Charmed Life
DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. J Live Lyrics

Africa Port-Au-Prince Knoxville Anvan
Asking where the listener comes from by listing different locations

Brooklyn, New York to wherever you at
Acknowledging his own origin and inviting the listener to join him on a trip down memory lane

This is autobiographical taking you back
Explaining that the song will be a personal account of his life

I live a charmed life
Describing his life as fortunate and full of blessings

We going back in the years
Referring to the upcoming reminiscences of his past experiences

Imagine if my whole world what
Expressing curiosity about how different his life would be if certain events had not taken place

I been around the sun twenty-five times
Stating his age in a poetic manner

And I still find new ways to recognize shine
Implying that he continues to discover ways to appreciate and enjoy life

It's like light gets better with age
Comparing life to light, suggesting that it gets better as time passes

The way a song sounds better on stage
Using music as a metaphor for how things can improve over time

And rhyme books get better with each page
Drawing a comparison between literature and life, where improvement comes with experience

What before the first bar was written
Reflecting on a time when his talent had not yet been translated into a tangible product

A first verse was spittin
Observing that a pivotal moment in his career came when he began developing his rhyming abilities

Before label execs was bullshittin
Reminiscing about a time before he had to deal with music industry executives and their agendas

Way back when Aunty Leann Aunt Mimi and Aunt Jackie was babysitting
Recalling the maternal figures who helped raise him in his early years

Before food was bitten, consumed through a nipple
Describing the early stages of life when he was an infant and his mother breastfed him

I'm talking about when times were simple
Nostalgically evoking a time of innocence and naivete

To make a long story short it goes
Transitioning into a summary of his life story

Port-au-Prince Knoxville Anvan love and the city that never sleeps
Listing some of the places that have been significant in his life

From thought to finish I was born just a couple of weeks late
Highlighting a minor detail in his birth story

Stayed home longer just to make sure everything was on straight
Explaining that he needed extra time before leaving the hospital as a newborn

All systems go cut the umbilical cord
Metaphorically marking the beginning of his independent life

From old earth to new earth Manhattan to turf
Referencing the different geographical locations he has lived in

For what its worth my mum held me down one deep
Expressing gratitude for his mother's unwavering support

Pops was absentee but minds you don't sleep
Acknowledging the absence of his father in his life, but stressing the importance of his mother's presence

It took her feelings to raise me lean taught me how to read
Praising his mother for her emotional investment in her son's upbringing, and acknowledging the role his grandmother played in his education

By the time I went to school I was in high speed
Implying that he was academically advanced even before starting school

Ready willing and able jackie taught me how to add with
Continuing to name relatives who had positive impacts on his life: in this case, his aunt Jackie helped teach him math

Dried up black eyed peas on the kitchen table
Recalling a detail of his childhood home life

And coming home to a mothers love and good care
Describing the warmth and security he felt being raised by his mother

Never wanted it was always enough
Summarizing that while he did not have an excess of material possessions growing up, he was content with what he had

But when it came to education its like she had one rule
Observing that his mother prioritized his education

There's no such thing as too much school
Stating his mother's opinion that education is invaluable

Not to mention lean taught me how to play the piano and then
Continuing to cite his grandmother's positive influence on his life, specifically musically this time

Every summer I was out in south ben
Reference to spending his summers in a particular location

Grandpops a bartender at a country club
Mentioning another relative and occupation for context

Me and my cousins from grand rapid was living it up
Sharing happy memories of time spent with family members

Me and granny watching ??? football golden blue
Describing a moment with his grandmother, probably watching a football game, where they were rooting for the team in gold and blue

She said you can't beat the team and them be 's too
Quoting something his grandmother said, that may have been a relevant cliche at the time

Some say I got my sense of humour from her
Attribute a familial trait to one of his relatives

And I learned patience from making models in the basement
Appreciating how hobbies and activities he did with loved ones helped shape his character

With no time for refrains I barely got enough time to explain
Stressing the urgency and brevity of his story

How hip hop captivated my brain
Describing an important turning point in his life

My mama raised me on soul and beethoven
Pointing to his mother's musical taste as foundational to his own love of music

Sports clubs from private school put me up on soft rock
Noting how his exposure to different types of music expanded beyond what he'd been introduced to by his mother

That was cool but I left Z100 and WGLJ
Mentioning some radio stations he listened to, before going on to discover other music

To find bliss with real s and kiss
Referencing two specific musical artists whose music resonated with him

Video music rocks showed my what time it is
Giving credit to a music television program for opening his eyes to new music

Wrote my first rhymes as corey but j-live was sparked
Describing his early experiences with writing and performing hip hop music

Making pause mix demos with my main man mark
Noting that he collaborated with a friend in producing cassette tape demo recordings

Playing ball in the park, there was other heads too
Mentioning a shared activity that he engaged in with other guys in his community

I was the herb of the crew, then I learned what to do
Acknowledging that at first he wasn't good at basketball, but that he eventually improved

Got my way from school started battling fools
Transitioning from discussing basketball to freestyling rap battles he had in school

G nice my friendly rival at the lunch table
Mentioning someone with whom he had a good-natured competitive relationship

He started spark at a dark with damian and I date
Adding more detail about a specific battle he participated in

I was down for a bit but that was just a DJ
Reflecting on a time when he wasn't sure he was going to make it as a rapper

Starting spinning in the PJs with satcho and them
Sharing an anecdote about spinning records for a crowd of listeners

Back and forth from the tables to the pad and the pen
Describing his hustle and work ethic, as he worked on both his DJ skills and his rap lyrics

Then I had to do a bit upstate but wait
Referencing a past period of his life that was not easy, but making it sound like a brief pause in his story

I wasn't incarcerated but college educated
Explaining that he had to go to school upstate, rather than being in prison, despite the similar slang use of the phrase 'do a bit'

As soon the Albany I was a full time student part time emcee
Recounting that he was studying at Albany University while pursuing his love of music

At the time raw shack was the place to be
Naming a popular local venue

Living on judge Clark
Describing where he lived at the time

Started building with gods
Referring to his connections with the Five Percent Nation

16 man squad
Describing the size of his collective at that point in his career

By the time knowledge was 120 we was just 5 deep
Commenting on how many members were left after some attrition

I went from Mecca to Albany a student and landed in medina as a teacher
Referencing the transformation his life had undergone over time, using place names that signify transitions and progressions

I had this rhyme reacher
Asserting that he had honed his craft enough to feel confident in his skills

We recognized what what's happening
Noting the awareness and success that he and his peers were feeling at the time

I'm making records and I'm winning
Celebrating the progress he's made in his music career

But that's another story and it's only the beginning
Acknowledging that there is much more to his story, and that he has much more music to create

Not my whole entire life but just a slice of the pie
Concluding the song by reiterating that this was just a glimpse into his past, not the whole thing