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Blackberries and Bike Rides

by Gradient

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1.
Never thought it would happen, but here it is They never thought I was rappin’, but they hearin’ this Miyazaki, man I’m way Spirited And I don’t care about appearances I’m here to be human We all try to be the same, What are we doin? Tabloids wanna know, who is she screwin’ But goddamn, I don’t give a fuck, man, keep the beat movin’ Drop all your worries and keep ‘em outta your psyche ‘Cause if you’re like me, you got a lot of shit weighing you down But quit playin’ around when you hearin’ the sound of Gradient Comin’ at you from your stereo now! I been gone for a while, but I’m back at it To my list of raps another track added ‘Cause I’m a fiend for the shit, like a crack addict But I be feelin’ paranoid, call me Black Sabbath My dad told me once I would be a great man, like my daddy was Humble? Well that he wasn’t But he’s done a lot of good and backs up the persona When my mama saw that I was way depressed When my dad went to jail, it was crazy, yes But there was nothing she could do I had to make the best of situations that made me stressed But I’m happy and I’m better than ever And it’s a clever endeavor I’m In A Gadda Da Vida better bet I’m gonna body the beat up I’m hot and I’m never gonna let a competitor heat up, so pull a seat up I’d be the first to say it, y’all I need more than a verse to say it all I kept y’all waitin’ Sacred Heart River Bend, y’all got a lotta patients (patience) But to the critics, man, I don’t wanna say shit ‘Cause some folks just gotta try to hate shit I take bath salts and gobble on their faces I be bumpin’ old Nirvana on a spaceship Listening to Come As You Are, becoming one with the stars, And goin’ hard with my homies on Mars But back home I’m seein’ That the Earth gets hot And we gotta beat the Heat like the Spurs did not Lookin’ in the mirror and I stare at the glass And I’m proud of the man who be starin’ me back I'm too honest to be wearin’ a mask I probably ain’t like some rappers that you’d hear in the past Who talk about all their wealth; blow it out of proportion Like their garage is full; can’t fit the Porsche in In my garage I got a guitar amp but I ain’t got a Boss pedal No distortion Just honesty, and honestly, I’ll try to give you everything that you wanna see If y’all feel this realness hear this The love that you show means a lot to me I’m just a weird local kid tryna spit raps And maybe get a little wicked with the syntax But I’m finna go global fast And if you fuck with me I don’t react like a noble gas Wanna hear dumb raps from a white guy? From a town real small, bite-size? Then I’mma tell y'all the truth, no white lies My whole city gets as high as a kite flies We like to relax and take a night hike Listening to Macklemore and Bright Eyes We’re all friendly, you act scary, they might hide ‘Cause my life is blackberries and bike rides
2.
Fire Fly 03:23
Chorus (Childish Gambino & Janet Leon): Now when they see us in the streets All they wanna do is take pics And I’m like “okay” And when they hear us on the beat All they wanna do is make hits And I’m like “okay” And if you’re feelin’ how I’m feelin’ how the world should be Perfectly, I’m fire like I’m third degree And suddenly, shorty we got so high Firefly Verse 1: I was the skinny kid in the back of the class Who answered every match fraction they would happen to ask Wasn’t the smartest kid across this perfect nation But my hand was in the air so much it lost its circulation All the kids around me would give me a vexed look ‘Cause I had all the answers like the back of a textbook M’aam, your son is gifted; you’ve raised him well But that skinny motherfucker’s always raisin’ hell It’s amazing how he never pays no attention And still gets an A on his grades, did I mention the way that he stays with these four other guys and they sneak into the kitchen and they hoard all the fries? He said he didn’t do it but I’m bored of the lies They had a wet paper towel war for a surprise So when they hated me I gave ‘em more to despise Little kid gone savage, Lord of the Flies [Chorus] Verse 2: It ain’t hard to make nerds the footsteps you’re followin’ Especially when you’re on your way to Carleton I was always out of place on the sports teams Never had