Every so often a new artist comes along with a sound so innovative, they are able to help reshape the barriers that confine mainstream music. Meet Outasight, the Yonkers, New York bred musician who brilliantly weaves together the cadenced sounds of popular hip-hop and indie rock with the poignant sensibility of classic pop and soul music to create a fresh, new sound that is all his own. “People are conditioned to see certain images for different genres of music,” says the 27 year-old songwriter. “So if something looks or sounds out of the norm, it’s more difficult to understand at first.”
Growing up an only child in the suburbs of New York City, Outasight’s parents encouraged his insatiable love for making music from a very young age. When he was 8 yearsold, he taught himself to write songs on a guitar passed down from his father. “I was surrounded by thousands of records as a kid,” says Outasight who grew up emulating the diverse sounds he was surrounded by all his life. “I listened to a lot of classic rock, and pop, like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and also soul artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. My friends and I would form bands and practice in someone’s basement and then I would go to school and write raps and spit raps on the playground. They were like duel personalities in a sense.”
During his junior year of high school, Outasight started venturing into the city, seeking out open mics where he was able to fine tune his own material in front of live audiences. “I used to perform a lot in Brooklyn at a place called Sputnik,” says Outasight. “It would be a very diverse crowd and I would rap and start singing and they would be like, what the hell is going on right now? Who is this White kid acting all crazy? But there were always people that liked it so I always took any type of acceptance as the fuel to go further.” After performing in the big city for a couple of years, the resourceful young artist started to gain confidence and create some extremely valuable music industry connections. He toyed with the idea of going to college but after taking classes on and off for close to five years, Outasight realized it was foolish not to capitalize on the name he had created for himself in the City’s burgeoning independent music scene.
In 2006, he decided to drop out of college for good and pursue music full time. The following year, he released a mixtape called Employee Of The Year with the help of his friend and business partner Dre Bond. The two started a new company to help promote Outasight appropriately named Daily Grind Music. After promoting the tape on Myspace and up and coming music blogs, Outasight and Daily Grind released his second project, Radio New York in June of ’08 which was featured on the Myspace Home page for three consecutive days—a tremendous feat for any new, unsigned artist. “The amount of people that I got exposed to was incredible,” says Outasight. “We were getting like 50 thousand plays a day! Dre and I made a video for one of the mixtape’s songs, ‘Good Evening’ that fall we got the video on MTV after winning the MTVU Freshman competition.”
In March of 2009, Outasight released his third mixtape, From There To Here, with world renowned hip-hop DJ Mick Boogie and a month later was asked to open for Ryan Leslie at NYC’s SOB’s. After winning over the packed house with his live show, Outasight’s manager, Norman “Storm” Bell of Purfek Storm Management, secured a meeting with Asylum Records CEO Todd Moscowitz who was instantly taken by the multi-talented MC’s growing body of work. That October, Outasight signed a deal with Asylum. Soon after his signing, Outasight released his latest mixtape Further. The project was sponsored by LRG clothing and was his most successful release to date, garnering over a hundred thousand downloads and counting. Due to its overwhelming popularity, Asylum is set to release Further as an EP exclusively on ITunes in March 2010 while Outasight continues to craft his first full length commercial release, the aptly titled, From Here to Eternity. “The concept behind my album is one person’s quest from the present moment to being timeless,” he says, “It’s something that lives way beyond me, it’s about the quest.”
On August 17th, 2010, Outasight released his latest mixtape, Never Say Never, again to much critical acclaim.
