strong, take long drives just to crash the whip Lose it, few years ‘till you're back in it Moving, job to job find your purpose in a glass of gin Consolation prize: you'll be pretty good at rapping, kid Stay true (don’t let ‘em change you) Be you (don’t let ‘em change you) [Plot Device] You’re being taught that it don’t matter, Fit in with that old pattern, Trick ya with the gold platter Prick ya make ya go faster Got you by the ears, by the books, any methods Making skeptics with their efforts but you’ll question every lesson They measure by profession, which you’ll constantly be guessing But no stressing, the path before you is the best one Stick to it, through it meet humans like-minded Through that proper channel’s guidance Grow yourself, stay defiant One message uttered to my former self, Fuck ‘em all, don’t listen to nobody else, Take it all in, the good and the bad, myth and the fact Mix it with laughs, step back, think a minute on that Revisit the past, but only for a quick trip, And don’t get trapped in the system if you can’t fix it Keep them eyes open, and them ears too And pay attention to everything and everyone near you
8.	Havens ft. Aleah Hyer 04:42	lyrics	buy track
[Aleah Hyer] I’ve seen that look a million times I know that you’ve been wanting me to go away Oh but how are you, are you to stay all alone? There’s too much here for just one person Don’t be wasteful in a world full of hungry people Oh, you want me out Oh, you want them gone But how will you pay their ticket to another place? In a world of big, strong men you want us gone No need to give extremities to those who owe You leave us, you hurt us But you don’t care, it don’t matter because of what we sing and what we do Keep us so strong Oh get gone, get gone, get gone You want us to get gone, get gone, get gone Get out, get out It’s too much, too much To live on, live on, Oh get us out… Oh so you tell us just a penny more a month No oh just a penny more won’t hurt the ones you love But how are you to count a penny’s worth among the heart?
9.	Humannequins 03:12	lyrics	buy track
[Plot Device] Humannequins, dressed up, fake smiles, abandonment of self Traded in for someone else on the shelf (At half price) It comes to them customers I act nice Only cause I gotta if I wanna get my cash right But that’s life, at cash wrap like, “You want a membership?” Wearing advertisements like a fucking pendant, shit It’s “Push, push, push,” A Stop At Willoughby Gotta keep it moving for my boss’s stability Consider me: an entity, existing to serve an industry Big suits make bank, we fighting over pennies It’s never enough, always gotta do more Eating in a food court, every break is too short Two more hours until I’m out this place, Go home, and dig around in crates Flip a sample, hear what sound it makes Escape to found breaks and pounding bass Escape... Plastic pose, mask the features Mask exposed, plastic creatures Humannequins, dressed up, fake smiles abandonment of self Traded in for someone else on the shelf Labeled: Defective. Unable to be effective. Ejected like artists opposing the labels directive They want a stable collective Unique thought delays the message “It’s elementary”, to quote that fabled detective Gotta stay protective of our individuality, Understanding us humans define reality A refined analogy, in time, will gradually grow Hoping the flowers we water actually show And naturally so, pack up your chemicals and pesticides Humannequins awaken, arise, or be left to die Inside a plastic carcass, try your best to hide ‘Til the face in the mirror’s no longer recognized In your plastic carcass, you try your best to hide Until the face in the mirror’s no longer recognized
10.	Trash 04:10	lyrics	buy track
[KS Joel] No Tom Foolery Don’t rock jewelry So hot, you could see the stovetop cooling me off Y’all all talk, no thought, stupid Even your hardest bars go soft upon scrutiny A few released but spitting dope’s not new to me Nowadays I don’t even talk shit usually but... If you the Boss, then consider this a mutiny And I’ll happily be the MC at your eulogy Like Rest In Peace hypothetical rapper I’m sorry your career had to end in disaster But you claimed to be the best, which made me contest Right after a fit of uncontrollable laughter I hit the stage and grabbed the mic Over Bone’s homegrown beats, rapping tight Fresh, clean, guaranteed to satisfy Any appetite, like magic I ain’t been around the world, but I’ve been around the block Seen a