new equipment; we couldn’t afford things So kids made fun of how I’d wear my clothes For me to look cool, took miracles My shoes were ripped up, and they’d stare at those Big fish in a small pond; Gyarados You wanna hear hardcore raps, bro, come on All I wanna do is rap about Pokémon ‘Cause growing up I played too much Gold Version Lucky I didn’t become a really old virgin I was flyin’ high like a beach ball is They knew I’d go to a privatized elite college Even though I had wider eyes for street knowledge Even though I just idolized Rasheed Wallace So if I never quite fit the plan of what they’d want I’d never really give a damn what they thought Some think I’m wack but others think that I’m rappin’ right So don’t hide your true colors – it ain’t black & white They tell us different is bad, we’ve been lied to ‘Cause if you’re genuine, folks eventually like you The only one you need to make proud is yourself So be proud of yourself [Chorus]
3.
It goes one through the larynx, two from the heart Three for my parents even though they split apart I still love ‘em while I’m lovin’ every friend that I got And I really love rap so I figured “why not?” Look You are looking at a six foot Japanese rappin’ easygoing kid who happens to look bad in beanies Rap complex over simple beats, I spit as raw as the fish that my people eat Madman and upstanding civilian, not the best rapper alive, but I’m in the top seven billion It’s lights out, Super Bowl 47 in the house, Surge like the gym leader in Vermillion Take a weed whacker to Wiz Khalifa’s stash, make him mad Crack that Krispy Kreme rapper in half, and call that Breaking Bad Rappers want brand new cars like Maybachs But they ain’t got the will (wheel) to host the fortune y'all, none of ‘em say jack (Sajak) Ungh. I’m in the cut like peroxide I didn’t vote for Mitt; I’m on Barack’s side Yup, I’m gettin’ a bit of the moment of fame, comin’ up strong in the game, my flow is "juuust right," Goldilocks, I’d Never really brag, I’m not that vain or sick at all I’m just Tryna understand myself like the brain of a psychologist I’m crazy like the colonists who take entire continents Enslave a population but later give them compliments I’ll switch the beat up, with a rugged rhyme, like new stars And now I’m bout ta speed up and go double time for a few bars ‘Cause I’m bending a bit back and I’m better than bastards Who’ve never been attacked by a veteran rapper I never would come wack; I’m the cleverest actor On a track, and I’m a bachelor who’s gonna get his Master’s Some day. It’s a grand image Like Harry Potter, playin’ Quidditch Runnin’ the race and I can win it You’re sitting and frowning and I stand grinnin’ I spit sincerely And my money’s low ordinarily So am I gonna make it? Barely The only bread that I’m stackin’ is Sara Lee Why’s that Japanese white kid rappin’ though?? Next time you seem him on his bike, kidnap him yo I wish he’d vanish into thin air, Colorado This kid can’t kick it, Maldonado Shout-outs to my Oregonian brethren I grew up in Eugene where we never trust a weather man To be honest, I’m just tryna sound clever, man Dishonest Mufasa cats lyin’ (lion) but I never am Forever jams flowing at my brain’s thinking pace And I’ll use a semicolon outside of a winky-face Nonsensical rappers out there, I know you seen ‘em They’ll take a syllable that sounds kinda like another one and talk fast in the space in between ‘em But they ain’t sayin’ much Then again, neither am I You gotta boast when you’re rappin’, but I’m a humble guy But if you happen to be thinkin’ that what I spit’s great I appreciate that you’re listening to my mixtape
4.
Verse 1 (Gradient): I’m a grand alchemist no matter what the outcome is Smash raps rockin’ Packers hats in Minneapolis Adam told me where the apple is I shoved it in his throat and made him sing me the alphabet I’m the alpha bet you could never forget a methodical prodigal son’s protestant sloppy shit Spiked the punch at a church party and made a rave I even made Bobby Boucher embrace Gatorade So save it if you gotta hate I’m crazy enough to eat off of Jeffrey Dahmer’s plate And I’mma be insane ‘til the tombstone I turned you fairies into fables; Moon Stone Not a single sane person on the track Layed a verse so when we rap, you ‘bout to enter the loon zone You’re very little like the value of a nickel is, Me, Wax and Sammy, we