Flow-ers
Joey Bada$$ Lyrics

Now
Joey Bada$$ starts the song by diving directly into his thoughts and experiences.

If I ain't know no better
Joey Bada$$ knows he could've easily been taken down by the system if he wasn't as sharp as he is.

I could have been sucked right up into the setup
The police or any other government body could have tried to pin false charges on him.

But I kept my head up
Joey Bada$$ didn't let the above attempts get to him.

And every time I fell I would get up
Regardless of obstacles, Joey Bada$$ always bounced back stronger.

See I don't need no nines and Berettas
He doesn't need guns to establish himself as a threat to the industry.

I kill with the lines and the letters with the verbs and the nouns
His lyrics are deadly against any opposition.

Just a kid trying get his sound heard around
Despite his youth, Joey Bada$$ already knows where he belongs and what he's after.

Jump into cyphers and keep the old timers astounded
He manages to impress the veterans with his skills and presence.

They said he was the best in the surroundance
People around him would always speak highly of him.

Cause everyone around him was drownin' in the fair one, no one son could pound him
Even in physical confrontations or fights (fair one), Joey Bada$$ always came out on top.

With the lyrics, you pray you hear it
Hearing him rap is like experiencing something divine.

They said it's bad hood couldn't match his good spirit
He doesn't fall victim to the negative influence of his environment.

And one day his mom and dad will be cheerin' to his grammy nomination
In the future, he'll succeed to a level beyond anyone's current expectations.

And proclamation to his world domination
Joey Bada$$ will rule the music industry.

Inauguration into greatness
His ascent to the highest peak of the music world will be grand and celebrated.

From making rations to cakin'
From rags to riches.

2 AM and he be up like attic, he's an addict, alarm clock pop, he back at it
He's so dedicated to his craft that at all hours of the night, he's hustling.

Barely got any sleep but, he gotta eat
He has to grind so hard to make things happen for himself.

Cause ain't shit cheap and his soul is torned out of feet
This kind of tenacity and work ethic comes at a cost.

He got dreams, but don't plan on sleeping until he reach 'em
Dreams don't become reality by just wishing for them; he has to work until he achieves them.

Until you all feast him, paying houses where you sleep in
Until his fans and the music industry start to take notice and pay him his due.

Until his album ready and his fans get it leaking just for sneak peaks and
Until his music is so hotly anticipated that fans will leak snippets of it for each other.

Until then, his home is the booth
He feels most comfortable when he's in the process of creating music.

He spittin' to the plaque it's poof off his tooth
He's spitting so hard the plaque on his teeth is getting knocked off.

Like Hocus Pocus
His skill is magical.

Or word he's too focused
He's so focused on his goals that he is blind to everything else.

You should quote it
His words are worth living by.

His goal is the denial that he wrote it
His goal is for people to be shocked at just how impressive his lyrics are.

Flowin' like oceans and menstruals
His flow is like natural forces that flow and shift regularly.

Ink from the pen, lies within my credentials
His qualifications are recognized on paper (credentialed) by the ink that flows from his pen.

They told me that I could be mental
People have told him before that he could be crazy for aiming so high.

But mommma always said that I was special
But despite that, his mother always saw to it that he felt special and capable of anything.

Haters tell me I should stop
Critics and people who don't believe in him tell him he'll never make it.

My enemies tryin' see me in the box
His enemies are trying to discourage him enough so that he puts himself in a vulnerable position.

So the streets tell me to cop a Glock and pop it
Peers and people in his environment tell him the only way to protect himself is to arm himself with a gun.

But something down deep tells me I'm the next prophet
He still has an unwavering belief in himself that allows him to rise above street culture and seek higher things.

Like the new Muhammad or the new Marcus Garvey
He envisions himself as a leader and advocate for his community, a modern-day version of past leaders.

Or probably, it makes sense why I'm so heavily guarded
He knows that with the amount of people that will start to follow him, he needs to keep himself well protected.

Wait, no, please restart it
He pauses for a moment and expresses the need to hear the beat again and restart his verse.

I'm heavenly guarded, it's the golden child and for a while
He's divinely protected, he's special.

God been looking down with a smile
God is proud of his journey and the results of his hard work.

Watchin' me prosper
God is watching over him and helping him to achieve great things.

Attackin' with the raps and then conquer
He'll keep writing lyrics that will keep them coming back for more.

The junior Frank Sinatra, rapping out the Opera
He envisions himself as a modern-day version of Frank Sinatra, just with rap instead of singing.

You should spectate in the booth with a suit and binoculars
You should watch him work like you're watching an important event.

Like nigga it's a honor, it's motherfuckin' honor
His talent and work ethic are such an honor that they merit respect and recognition from anyone who is lucky enough to witness them.