lot of fools mistake lies for hip hop And I’ve done enough shows to know how to rock Put the crowd into shock cause my flows don’t stop When I’m on fire The type of flame make you wanna photoshop my name on your flyer It goes K to the S emcee for hire Cop a ticket plus a EP just to keep me from retiring Product of environment Hotboy better call the fireman Wack emcees rapping after me perspiring In spaghetti covered sweaters like we up in 8 mile While I’m smiling, laughing, having a good time Inspiring cats that wish they could rhyme First couple steps out of a billion Believe me when I tell you this is just the beginning KS Joel, master of the ceremony Kind Soul, but I’ll hack it up to any phony Rappers in my territory, acting like they spit great Kids make mistakes when they thinking they can step before me I came to take the praise and collect the glory From the supposedly dopest motherfuckers at your set performing Apologies to y’all MCs watching me probably thinking I’m being cocky but dude honestly Not to be rude, but the opposite of you Would be constantly improving hip hop music stop what you’re doing Rocking these wanna be popular tunes is an obvious ruse to reduce loss of approval But it’s certainly not gonna stop this crew From knocking thru your “Do Not Disturb” Tossing you and all your garbage tunes to the curb Stomping fools with the words Haunting dudes till there’s nothing y’all can do But watch Plot, Mot, and me pop you a new one Dropping knowledge like it’s hotter than sriracha in the June sun Keep it Proper we monopolize the groove 120% gotta be the truth if I spit it in the mic Paid dues now we chilling in light, still making moves Keep em hidden in plain sight Better buckle up cause we bout to take flight Aight, peace
11.	Shucking Knife 02:49	lyrics	buy track
[Plot Device] Stack money, blow it on utilities Gas can, last gram, “And a philly, please” It’s needed for stability We got ‘em fiending, they scratching like Abilities I think of that, then I start to feel at ease I make what I make and give a fuck if they ain’t feeling me If I could, I would sample my heart The beat’s doper in that than any sample so far Ignoring what they’re telling me, The shit that they’re selling me I’ve watched this game long enough to know there ain’t a referee Question the integrity of their pedigree Never let it be Try to replicate, just accept your fate Set the date on any phony shit you try your best to make Approach this with the wrong intentions Your mind on your money’s got you acting apprehensive You think it’s harming me? I think I’m harming you I think that everything that you do should be hard to do Born, torn, sworn into departing soon World’s your oyster, but the shucking knife’s too hard to use [Bon Mot] Tryna survive with rhymes, you'll say "that's adorable" Money don't buy happiness, it just makes it affordable I’ll package raps, export ‘em, sorta sure that you'll Return ‘em in a week, with no receipt, for more ignorable Discreet lies from neat lines of sheep I find deplorable At the gate, sleep escapes my fellow mortals Settle chortles from the snoring few Breach is what we're storming to Beseech unto the horny crew Leaches of equal fortitude Dream of keeping creeps employed on corners too Boring dudes who never leave their homes unless they're forming feuds Factions of wack rappers, benefactors to those hoarding food Taking time to make sure minds are bored in school So I seethe with anger pouring through my teeth Believe I'm warning you The hardest part's the darkness when the storm is brewed No sense of direction, lessons in the shortest tunes Inviting people over to be bored with you You think it's harming me, I think I'm harming you I think that everything that you do should be hard to do Born, torn, sworn into departing soon The world's your oyster, the shucking knife's too hard to use When we’re at it, we’re apt to make sure the show stays action packed Glad we’re back, got the real heads flipping like some acrobats Grab the Mac, stab it fast, craft a track Grab the grass, to pack and pass Maxin’, that’s a fact
12.	PLR 04:27	lyrics	buy track