about to get ridiculous Chorus: (Ridiculous) Kickin’ that off the wall shit (Ridiculous) Kickin’ that off the wall- off the wall shit (Ridiculous) Kickin’ that off the wall shit Fuck your- fuck your money and jewels, we just rob you of your dignity! Verse 2 (Sammy Warm Hands): The son of Adrock and a student of Carlin I write like Larry David but misbehaving like Garlin I’m funny like Seth MacFarlane but darker than the Devil’s asshole in an old apartment, yeah Oh, my darlin’ Clementine, a better rhyme’s in order ‘cause the hors d’oeuvres are poor like Noah Bennet’s eyes I’m waiting for some albatross in apple sauce but the waiter’s fading into black like some African astronauts I never pause, I’ll kill your flow like menopause Take the applause and give the dough back to a better cause Got pennies in my pockets and holes in my camouflage I’m at a loss, listen all y’all it’s a sabotage The hand of God is readjusting the aperture Shedding light on the savage ass-handing of these rapping amateurs I’m bringing the pain and anesthesia couldn’t make it better Gonna feel like sticking your dick in a fuckin’ paper shredder [Chorus] Verse 3 (Wax): Grilled Lincolns in the house! Fuck the tomfoolery Hide your little sister, hide your mom’s jewelry Lock up your liquor and bolt down your beer It’s a party full of fuckin’ maniacs in here! Let’s make it clear For lack of a better word I’m the most grandiose rapper you ever heard A clever nerd with a sack of the better herb Paranoid mess but of rappers I’m never scurred Yeah Answer my question What motivates these piss-ants to try testing? I don’t know, but you ain’t gotta explain why ‘Cause I’ll never comprehend it like how planes fly Out at B-W-I You spy me and Herbal T high, stumble and vie Fresh off the flight out at Cali, meet the Lincolns at the terminal Stand the fuck up like you’re pissing at a urinal [Chorus] Verse 4 (Gradient): It’s the last verse, similar to the first time Your best line is as good as my worst rhyme Your face is in the background the camera’s on mine ‘Cause I’m such a big deal, call me Amazon Prime The backlash against flat raps I’ll slap fast any rap cat who attacks me with some wack crap That’s a pre-emptive strike I might spit so hot they’ll have to vent this mic You know I been through strife and I’ll tell my story Even though I have an annoying voice like Homer Simpson’s wife No Schwarzenegger, keep the choppers at bay I only think you’re real dope if it’s opposite day And on that day, nobody is a friend to me And you ain’t even got a single enemy And I’m the worst rapper in the vicinity But in reality I’m as sick as the Human Centipede [Chorus]
5.
Rant 01:56
Gradient is back for you rap cats and I’m makin’ scratches At the game, never been the same, finna light a flame with a book of matches I’m a disaster and I rap casually, I’m a problem so mathematically It’s a fact that I’m irrational like three point one four (for) one of y’all to say that I’m quite wack? Well the way that I’d strike back Is to say “that’s just like, your opinion, man,” but I’m like Shaq ‘Cause I just don’t do go away, even if you’ve had quite enough of me Imma be an individual, ‘cause there’s never gonna be another me Life is a classroom, it just depends on your outlook I be in the front row with five pencils and a notebook ‘Cause I’m so hooked on absorbing every little bit of knowledge that I can Knowledge plus wisdom is power in your hands And I wanna get my hands quite full Tryna be a better human being ‘Cause I got a lotta opportunities a lotta people never seen A lotta people got dreams but spend too much time wishin’ Hard work is a virtue, make your dreams come to fruition ‘Cause their ain’t no tuition In the university of Wikipedia You can spend an hour on there and learn a lot more than the media Will report in a whole week ‘Cause their audience is all sheep I’m talking ‘bout cable news, man, ‘cause a lot of us are asleep ‘Cause it’s not just Fox News, man, it’s also MSNBC Anyone who tries to put me in a box, never been a friend to me I’m more clever than the enemy, so they’re never gonna get at me And they better be on Ketamine, if they ever think I’mma let it be We can do better than this, y’all, just think independently You don’t have to pretend to be anything less than you wanna be When I’m on the beat, and I’m spitting heat, I’m an animal, like a wallaby Like I oughta be, this is how I say I don’t quite fit the dichotomy We live in a false economy, eat each other up, like piranha be But I’mma be different ‘cause I wanna feed, I don’t wanna eat And I’m gonna be very proud of me, and you’re gonna wish you never doubted me Whoa, sorry for that rant, y’all, I just really had to get that outta me
