Keep It Live
Jamal Lyrics

A-yo man chill let's take this moment of silence out for my man see-A Dogg.
Let's take a moment of silence to pay respect to my friend, See-A Dogg.

1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5, Jamal represent to keep it live
Jamal is representing to keep the music scene alive in 1995.

Testin' 1-2-3 I flows rhymes wicked Jamal represent to keep it live
Jamal is testing his microphone and flowing with wicked rhymes to keep the music scene alive.

Back in the day where I'm from in the slum it was ill
The place where Jamal grew up in the slums was not a good environment.

Drive around the corner catch a view to a kill
Just driving around the corner would mean getting a glimpse of someone being killed.

Move up the block on the O they slang rocks
The drug dealers were selling crack cocaine on the street known as 'The O'.

When niggas get hot they lickin' shots at the cops
People would start shooting at the cops when the situation got heated up.

Come with me (uh ha) I take you back to 1983
Jamal takes us back to 1983.

It was shell top sneakers and it was all about me
In 1983, everything was centered around Jamal and the fashion trend was shell top sneakers.

Me growin' up makin' a man out of myself
Jamal had to grow up quickly to become the person he is today.

Kindergarten's cool I'm thinkin' about makin' to the 12th
Jamal is confident that he will make it through school from Kindergarten to grade 12.

Semester went by, by 5th grade I'm strugglin'
Jamal's grades start to decline by the time he reaches grade 5.

My mind was on bitches and smoke I'm not functioning
Jamal was too focused on girls and drugs to focus on schoolwork.

On what I need to be to get me through
Jamal is realizing that he needs a plan to get him through life.

The world is a school, and me? Fuck it I'm rollin' with the crew
Jamal is saying that he is just going to ride along with his friends and not worry about school.

Now boom there it is I'm labelled as
Now, Jamal is labeled as something.

An eleven year old, a 5th grade fast ass
Jamal was known as an eleven-year-old troublemaker in fifth grade.

A year went by (uh ha) and I'm still bad as hell
A year later, Jamal is still behaving badly.

I got a taste of jail nothin' major I'm only twelve
Jamal was arrested at the age of twelve for a minor offense.

My grandmas pissed off not understandin' what's happenin'
Jamal's grandmas are upset and confused about what is happening to him.

But come with me, creep into the darkening
Jamal invites us to join him in a darker place.

It's southwest Fuck with Jamal you catch two to your chest
In Southwest Philly, Jamal was known to be dangerous and would shoot anyone who messed with him.

Contest if a nigga want to fool
Jamal will engage in a contest if anyone wants to confront him.

I be the leader of the new school I straight rule
Jamal is the leader of the new school and he rules it.

That was (back in the days) the days of wayback
Jamal reminisces about the past.

But nowadays it's all about million stacks (word)
Nowadays, the focus is on making millions.

It all started on December 25th 1991 on the Illadelphiatic streets
Jamal's journey began on the streets of Philly in 1991.

Jamal took a step up and gave his rep to someplay
Jamal made a name for himself and gave his reputation to someone important.

Prayin' that I make it to this day
Jamal prayed that he would make it to the present day.

I met this female her name was El
Jamal met a woman named El.

Said she liked my style of rap we chatted for a little while
El liked Jamal's rap style and they had a conversation.

Told me haps on how to make the snaps
El gave Jamal tips on how to make money.

She said she lived in Atlanta where business booms like rockets
El told Jamal that Atlanta was a great place for business opportunities.

And she had connects outta sockets
El had connections that went beyond the norm.

We exchanged numbers and I was off to the crib
Jamal and El exchanged phone numbers and Jamal went home.

Cause January 1st I had to start my bid (for what?)
Jamal had to start serving time in jail on January 1st.

For being a wild unruling child
Jamal was in jail for being an unruly child.

A week my granny sent complaints to the juevenile
Jamal's grandmother complained about his imprisonment at the juvenile detention center.

Finally January 1st, the day I hated
Jamal hated January 1st, the day he started his sentence.

My granny flew away to Georgia I got reinslated
Jamal's grandmother left for Georgia while he remained in jail.

Now I'm off, no more sun for a year of two
Jamal was going to be indoors without any sunlight for a year or two.

No more get high no more lampin' with the crew
Jamal wasn't going to get high again and he couldn't hang out with his friends either.

Nothin' so I lamped for about 20 months and a half
Jamal was bored during his imprisonment and he just did time for about 20 months.

Then I got amped (what?)
Jamal got excited about something.

I'm losing my mind, I can't take (what)
Jamal is frustrated and can't handle the situation anymore.

All of this bullshit I'm about to break (Where?)
Jamal is tired of the nonsense and is ready to break free.

Atlanta where they got some wealth to share
Jamal is excited to go to Atlanta where there are opportunities for wealth.

Hits the poster with my granny I got some tracks to tear
Jamal shows his grandmother his music tracks and he wants to become a successful musician.

So I did it, soon as I got home I did it
Jamal started working on his music as soon as he got out of jail.

Then I got that bitch Janey Ace to get the ticket and I'm out
Jamal got his friend Janey to help him get a plane ticket to leave Philly.

A wild little shortie on the straight looney expedition
Jamal is a young and wild person on a crazy journey.

Gut a nigga (uh ha) who ever thought I'd be in this position
Jamal never thought he would be in the position to take someone out.

I went from rockin' basement paprtys to placements to all these
Jamal went from performing in basements to getting record deals and more.

Opportunites, I got to GA o.k. and I got situated
Jamal found new opportunities in Georgia and got settled in.

Reinstated in school and fell El too
Jamal was back in school and started dating El.

I never forgot my number one plot
Jamal never forgot his main goal.

Was for me to rock the crowd and make my granny proud
Jamal wanted to succeed in music and make his granny proud.

No doubt I had to shape up or ship out
Jamal had to either get his act together or he had to leave the music scene.

Never to be a failure so I found another route
Jamal didn't want to fail and so he found a different way to succeed.

At last to get the cash
Jamal's ultimate goal was to make money.

And then massed to meet El in North Cacalac
Jamal met up with El in North Carolina.

She had this black little juvenile wild as hell that got busy
El knew someone who was wild and was working hard in the music industry.

It's real so we packed up and bailed to the city
Jamal and El left to go to another city to pursue their music careers.

Together to shop around the sound and get down
Jamal and El were working together to find their sound and start their music careers.

With my nigga D hooked me up with E and I'm on
Jamal's friend D introduced him to E and he started working with him.

Hook (x5)
This line just repeats the hook five times.