You know what it is, make a motherfucking fist Pump that shit, raise your middle finger to the government. Lift a pointer for your sisters and your brothers If you’re fucking with Peace, Love, & Rhythm [Plot Device] Move it, life is a path, choose it Better off broke than rich, confused, and stupid (Clueless) I ain’t talking to you, unless that shoe fits Shit grab ‘em, go and rock your new kicks I’m dreaming of a meaning, all I’m seeing is demons Deceiving me to believe in greenish things with no reason And what I’m thinking is treason, And what I’m drinking is seasoned with salt of divinities, Fuck that industry And sneaky senators like Clay Davis, shit Get them hands out my pockets I’mma break ‘em quick Eyeing a piece, ready to make my pick It seems the game is rigged, them stakes is high, so am I I feel it's needed just to cope with the times, Everyone walking blind, no one opens their eyes A future looking bleak, all hope is disguised, But I focus my mind, I play my rhythm [KS Joel] See I was raised in a system that creates division Separates its victims based on class, race, and religion Aims to condition the masses to fear and hate what’s different And distract you from the few actually making a killing State minions spilling innocent blood in the streets Flood the prisons with the underprivileged citizens just to feed business I’m sick of the viciousness, the greed, the hate The dismissive apathy that keeps it in place And venomous be the screens, violence in the news Got you questioning if we’ve yet to finally lose All evidence of the dream, try to find it in the booze Or the ten minutes in between each time you hit the snooze Pledge allegiance to the flag of the land of the free, Home of the brave, and if you’re lucky you’ll grow up to be a slave to the bank Trading your days for paper to pay for a place to lay during breaks in the labor Aiming for greater ranks saying Thanks To hard work and neglect for my health They started far above the bottom, still embezzling wealth Climbing the ladder like descending through the levels of hell Praising god while shaking hands with the devil himself [Bon Mot] In the streets screaming things that would have probably got me sent home Back when I would sloppily squabble with Stockholm Syndrome Your god's a model, the dollar doesn't exist, though I don't think they'll get it without bottles through their windows Merlot replaced with premium, creates the perfect evening Or at least the scene that the media will stream "Another drug filled lunatic, goofy on hallucinogens" Confusing schools, you choose to swim "On the scene, moving in" Lucid, he's clueless the future's losing him But I'll keep swooping in, to try to prove some usefulness To all employers done toiling with their shoeless kin Could lose the whip, could lose the rims, Could use some sin, could do a rip Could do with ten, ass could bruise a dick, Laugh would cool a mint, could do with bending rules a bit, And rule through spending loot from kids Fascist actions trap the masses Three big B’s: Banks, Brother, Business, fees, taxes, Time spent listening to liars going batshit All three tryna act like they ain't tryna have it I expect attacks if we don't inspect their tactics Respect every last kid fighting for the grass if They spend their time relaxing, skipping class and passing You'll be losing hope they won't be voting for the last men "Things will never change" is what we wallow and they bask in Things will never change until the day we fucking snap Revolutions start with small victories If you don't kill the fucking president it ain't history "Where's Bon Mot?" It’s no mystery I'mma start the kind of riots end with y’all missing me

about

The first formal group release encompasses, both stylistically and lyrically, the damn near half a decade spent accruing its catalog. Ranging from "run that line back" verses for the at home listeners to the "get up and get down" high energy bangers that have become synonymous with the live shows, SCENES is the precipice where goal-driven hard work and hardship-driven self sabotage meet.

Peace, Love, & Rhythm,
Plot Device, KS Joel, & Bon Mot

credits

released April 28, 2020

Produced, recorded & mixed by Plot Device

All beats by Plot Device, with the exception of "Keep It Moving" by Paul Jackson

Mastered by Bruce Templeton at Microphonic Mastering

Plot Device lyrics & vocals on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, & 12
Bon Mot lyrics & vocals on tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, & 12
KS Joel lyrics & vocals on tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, & 12

ET Deaux lyrics & vocals on track 6
Aleah Hyer lyrics & vocals on tracks 7 & 8

Paul Jackson bass on track 8
Michael Machado trumpet on track 8
KS Joel guitar on tracks 8 & 10

Proper Channels Music L.L.C.