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The Hustle​/​Shake it Off

by Bomani Armah

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1.
Shake it Off 02:58
Verse 1 Hey look, you’re never really satisfied whether rich or poor I mean, once you get some, you’re gonna want some more We bear pretty fruit, that’s rotten to the core We import drugs and export war And at the end of the day, what is all of this for I mean what matters in the world baby, I’m not really sure I’d say it’s mother nature but we treat her like a whore I’d say it’s god but we’ve shown her the door So, tell me why we do this every day Give up our life time, for an hours worth of pay And try to convince ourselves that it will be okay Truth is, I ain’t happy here but here is where I stay So I gotta find way to have peace every day Sometimes I drink a beer, sometimes I smoke a jay Sometimes I curse and scream, sometimes I kneel and pray But when I’m on the dance floor this is why I say Chorus 2X You’ve had a day that was really wack SHAKE IT OFF You’ve got to much pressure on your back TAKE IT OFF You getting’ love with strings attached BREAK IT OFF It goes, SHAKE IT OFF, TAKE IT OFF, BREAK IT OFF Verse 2 It’s hard to avoid the devil when you’re chillin in his lair But, we’re not suppose to get more than we can bear But, who ever told you that life was really fair So, for a moment live life without a care So baby girl do what you want to with your hair Have fun, live a little, take a dare We stress so much about what we drive and wear Looking for something that isn’t really there We walk around all day feelin we’ve bee cheated So hearts get cold and arguments get heated Life can be so sour and we are forced to eat it Time for a revolution, follow me I’ll lead it This is for all of those who really feel defeated Who’ve been abused, misused, and mistreated I know sometimes your spirit feels depleted I wrote this one for you ‘cause I know you really need it It goes… Chorus 6X
2.
The Hustle 05:21
Chorus The Hustle 24/7 that’s how it’s gotta be The Hustle Nothing in this life’s for free The Hustle Nobody wants it more than me ‘Cause it’s the Hustle, it’s the Hustle Verse 1 I gotta buy food, and I gotta pay the rent And excuses are the tools of the incompetent I try to pay my credit cards, but I barely make a dent At the end of the week I wonder where my money went Is there a better way? There’s gotta be That’s why people play the lottery That’s why my brother studies stocks, and commodities And I invest everything in intellectual property cd’s of beats and notebooks full of raps designed to stimulate your mind, and make your hands clap so when I’m old with grand kids on my lap I’ll still be getting checks in the mail from ASCAP Whatchu think the hustlin’s for Why we do these small bars for a cut at the door Why we battle soft emcees who think they’re hard core I’m trynna take this show on tour Chorus Verse II I’m not moving to New York, I’m staying in my home town I want to be the king of D.C.’s underground I got a universal message, with a unique sound I’m ‘bout to be a living legend like the great chuck brown Then I’ll move on to Baltimore and Philly And down to Richmond and drive the competition silly And then I’ll smuggle beats to Europe, Asia and Africa And be known around the world as a hip-hop trafficka I’m hustler baby, you can’t tell The school of hard knocks, has really taught me well Like, sometimes you have to whisper, sometimes you have to yell And if it ain’t about money don’t call me on your cell People say if it’s for the money, then the art ain’t true Hey look, I love my music I just love to eat too Metaphors to make you think and punch lines to make you chuckle Can’t do the Harlem shake, but I sure can do the hustle Chorus Verse III 5 o’clock in the morning I’m trynna get what I want I’m excited about my goals but some people are nonchalant Because they ask for stuff, while the hustlers take it They try to earn money while the hustlers make it I’m not good and flipping weight, or committing petty crimes But I’ll make a hot cd and cut it into nicks and dimes Then hit every open mic and YAMD show Whether 100 degrees or if it’s 2 feet of snow Sometimes the hustle can be painful and slow But I’ll come through your window if you don’t let me through the door This is for the artists with their concepts and plays And athletes sweating their ways through two a days And students studying hard for their GRE’s And the people on 95 with a trunk full of keys And all the pimps and playas with all that street muscle I don’t like what you do, but I must respect the hustle
3.
Chorus 2X I’m a pimp, a preacher Drug dealer, and a teacher A god, and a nigga I don’t know, go figga From the yin, to the yang I’mma do, my thang Way pray, wanna bang, Join a church, join a gang Verse I Talking to a conscious brother, he caught an attitude ‘cause I said I like Ludacris and Devin the Dude I told a sista with a perm she was cute, she said “Yeah, I thought you only like the girls with natural hair” Your father’s a preacher, why do you curse when you speak Talk all the Africa stuff, how the hell are you greek You say the money don’t matter, but you’re out here chasin G’s You say you’re a vegan but eat pizza with extra cheese You tell me all the time that you’re a lover not a fighter But I saw jump a dude in College Park at the all nighter Sometimes you’re optimistic, sometimes you’re suicidal You don’t believe in Jesus but you always quote the Bible Ask to explain, I gotta say I don’t know Sometimes I swim upstream, sometimes I go with the flow That’s what happens when you evolve and grow That’s why you get so much when you come to a show. Chorus Verse II From ghetto to ghetto, to back yard to yard I always represent god Ask me how, brother it ain’t hard I’m more than the numbers on my social security card I represent him in the way I walk and what I say ‘cause her fingerprints are all over my DNA I try to bring out the best so I meditate and I pray I’m the closest to perfection when I make love to Eshe My religion, has no denomination My spirit is my teacher, my soul is my congregation My holy book is my life, open to interpretation Everyday god brings me a brand new revelation Man woman and child is my holy trinity ‘cause my old one didn’t have any feminine energy I know longer pray to ask god to enter me I just know that god is and I just let it be Chorus
4.
Chorus Ya’ll out making some noise, I’m on some making plan Ya’ll out playing with toys I’m on some buying land Yo ya’ll just little boys I’m on some grown man I’m a grown man, I’m on some grown man Verse 1 When I was young I use to like to tear the club up Make a liquor run, be the first to put a dub up If you wanna fight, yo man it’s like what’s up Always chillin’ with the girls tryna get some cut up Fascinated with all types of things Nightlife and all the hype it brings The fast cars and all the diamond rings But I’m a man so I put away the childish things Looking for the devils pie, and I ate some I was child, lucky I ain’t make one After a while the little games ain’t fun There’s a war going on outside no man is safe from The older grow you know life ain’t fair I’m a grown ass man, I gotta be prepared The battlefield keeps changing gotta be aware Might be a little worried but I’m never scared Ladies I’m bringing men back, I know you miss us Talkin’ ‘bout our feelings and real issues And I’m never gonna call no other dude delicious I’mma show the youngin’s how to act I’mma fight against things that hold us back I’m not gonna be the stereotype of being black Cause I’m a grown man, to old for that I feel luck, Cause these youngins are feelin’ me But all this little boy hip-hop keeps killing me So as a grown man I conduct positive energy Cause the gift of gab is a right and a responsibility Chorus Verse 2 I’m a grown man, with a grown spine Giving my fans a grown rhyme And I can take care of what’s mine Watching my plan come together with time I ain’t in a hurry I ain’t doing 95 when I’m riding dirty I ain’t trickin’ on a girl I don’t care how pretty I ain’t doin’ college night when I’m over thirty I ain’t gonna cause a ruckus because I’ve got a crew I ain’t playing games when there’s work to do Getting use to this man it ain’t brand new Follow along you can become one to While you messing around with the boys on the block I’m with grown men coming up with a plot Ain’t saying that I am when I know that I’m not I know my word is all that I got Got grown stuff on my mind Hear the same sex song a thousand times Say what you want but it sounds like a crime Who you trying to attract with them nursery rhymes You got little girls, giggling and grinning Spit a little game and you got their head spinnin’ Man that’s wrong you know you sinnin’ To immature to talk to grown women Who ain’t goin’ for the parlor tricks Who know about business and politics Ain’t sweatin’ you don’t care how hard it gets Ain’t leavin’ you don’t care how hard it gets But them little girls keep playin’ tricks on your phone, Call with number block giving you the dial tone Soon one day you’ll be old an alone, but not me, cause I’m way to grown