6.
I’m ‘bout to turn the beat up and make the room vibrate De La Soul is Dead But I’m bumpin’ Buhloone Mindstate Look back, I took rap, Gonna kick that flow like Pele Did my calculus and my raps all on the same page I maintain that my aim’s to sound saucy With phrases from a brain as insane as the Clown Posse I dance weird and rap, I’m Flynt Flossy Like that manatee video, they can’t stop me So hands off me, unless you got a warrant Cherry Pie, very high in the sky, soarin’ 747 off the ground, in the sky too Nobody around gon’ sound stupid as I do I’m like a Kaiju in that one movie I’ll beat you up if you try to run through me Like I’m yellow tape and you were a marathon runner or the Flash I’m stupid but I’ve been way dumber in the past I'm 'bout to kick a flow super fast Chorus: Super fast, super fast, I come in last But just in time for breakfast Keep it through, keep it through, forever blue The night, the night throws at us Aluminum, I crush your fun, aluminum The sea is radioactive The sea is radioactive Soarin’ grand in Oregon Like the Spruce Goose plane I can rap quicker, you can hold the liquor ‘Cause I like orange juice, mayne Better steer clear, I’m little bit queer But y’all know how I do thangs Learning and earning grands Burning Man, huge flame I got the claws out, so you better watch out ‘Cause I’m hard to wash out, like a food stain Steady when I rock it and I keep it in the pocket Like a cell phone or some loose change Y’all just wonder, I bring that thunder And lightning, like I’m Zeus, rain on the competition. You’re in Gotham, wishin’ you were Batman but I’m Bruce Wayne [Chorus] Superfast jellyfish (Repeat x24)
7.
Falling Star 02:45
(Florence Welch): A falling star fell from your heart And landed in my eyes Fell from your heart And landed in my eyes I screamed aloud, as it tore through them And now it’s left me blind You were that girl that was so mysterious Saw you across that cafeteria Didn’t really care a lot about high school, all I knew was that I really had to be with ya And I had a class or two with ya Didn’t think you’d ever notice me But you sat next to me in geography, and gave me chills when you talked to me But I was kinda shy, not the kinda guy that you wanted And it haunted me the entire time, figured I would try to go and write a rhyme So I came up with a plan Late nights writing with a pen in hand Wrote you a song and I played it for you, in a way you might have been my first fan Yeah and it sent a message, to your ears straight from my face Told you how I felt and you sent me a message too, but it was on MySpace Well that’s great, you didn’t want me, so I guess that I learned my lesson Never tell a girl you wanna be with her, when she already wants your best friend Heard your heart beating, you were in the… (x3) Fast forward, two more years, I stayed in the friend zone way too long Watching you date every guy in the world and they always did you wrong But you never would advance to And new stage with me, no chance with you So I lied about myself, and acted different, until the lies all became truth But it worked and I changed myself to fit your standard of what you needed I was happy to be with you, even when my authenticity depleted I hated myself but I really liked you, thought it might be forever And we had chemistry together, and we even had chemistry together Didn’t pay any attention in class, I just kept up my bravado My obsession with you was constant, you could call that Avogadro That day when you left I was heartbroken, never felt such pain before It was cruel but it gave me a chance to be true to myself and that’s something I’m grateful for Heard your heart beating, you were in the… (x2) It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay Never thought I’d like you so much But it’s way, but it’s way, but it’s way In the past like the Jonas Brothers So stay away, stay away, stay away If you’re gonna keep being mean I don’t need any Negativity So just flee from me It’s okay But I really hope you have a nice day