Catch Me If You Can
Outasight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Catch me if you can
Sink slow sips of bourbon, etching out a dream
A page out of your notebook, images on a dusted screen
And lord knows I’m right in front of you
Mouth shut but I’m not gonna move
I won’t be here for long but that’s just how shit goes
Devils knocking on my door but I’m never home
Papa was a rolling stone and he let ‘em go
So now, you understand why I’m better known
And any list they made, don’t try to write ‘em off
Any chick that I played, gonna fight ‘em off
Love the fireworks, yeah, let’s light ‘em off
My AIM game tight but I’m really signing off
[Chorus]
And you seen the breaks and you seen the flaws
Packed up in Spring, never returned in Fall
I’m sorry I can’t help you man
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Catch me if you
Catch me if you can
For ten months, I’ve been running from under-covers
I’ve been hunted by the hunter from the Winter to the Summer
From slums of underground to the youngest of the brothers
I’ve uncovered what they muzzled and tried to keep from public
Check it, I hear ‘em coming, couldn’t catch me if they wanted to
They want me under ‘cause they know that I’m the one to prove
That what they do is rob and loot and keep us under rule
And anyone who wonders why want to fall asleep in soup
You must have mistaken me, unshaved in face
Places me with all the other thieves
I keep discreet, only peeking up just to breathe
Eating when it’s needed, feeding mainly on my freedom
See, each heartbeat reminds time is unwinding
I could own up all the diamonds but still couldn’t buy it
So I’ve decided I will use my time wisely
Fighting to enlighten, yeah, clashing with the titans
Check it, with no fingerprints and no leads
I’m known as any slick, yeah no I.D
Police be on the scene and I’m motored to believe
In only a broken home and piece of debris
I’m leaving with the breeze just to choose ’em from my people
All there’s left to check is a note that reads
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Catch me if you
Catch me if you can, catch me if you can
Catch me if you can, catch me if you can motherfucker
Catch me if you
Catch me if you
Catch me if you
Catch me if you ca
The song "Catch Me If You Can" by Outasight is a rap song with a catchy chorus that repeats the phrase "catch me if you can." The lyrics describe the struggles and adventures of the artist as he tries to evade his pursuers and chase his dreams. The song starts with a reference to bourbon and dreaming, which sets the mood of the song as a resilient narrative. The singer tells a story of being right in front of somebody, but not making a move, suggesting that he does not want to be held back. In the lines, "Welcome to the Terrordome/Devils knocking on my door but I’m never home," Outasight is referring to the tough urban landscape, but he is not afraid to face it.
The artist mentions his father was a rolling stone and let them go, and that's why he's so well-known. He wants to be praised for his work and messaging; any list made will not stop him. He has gone through a significant change, marked by his breakup: "any chick that I played, gonna fight ‘em off." Outasight talks about his journey in the first verse of the song, but the second verse is different. He says he has been running for ten months; he has been hunted down, but they can't seem to catch him. He accuses the people who have power and rule over others of stealing and robbing them. He knows that all this is being done undercover, and he is exposing them. He states that his enemies are trying to cover up his knowledge and keep him from the public. However, he has decided to use his time wisely and fight for what's right.
Line by Line Meaning
Sink slow sips of bourbon, etching out a dream
Taking small sips of bourbon, while working hard to achieve one's dreams
A page out of your notebook, images on a dusted screen
Imagining and creating a vision of the future through creative writing or drawing
And lord knows I’m right in front of you
Although I may seem hidden, I am present and visible to you
Mouth shut but I’m not gonna move
I may be silent, but I am not going to reveal my secrets or intentions
I won’t be here for long but that’s just how shit goes
My time here is limited, but like everyone else, that's just the way life goes
Welcome to the Terrordome
Entering a dangerous and chaotic environment
Devils knocking on my door but I’m never home
Negative influences are trying to bother me, but I am not affected by them
Papa was a rolling stone and he let ‘em go
My father was a wanderer and left things behind, like I am now
So now, you understand why I’m better known
You can see why people know who I am and why I stand out
And any list they made, don’t try to write ‘em off
