Free
D Smoke Lyrics

What if I used to be a president in a past life?
Imagine if in a past life, I held a powerful position like the president.

With a match and a pipe
I have smoking paraphernalia in this past life vision.

And a top hat in the back of ride
I'm wearing a top hat as a symbol of my status and importance.

In a chariot, chasin' Harriet through the night
I'm pursuing Harriet Tubman on a noble quest to help free slaves through the Underground Railroad.

I barely get sleep, my karma owe me much drama
My past actions have led to heavy consequences and suffering in my current life.

Men are sheep, I sold three last summer
I have exploited and manipulated other people like sheep for my own personal gain.

A black back ain't exact until it got stripes
I need to pay the price and accept the consequences for my past actions before I can truly become an honorable person.

Beat that boy 'til he collapse
I have resorted to violence and abuse to control others.

Tease that boy, make him fight his brother
I have instigated conflicts and division among other people.

Make him hate his mama, make him blame his father, you
I have manipulated and twisted the minds of young people to turn them against their own families and loved ones.

Follow the rules and they always gon' do what they do
If people continue to blindly follow harmful and oppressive rules, they will never be able to break free from their chains.

Never revolt, never rebel, Willie Lynch taught us just how to sell
The Willie Lynch letter is a historical document that detailed how to enslave and control black people through psychological means, and I have used these tactics to harm others.

White lies to these black lives, and if you train 'em, then they act right
I have used lies and manipulation to control people, particularly black people, who I have convinced to act in a subservient manner.

But whatever you do
Despite all this, I still have the power to choose a different path and make things right.

Free like my energy (don't ask why)
I am filled with a sense of freedom and liberation, even if I can't fully articulate where it comes from or how I got there.

Free like my enemies
My freedom extends even to those who have harmed me in the past, as I release any negative feelings of hatred or resentment towards them.

Free like the soul of my homies
My friends and loved ones are also free and liberated, and we support each other on our individual journeys.

Free like a sinner, yes, I'm free
Despite any mistakes or bad actions I have committed in the past, I am still free to make things right and seek redemption.

Yes, I'm free
My sense of liberation and freedom is strong and unwavering.

I am free like my paradigm
My entire mindset and way of thinking has shifted towards a perspective of freedom and liberation.

Shifting my state of mind
I'm actively working to change my mindset and become whoever I want to be.

Listen to my creator
I am aligning myself with a higher power and seeking guidance and inspiration from this source.

Make sure that I stay aligned
I want to make sure that my actions and thoughts remain in line with my true values and morals.

¿Quihúbole, carnal? (my brother)
A casual greeting between friends.

Me pueden poner en cadenas (they can put me in chains)
The oppressive powers can attempt to control and suppress me through physical means.

Me pueden encarcelar (they can lock me up)
They can even imprison me to try to silence me.

Pero no me pueden atrapar la mente (but they can't trap my mind)
However, they can never take away my inner thoughts and beliefs, which remain free.

Lamentablemente han tratado de hacer esclavos de mi gente (they tried to make slaves of my people)
The oppressors have attempted to enslave and control the people from my community and background.

Pero del corazón hay un fuente (but from our heart runs a fountain)
But we have an endless source of love and freedom within our hearts.

Corriente (flowing)
This source is always present and flowing within us.

Siguiente (continuing)
This power will continue to guide us even into the future.

Sí se puede (yes, I can)
This phrase means 'Yes we can,' a powerful declaration of strength and resilience in the face of oppression.

Si Dios quiere (god willing)
This phrase means 'If God wills it,' a recognition that we are ultimately subject to a higher power and destiny.

What if I was to leave some evidence?
Imagine if there were physical traces of my wrongdoings and crimes, and I had to face the consequences.

Like a crack pipe or the shell of a nine
These items are commonly associated with drug use and violence, and could incriminate me.

Milli' or a philly with plenty of my saliva
These are other common items that could potentially link me to illegal activities.

'Cause I hit the blunt one too many times
My drug use has become excessive and problematic.

Blood, we can hit 'em up
We have the opportunity to carry out a violent attack against our foes, using the phrase 'hit 'em up.'

They got four, five racks in the safe
Our enemies have a large amount of money stored in a safe.

And they don't come back 'til it's late
Our enemies are not expected to return home until later in the day.

Plus I got another three in the mattress by the atlas
I also have a large amount of money hidden in a secret location.

Put us on the map with the cake, yeah
Our illegal activities have brought us money and fame.

At least that's what we thought
Our sense of success and invincibility is short-lived.

No, not me, nigga, we get caught? Yeah right
I refuse to take personal responsibility for my actions, instead blaming someone else if we get caught.

Then peeking out the window, a nigga see them red and blue lights, oh shit
We suddenly realize that the police are onto us and panic.

Bro, we gotta go, nigga, no shit
We need to escape the scene immediately.

Hit the back road, clear the whole fence
We take a back road and jump over a fence to escape.

But in the process
However, something goes wrong during the escape.

A nigga dropped the whole four-fifth
We accidentally drop and leave behind a major piece of evidence, a four-fifth gun.

And they circled the block
The police have discovered the dropped gun and are investigating the area.

Ay
This is an interjection that can indicate excitement, exasperation, agreement, or confusion.

What if I was to need some medicine for my lymph nodes?
What if I needed medical treatment for a serious health problem?

I'm a pimp with these hoes
I am involved in the sex industry and exploit women for personal gain.

My bitch gave me kiss and my neck was swole
My girlfriend or prostitute gave me a kiss that made my neck swell up, which could be a sign of a health problem.

I was in the studio next to Smoke
I was in the recording studio near D Smoke.

And the big homie BJ said, "Boy, get that checked out"
One of my friends, BJ the Chicago Kid, advised me to seek medical attention for my swollen neck.

Guillotine flow, don't stick your neck out
This is a play on words, using the phrase 'guillotine flow' (referring to a style of rapping that is sharp and precise) to also mean that I need to be cautious and protect my health.

Nigga, I'm chis', I spit that best out
I'm a skilled and talented rapper who produces excellent work.

But I ain't tryna be stretched out
But I don't want to become sick or die because of my health problems.

So I went up to Kaiser, my surprise was the diagnosis
I went to a medical center called Kaiser and received a shocking diagnosis after some tests.

What? Cancer? I'm twenty-two plus
The diagnosis was cancer, which is a shocking and devastating revelation for someone as young as me, only 22 years old.

when I spit, I'm dope as shit
I'm still proud of my ability to create great music, even in the face of terrible news like a cancer diagnosis.

I went through that chemo and radiation
I underwent rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment to fight my cancer.

Stem cell transplant, the patients
I underwent a stem cell transplant procedure as part of my battle against cancer.

Next to me in they eighties
During my treatment, there were older patients in their 80s also fighting against cancer.

I'm just a baby
Compared to these older patients who have lived long lives, I'm still young and have my entire life ahead of me.

God is so good, so good, so good
This is a refrain that emphasizes the goodness of God and the power of faith in difficult times.

God is so good, so good to me
God has been good and merciful to me personally, even when I face struggles and adversity.

God is so good, so good, so good
This refrain is repeated again to emphasize its message and power.

God is so good, he's so good to me
This phrase emphasizes the personal relationship and gratitude that the artist has with God, who has given him strength and support in his darkest times.