8.
Valiant 04:05
The things you knew about music best to forget ‘em now So release the demons you harbor inside and let ‘em out And speed the weekend and come back to Monday only to remember that you spend your whole work week on the denim couch Surrendering the Cheap Trick that comes with your Cracker Jacks Calling 1989 to ask for all the rappers back The regime of Assad committing the highest sin While poli-sci students are sitting reading Leviathan Bill Watterson carefully draws John and Thomas While America falls in love with all of the little comics Took a rope, refined it and made hemp from it The rulebook of reality, he’s exempt from it Analyzing my lyrics with much fluidity A parody, a cryptic tribute, or just stupidity Could be any of the three, perhaps I oughta be Deciding not to fit anywhere in the trichotomy Chorus (Child Actor): …to suffocate You’ve got everything Won’t you laugh it in You can run away (Valiant) You won’t get far (Valiant) You can’t get away (Valiant) You won’t get far (Valiant) Let me in now Let me in now You could be royalty Let me see the shining ring Behind these palace walls you’re climbing out And we’ll build our empire And we’ll build our empire And we’ll build our empire Until the sun never sets up Claiming to be valiant, systematically keeping them Ignorant while CO2 reaches 400 PPM It’s strictly procedure, ma’am, don’t make a fuss about it Plenty of bipartisan support so you must allow it They keep the buses crowded with commuters and consumers Faces buried in their little glowing telephone computers Wonder if they know how lit up their face looks Wishing old acquaintances happy birthday on Facebook Unnatural selection becoming the homo evolutis And rapidly frowning no matter what the current mood is Wondering if this is art like an elephant’s painting Very shocking and edgy and you can tell by the fainting Devoting one couplet to try and balance rhymes Like trying to find peace in Israel and Palestine Lennon said he was the walrus, and then said it was Paul and never clarified while Ringo was dead all along [Chorus]
9.
10.
(Gradient): First impression when you met me might have thought I was a weird one You were right, here’s proof, straight into your eardrums I don’t spit raps, my saliva’s pure acid It only ever burns my throat and leaves my breath raspin’ Ask me one more time if I can bust some fuckin’ rhymes I’ll throw you off a bridge and watch the bubbles rise I ain’t down to rhyme with no stupid MCs I just load up my tech 9 and start shootin’ them freaks Trained in the brain you can’t mess with my psyche I’m runnin’ the block, like a Lego wearin’ Nikes Even if you don’t like me, admit I spit so rightly I stand six feet tall, none of y’all can fight me Seriously though, I do this shit so easily For many other MCs, this ain’t feasibly Possible, obstacle after obstacle Set up in front of me I eat ‘em up like a pasta bowl Complete with matzo balls, I’m unstoppable You can’t say shit about how “Asians ain’t rhymers” Forgot about our haikus like y’all had alzheimers What I’m doing now, it’s just a hobby on the side But I still eat y’all like sushi with wasabi on the side Wash it down with some sake You’re never gonna block me You could be at Kinko’s and still couldn’t copy My flow so dope that I got you all listening Even though I wrote this stupid verse when I was 15 Immature kid, I had a bigger head But older white women said I’m very articulate Up in Eugene, in between, watchin’ Scooby Doo I had a feeling I was kinda unusual Never any Asians in my neighborhood And if there were, I bet none of them would stay for good It was all white people and a few from Mexico Like my best friend Brian. He’s next to go! And he’s got big testicles! Briaaan! (Brian Steveson): Let me take you to a world that’s devoid of mediocrity My words are so wise that you would think I’m reading Socrates Aristotle, full throttle, Charlie’s Angels sequel But hear my rhymes out; they are anything but fecal So great, overweight, gotta keep it bright and shiny Colgate, don’t hate or else you can kiss my hiney Yeah I said “hiney,” you can laugh, Brick Tamland Now look into my mind, open it up like a SPAM can Fresh outta Mickey D’s, put down the Big Mac Now I’ve got the time to lay down all these sick raps Man I’m not rich, but it doesn’t mean I’m sad about it ‘Cause