Don't dismiss or ignore any accomplishments or achievements I have made
Any chick that I played, gonna fight ‘em off
I will defend myself and my actions against anyone who tries to come after me
Love the fireworks, yeah, let’s light ‘em off
I enjoy exciting and loud displays of celebration
My AIM game tight but I’m really signing off
I may appear skilled and confident in my messaging, but I will soon be ending the conversation
[Chorus]
Refrain that repeats throughout the song
And you seen the breaks and you seen the flaws
You have witnessed both the successes and failures in my life
Packed up in Spring, never returned in Fall
I have left before, and won't be returning anytime soon
I’m sorry I can’t help you man
I apologize, but there is nothing I can do for you
For ten months, I’ve been running from under-covers
I have been evading undercover investigators for ten months
I’ve been hunted by the hunter from the Winter to the Summer
Someone has been relentlessly pursuing me for a long time, no matter the season
From slums of underground to the youngest of the brothers
From a disadvantaged and oppressed background to the youngest sibling in my family
I’ve uncovered what they muzzled and tried to keep from public
I have revealed information that was suppressed or hidden from the public
Check it, I hear ‘em coming, couldn’t catch me if they wanted to
I can hear them approaching, but they won't be able to catch me even if they try
They want me under ‘cause they know that I’m the one to prove
They want to silence me because they know I have the proof to back up my claims
That what they do is rob and loot and keep us under rule
They are committing crimes and exploiting us to maintain control over us
And anyone who wonders why want to fall asleep in soup
Anyone who asks why they are doing this must be naive or ignorant
You must have mistaken me, unshaved in face
You have the wrong person, as I have facial hair
Places me with all the other thieves
Assuming I am a criminal, putting me in the same category as other dishonest people
I keep discreet, only peeking up just to breathe
I remain hidden and only appear for short periods of time to avoid detection
Eating when it’s needed, feeding mainly on my freedom
I only eat when necessary, and rely on my freedom as sustenance
See, each heartbeat reminds time is unwinding
Every heartbeat reminds me that time is running out
I could own up all the diamonds but still couldn’t buy it
I could have all the wealth in the world, but it wouldn't give me what I truly desire
So I’ve decided I will use my time wisely
I have made the decision to use my time wisely and for a purpose
Fighting to enlighten, yeah, clashing with the titans
I am fighting to bring about change and confront those in power
Check it, with no fingerprints and no leads
I don't leave any evidence or clues for them to follow
I’m known as any slick, yeah no I.D
I am careful and elusive, with no identification to link me to a specific person
Police be on the scene and I’m motored to believe
The police are on the lookout for me, but I am confident in my ability to avoid them
In only a broken home and piece of debris
I come from a troubled family and am left with only broken possessions
I’m leaving with the breeze just to choose ’em from my people
I am leaving quickly and easily, to pick my own path and associations
All there’s left to check is a note that reads
The only thing left behind is a note with a message
Catch me if you can, catch me if you can
Challenging anyone to try to catch me and stop me
Catch me if you can, catch me if you can motherfucker
Reinforcing the challenge and taunting those who may be trying to catch me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
T slip M.
This how you know you have a good album. I had his EP on my ipod for months and liked all the songs, but loved "Darling, it's Chemistry" and "Downtown in My Mind". Now I love this song.
Kai Cem Narin
EPIC - BEST BEATS EVER OUTASIGHT MASSIVE RESPECT he is so talented get his new album NEVER SAY NEVER song ahh yeah---- is amazing just support this guy and ray is giving him another massive audience x
RageAgainstTheGrain
Outasight is great! He is a mix between rap, soul, and a tiny bit of rock. Also, u can hear some old school music and I mean way old school like 60's and 70's
SUPER SAVAGE XL
10 Dislikes?! Who disliked it? Come out, show yourself and confront your fate. NO-ONE should dislike Outasight's music! EVAR!! Or mabye I just love outasight a bit too much...
1.21 GIGAWATTS!?!
still one of my favorite songs
SheyShey
I LOVE THIS SONG!
Aman Sharma
I love this song, wish there was a place to buy or download this! in high quality
ArthurYannLB
This guy will go far, I know it!
RD JKR
Hey random guys from the future he did go far
Tha Plug
this band, and this song are sick... This is great music...