Token began cultivating his fanbase at age 14 after releasing simple videos online of him rapping. By age 16, Token had won multiple online rap contests and has amassed over a million views on his YouTube page. Along with his growing social following online, he began performing all around New England, establishing his live show amongst some known artists. Two of his videos, one of which was made when he was only 14, went viral on Facebook accumulating a total of 6 million views. Fresh off his 17th birthday, Token released a new video that went viral on YouTube and hit a milestone of 500k views in only 3 days and has since passed one million. Having garnered quite a dedicated following, Token has received many celebrity co signs including the likes of T-Pain, Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit), Platinum Producer Clinton Sparks, RA The Rugged Man and Hollywood star and Boston's own Mark Wahlberg who recently pronounced Token his "new favorite rapper"
In 2016 Token released his debut mixtape "Eraser Shavings"
In 2018 Token released his debut album "Between Somewhere"
Self Taught
Token Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't need em', I'll be damned if I was 17, battling for my freedom
They told me they had better ideas than me, I don't see 'em
Y'all said you were fans of Token... well it's time you meet 'em
I've been learning that what's running my generation is fear
I've been learnin' that you cannot teach dedication to peers
I've been learning by myself, you've been very patient I'm here
I'm here, finally, aight'
Been driven ever since my initial video
Tryin' to get into shows on my tippy toes
I define persistance, I'll tell you to your face as if you didn't know
So anyone tryin' to confirm their practice
I dont listen to talk, I observe the action
That's why I work like it's pure mechanicsAutomatically swallow batteries, burp the acid
These work like magic
These bursts of passion could reverse the earth's determined axis
I left the world and i ain't returning bastards! I live by my words now research the mapquest
I don't receive your distractions, you rely on teamwork but all of your team work like asses
And I can talk about the success of my own career and say I'm the fuckin' leader of that shit
That's that shit to turn a coward to a buddy, hoping for power above me
but I wouldn't count with your money if I was without any house or was hungry and you had thousands
and thousands to fund me, I'm 17, and you are a child to me, how funny
Give me a second, alright
With independence, I built up a method,
no women or men will be given a leverage of limiting anything
I dont really gotta be thinking about a limit
I literally eliminate every limit who livin
and nobody really wanna be givin me lip because even all of my literacy will lift you to heaven
Just so I can drop you below (WOAH)
Hasn't been a motherfuckin' second that I'm not in control (NO)
Humans also goddamn weak but know that I got loftier goals (SO)
Just because it's never been done man it doesn't mean that I won't
Make it happen, I know I will make it happen,
if I said I'll make it happen, just know I will make it happen
and I haven't even received the knowledge to fail
Not pressured by the pressure, when all else is lost, I prevail
Self taught
[Verse 2]
Yeah, self taught
Since 1st grade, writing my first rhyme
Hiding it under my bed and hoping noone would find
Next week, suspended again and watching my mom cry like
Why we paying this therapist for all of his time
Self taught
Since 5th grade, hating myself
Getting ditched by all of my friends, blaming myself
Found garage band on the computer
I was bored, I been writing for 4 years, I might as well record
Self taught
Since 8th grade, first solo mixtape
Getting laughed at with so much hate
People embarrassed to be around me... I went home
I'll just stay inside, I was inspired to grow
Self taught
Until now, as I write this
Looking at this project like, I hope they like it but
As I write what helps me make it better as I try to forget
what forces me to remember these Eraser Shavings
"Self Taught" is a song by American rapper Token released in 2016 as part of his album Eraser Shavings. The song is a testament of Token's triumphs and struggles as an independent artist. It also addresses the importance of self-reliance, perseverance, and dedication in achieving one's goals.
The first verse of the song highlights Token's work ethic and self-confidence. He affirms that he has been working independently for a decade and has no plans of changing that. He boasts of his invincibility, which he attributes to his confidence and being comfortable with his uniqueness. He also mentions his awareness that fear runs the younger generation and how he has been teaching himself the values of persistence, self-reliance, and hard work.
In the second verse, Token chronicles his journey towards becoming a self-taught rapper. He speaks of the difficulties he encountered, including being suspended from school and being the subject of ridicule from his peers. He also underscores the significance of self-exploration in discovering one's passions.
Overall, the song is an anthem of self-empowerment, resilience, and self-sufficiency. Token uses his life experiences to illustrate the importance of pursuing one's dreams and of being self-reliant.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been working in my bedroom for a decade, that ain't gon' change
I've spent ten years honing my craft from my bedroom and I'm not going to stop now.
I don't need em', I'll be damned if I was 17, battling for my freedom
I don't need anyone else's help, and I refuse to be held back at 17 like some kind of prisoner.
They told me they had better ideas than me, I don't see 'em
People tried to tell me they had better ideas than me, but I don't see any proof of that.
Y'all said you were fans of Token... well it's time you meet 'em
If you're a real fan of mine, it's time you see what I'm really capable of.
I've been learning that what's running my generation is fear
I've come to realize that my generation is mostly afraid of something.
