Round Here
Brother Ali Lyrics

Brother Ali is back in town
Brother Ali has returned to his town.

Came a long way to make that sound
He has traveled far to make his music heard.

Break through Earth from hallowed ground
His music comes from a sacred place within.

Played with my blood to wear this crown
He has worked hard and sacrificed to achieve success.

World on my shoulder, weigh me down
He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and it is a heavy burden.

Uh, fact about it, I'm a force of nature
He is a powerful and unstoppable force.

Leader of men, boss of my organization
He is a leader and in charge of his own career.

I ain't in to bein' ostentatious
He does not seek attention or flaunt his success.

I offered the pages that caught a lot of y'all in the Matrix
He provided lyrics that resonated with many people.

Soon as I caught a break, I was off to the races
As soon as he had an opportunity, he worked hard and ran with it.

Invaded the remotest possible places
He has traveled to perform in faraway and unexpected locations.

Seen it first hand, yeah it's hard to explain it
He has experienced a lot in his travels and it is difficult to put into words.

I've been around the world, left my heart on them stages
He has performed all over the world with great passion.

They want your boy, all all on they faces
People are excited and eager to see him perform.

Hollered out a roar, they holla in amazement
When he performs, people are amazed and cheer loudly.

I follow all the greatest, A-list, taste makers
He admires and is inspired by other successful musicians and artists.

That shaped this and they're all innovators
The musicians and artists he follows have influenced and changed the industry.

I'm so firmly grounded in the basics
He is rooted in traditional music and values.

Yeah, dishonor, get pounded to the pavement
He will not tolerate dishonor and will respond fiercely.

Dealin' with the voice of the nameless, faceless
He speaks for those who are not heard or seen by society.

Face it, your participation ain't gonna be painless
If you oppose him or his mission, it will not be easy.

I won't debate that I'm sort of a sadist
He enjoys the struggle and challenge that comes with success.

I use most your faces to sharpen my blade with
Criticism and opposition only make him stronger and more determined.

Combat takin' place, not entertainment
He does not see his music as entertainment, but rather as a battle.

Lives been lost, it's a hostile arrangement
The music industry can be dangerous and violent, with lives at risk.

Your eyes never spied where I've been
He has been to places that many people have never seen or experienced.

Low parts where the heights of rhymin'
His musical inspiration comes from unexpected and difficult places.

Back alleys where the dice is flyin'
He has been to rough and dangerous neighborhoods.

Darkness is tryin', the lights are blindin'
The good and evil in the world are constantly at odds.

Sheist environment, the nights are violent
The environments he has been in are shady and dangerous.

Red beam silent, the siren's cryin'
He has experienced gun violence and sirens in his travels.

Clean mighty tights or your life survivin'
You have to be strong, smart, and quick-witted to survive in dangerous situations.

Nights where the roaches or mice might slide in
He has been in dirty and uncomfortable situations.

The highest you can climb is that limelight
The peak of success in the music industry is being in the spotlight.

And so downin' on that mic meant fightin'
He has fought hard to get to where he is in his music career.

Braggin' rights are all that you rhyme with
Many rappers only have empty brags in their lyrics.

Can't stand to see all your pride get sliced in
He takes pride in his work and cannot stand to see others' pride be hurt or degraded.

When the spotlight hit, my shit, y'all just
When he enters the spotlight, he shines brighter than anyone else.

Bet I'm a stomp this motherfuckin' party 'til it's cold and lifeless
He will perform with energy and excitement until the audience is exhausted.

Close your eyelids, behold the righteous
His performance is powerful and righteous.

It's cold as night gets
The world can be harsh and unforgiving.

There was a standoff
He is describing a specific incident he was involved in.

And there's like a Russian dude, a old, black pimp dude
There were several different types of people involved in the incident.

Some gangsta black dude, some Armenian dude
The group was diverse and not from the same background.

Like a motley crew, literally
They were a strange and eclectic group.

Like a weirdo but street, angry, grown ass men
The group was tough and unpredictable.

Against me and Dibbs and Art and the God Loves Ugly crew
He and his fellow musicians were targeted by this group.

And it's like a line and I walk in between 'em
He was in the middle of the conflict.

And I just start goin' off
He became angry and started yelling.

Like Cuz, Blood, like mother, fucker
He was using rough language to intimidate the attackers.

I'm a get on the phone and I'm a make everybody cry
He was threatening to involve others and make them upset.

I'm just talkin' crazy, I'm mad, this is my hometown
He was emotional and protective of his home town.

I'm about to call the homies
He was going to call his friends for backup.

But you know like the old pimp dude had a piece or somethin'
One of the attackers had a weapon.

Like a gun or somethin'
He thinks it was a gun.

And it was about to jump off
The situation was about to turn violent.

And then he goes like "oh, ain't you Brother Ali?"
The attacker recognized him as a musician.

Brother Ali, you a bad motherfucker man
The attacker expressed respect and admiration for him as a musician.