through my life I’ve had happiness in vast amounts and Just because you graduated with the highest honors Doesn’t justify that I am any less of a scholar You think you’re smarter than me, think you’ll go farther than me just because in high school science class was harder for me? Well you’re wrong so cut it out, I don’t need to hear your cheap attack I’ll ignore all your rumours; I’ll save that for Fleetwood Mac I go my own way, ‘cause my dreams don’t stop And I’ll live life dubstep when I let the bass drop Where the real madness starts and I resume with more intensity Working hard at things, it just makes a lot more sense to me Until that day comes, I will work my most fun job Sitting on my butt all day and watching tons of Spongebob I still love the things that I did in my youth And I’m way more awkward than George Michael Bluth So many great things that I wish I could acknowledge And half of them happened in my freshman year of college In more sticky situations than if you were in a taffy truck A looney U of O student, that makes me a daffy duck It’s time for me to go now, I’ve got other crap to do But it’s been a real pleasure that you let me rap 2 u. Hook: You, we’re rapping to you my friend and only you To you! So don’t ever say we never did nothing for you (Lakutis): Sexy Lexi, ask what the address be Press be makin’ a face, Dizzy Gillespie Applause, pause, hand me my ESPY Grammy, I’m Leslie Nielsen, you know I’m chillin’ Float like a butterfly come my sugar baby On my shoulders, 7 million, sugar babies Float away on my good looks and charm (Gradient): But good looks and charm only get you so far When you never work hard But you think you’ll be a star And you say that you’re a rapper but you never spit a bar You say you got drive but you’re never in the car Everyone is just a pebble in the jar, man Come on, search for me, Carmen San Diego like Ron Burgundy Panda birth Y'all stay classy, planet Earth [Hook]
11.
Outro 00:17
12.
So I was at my friend Heather's house last night And I really wanted to write a rap So I said "give me a topic." She said "fishing." And I was like "...okay." [Chorus:] I'm 'bout ta go fishin' Because I'm so official I'll leave you all wishin' You was with me goin' fishin' I'm 'bout ta go fishin' Ya dig, son? You gon' be so jealous When I catch a big one I got my tacklebox And my fishin' pole I'm finna get some fish Out on the Pacific Coast Don't act like you don't know I go to Florence, yo On the water I wanna float Like T-Pain, I'm on a boat And you know all the ladies wanna holla but I'm out in open water tryna catch a halibut Not a bass or a salmon I'm the master at plannin' this fishin' trip It's a mission trip; not a frickin' ship But I'm powerful like a freakin' blast from a cannon [Chorus] It ain't fishin' season But I'm killin' 'em Like a high school classroom My fishing net is fillin' up Growing like it's cancerous But I'm not minding chemo While your man is watching movies I'm out grinding, Finding Nemo And he can kiss my behind They'll say "he touched the butt" I got a Japanese family tree line So gettin' fish is in my blood And you can stay home But now just notice While you're playin' cards I'm about to Go Fish [Chorus x2] Dedicated to Heather and Ashley Cates. Also dedicated to Brian Steveson: so fresh... to say he ain't fly would be a sin. ...it's a song about fishing. Enjoy the rest of your day.

about

This mixtape was my first serious attempt at releasing music. The title came from a Snapchat sent to me by my girlfriend of the time, Megan. The working title until then had been 'Verse-atility," because of the different kinds of musical styles and lyrical ideas I tried to cram into this project. There's a lot of personal content as well as a lot of silly stuff. I really hope you enjoy it.

Music video for Fire Fly:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEW2qoWtMZw

My second mixtape:

gradientmusic.bandcamp.com/album/born-for-this

credits

released September 6, 2013

All vocals mixed and mastered at Ravioli Road Studios in Eugene, Oregon. Gradient and Brian Steveson's vocals recorded at Ravioli Road Studios. Sammy Warm Hands' vocals recorded at Take 92 Studios in Eugene, Oregon.

Front cover photo taken by Megan Mesceji during the Moonlight Mash at Kesey Square in Eugene, Oregon.

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