about

Growing up in the DC Metropolitan area, Bomani Armah has always felt a calling on his life. The stark contrast and disturbing similarities of the black utopia that was supposed to be in PG County, and the realities of the tough streets of “murder capital” era Washington DC were incredible backdrop for an insightful artist who become known in 28 short years as D’mite. Tight rope walking the line of poetry & emceeing, Gospel & Go-Go, street wise & academic learning, Bomani has sought to achieve the medium between straight headbangers & insightful lyricism. His debut enhanced maxi-single “The Hustle/Shake it Off” finds D’mite at a critical time, grasping with the realities of adult hood in a time where pop culture is becoming more and more immature.

In his music and poetry you can hear the artistic freedom of Outkast, the soul stirring encouragement of Richard Smallwood, the funky swing of Chuck Brown, the prophetic lyricism of Khalil Gibran and the unbridled flow of Ludacris. His influence range from the seminal African novelist Ayi Kwei Armah and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakka to the golden era hip-hop of Tribe Called Quest and Scarface.

Since leaving the University of Maryland in 2000, Bomani has been eye-balls deep in the youth development field. He has lent his unique talents as performer and educator to many organizations including Martha’s Table, The American Poetry Museum, The DC Writers Workshop, Sol y Soul, Words Beats & Life Journal, Free Minds Prison Poetry Group, and the Black Out Arts Collective. Rather than deciding between being an artist or a teacher, or living the double life as a teacher during the day and artists at night, Bomani has forever smashed the to together to bring to his audiences edutainment the way KRS-1 always meant for it to happen. His work as counselor, emcee and producer on the highly heralded album “Critical Times” released by the Teen Program at Martha’s Table show Bomani’s myriad skills at there best. Bomani work as a counselor help the teenage contributors to this project reflect and write about critical issues in the young, male, minority community including the definition of manhood, and the importance of looking out for the community. But how do you lay out a path for young people when you are still busy navigating through life yourself? Bomani strives to be honest about his own moral and spiritual battles in songs and poetry like his signature piece “Pimp Preacher” while being self affirming and informative in tracks like “The Hustle” and “Grown Ass Man”. His debut solo video "The Hustle" (available on the enhanced CD) is a blueprint for anyone trying to hustle legitmately.

He is featured on the album and first single/video from Mello-D & The Rados: “Cool Witchu”, which aired on BET’s Rap City and peaked at #3 on national college radio charts. Bomani has scored independent films including BET’s Wrap-It-Up original film “Multitudes of Mercies”. He has appeared on WJLA Channel 7, WHUR 96.3, WPGC 95.5, WPFW 89.3, WMUC 88.1, ursceneradio.com and www.im4radio.com. He has featured/performed at such venues as the Nuyorican Poet’s Café (NY, NY), The Black Cat (DC), Studio Theater (DC), the Gala Theater (DC), Karibu Books (MD), Bohemian Cavern (DC), Mangoes (DC), The Market Five Gallery (DC), Art-O-Matic 2004 (DC), Tawes Theater (University of Maryland College Park), Organic Soul Tuesday (Baltimore, MD). He is also an organizer and host of “Arts Under the Stars” at Sankofa Video & Books (DC) and open mic Tuesdays at Busboys & Poets (DC).

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released January 27, 2006

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