I've been learnin' that you cannot teach dedication to peers
I've learned that it's almost impossible to teach dedication to your peers.
I've been learning by myself, you've been very patient I'm here
I've taught myself everything I know, but I appreciate those who have been patient with me and helped me get to where I am now.
I'm here, finally, aight'
I'm finally here and ready to show you what I'm made of.
I've been invincible ever since I was told that being different is a gift I hold
Ever since I learned that being different is something to embrace, I've felt like nothing can stop me.
Been driven ever since my initial video
I've been motivated ever since my first music video.
Tryin' to get into shows on my tippy toes
I was trying to get into shows when I was just starting out in the industry.
I define persistance, I'll tell you to your face as if you didn't know
I am persistent to the point of defining what it means, and I'll make sure you know it.
So anyone tryin' to confirm their practice
I don't need anyone else to confirm what I'm doing, because I believe in it without validation.
I dont listen to talk, I observe the action
I don't listen to people's words, I only pay attention to what they do.
That's why I work like it's pure mechanics
I work like a machine, without stopping or slowing down.
Automatically swallow batteries, burp the acid
I take on challenges without any fear or hesitation, and can handle the side effects.
These work like magic
My skills and abilities seem almost supernatural.
These bursts of passion could reverse the earth's determined axis
My bursts of passion and creativity could change everything you thought you knew, and turn your world upside down.
I left the world and i ain't returning bastards!
I don't feel like I have to conform to the world, and I don't plan on coming back just to please anyone.
I live by my words now research the mapquest
I live by my words, and if you doubt me, go look up my accomplishments and potential.
I don't receive your distractions, you rely on teamwork but all of your team work like asses
I don't care about your distractions, and your reliance on teamwork doesn't matter to me if your team members aren't effective.
And I can talk about the success of my own career and say I'm the fuckin' leader of that shit
I can boast about my own success and say that I'm the one in charge of it.
That's that shit to turn a coward to a buddy, hoping for power above me
My success would turn a coward into an ally, even if they were once hoping to have power over me.
but I wouldn't count with your money if I was without any house or was hungry and you had thousands and thousands to fund me, I'm 17, and you are a child to me, how funny
Even if I was homeless and hungry, I wouldn't accept funds from someone I consider to be much younger and less experienced than me.
Give me a second, alright
Just give me a moment.
With independence, I built up a method,
I've built my own method through independent work.
no women or men will be given a leverage of limiting anything
Gender isn't a factor in limiting anything I do.
I dont really gotta be thinking about a limit
I don't even have to think about limitations.
I literally eliminate every limit who livin
I completely eliminate all limitations.
and nobody really wanna be givin me lip because even all of my literacy will lift you to heaven
No one dares to argue with me, because even my writing and intelligence can lift you up to a heavenly standard.
Just so I can drop you below (WOAH)
I can also bring you down just as easily.
Hasn't been a motherfuckin' second that I'm not in control (NO)
I have complete control all the time.
Humans also goddamn weak but know that I got loftier goals (SO)
People are weak, but I have bigger goals in mind.
Just because it's never been done man it doesn't mean that I won't
I won't be held back just because something hasn't been done before.
Make it happen, I know I will make it happen, if I said I'll make it happen, just know I will make it happen
I have the confidence and determination to make anything happen that I set my mind to.
and I haven't even received the knowledge to fail
I haven't even given myself the opportunity to fail because I haven't stopped learning.
Not pressured by the pressure, when all else is lost, I prevail
I don't feel the pressure of the situation, and I always come out on top even when others might fail under similar circumstances.
Self taught
Everything I know and have accomplished has been through self-teaching.
Since 1st grade, writing my first rhyme
I started writing rhymes in first grade.
Hiding it under my bed and hoping noone would find
I tried to hide my talent from others when I started out.
Next week, suspended again and watching my mom cry like
I was often punished for expressing myself, which caused pain for my mother.
Why we paying this therapist for all of his time
My mother may have wondered why she was paying for therapy when I was clearly talented and misunderstood.
Since 5th grade, hating myself
I struggled with self-hatred when I was in fifth grade.
Getting ditched by all of my friends, blaming myself
I lost all of my friends and assumed it was somehow my fault.
Found garage band on the computer
I started using GarageBand on my computer.
I was bored, I been writing for 4 years, I might as well record
I recorded my music because I had been writing for years and wanted to see how it sounded.
Since 8th grade, first solo mixtape
I released my first solo mixtape in eighth grade.
Getting laughed at with so much hate
People hated on me and mocked me for my music.
People embarrassed to be around me... I went home
People were embarrassed to be around me because of my music, so I left and went home.
I'll just stay inside, I was inspired to grow
I decided to stay inside and use my negative experiences as inspiration to grow and improve.
Until now, as I write this
Everything I've mentioned has led me to where I am now.
Looking at this project like, I hope they like it but
Even now, I still worry if people will like my work or not.
As I write what helps me make it better as I try to forget what forces me to remember these Eraser Shavings
As I write my music and try to improve, I'm also trying to forget the negative experiences that have shaped me along the way.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ben Goldberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind