Letter to My Mentors

Yeah, yeah, yeah Hit boy, young and driven, old college in the plan 19, packed my dreams, pushed to ATL, man Polo the Don was the biggest, he was teaching me the ropes Two-bedroom type space where we dared to host Grinding with Chase and Cash in that southern heat Learning from the giants, ambition on repeat Studio sessions with legends, shaping my sound Crafting bangers in the furnace, trying to bring down the house Living in the lab, we was cooking all night Where brilliance meets hustle, where stars ignite No degree but the degree of fire I gained From hustling in the A off Northside Drive, that's where we stayed Hit the ground running, every day was like my first Watching super pros work, my soul immersed in From the homie Polo wisdom to the writer sharp as pens I was molded by the masters, we grew from boys to men I gotta reflect, show gratitude (gratitude) This monumental journey, built my attribute (my attribute) Ain't none of us live forever, we just passin' through (the facts) It ain't about the diamonds, homie, really that's the truth Yeah, yeah, lotta niggas don't do it From the jump, me and Ye was on a Gemini flow Two minds, one path, where creativity grows We could've made another "Niggas in Paris," that shit was heat Stars had other plans, pulled us off beat Could've been a decade of classics, another click or two Therapy levels, shaping culture, breaking through But in the midst of it all, I found myself refined And as the bond shifted, I discovered what's mine I took the lessons learned from the Good Music glow He shared his genius, said that made me insecure for sure Strained paths, but it pushed me to my creative throne On the beats and the rhymes, bro, I've truly grown I had to crack the whip, no Indiana Jones I'm in a timeless zone, from A right to wrong And while the past stays a chapter, the future's me I'm building dreams from the knowledge that he helped me see I gotta reflect, show gratitude (gratitude) This monumental journey, built my attribute (my attribute) Ain't none of us live forever, we just passin' through (the facts) It ain't about the diamonds, homie, really that's the truth Show gratitude Sometimes you gotta show gratitude It's just a few things that really, like Embrace me like two young men help me out Grateful's an understatement for the journey we been Six hours deep with Nas, where legends begin Crafted 80 tracks, each a lyrical gem Caught a Grammy off the vibe, finally real niggas win A studio session was like a masterclass Learned from my icon, turning moments to brass In the booth, S. Gold, dropping knowledge like gold Ayy, rhyme or story, A.B. went bold Built a legacy for real, homie, brick by brick From his classic flows to my beats, they just click Appreciate the wisdom, the hustle, the art Crafted with broski, it was straight from the heart In three years, made the soundtrack of dreams I'm proud of the bond, every melody that beams Voice of the streets, paired with the sound of keys Honored to be part of this journey, legit like KD3 So here's to the mentors, who opened up the door From humble beginnings, like way before any awards (real, real, real, real) A nod to the past, where the grind was raw I mean, had to show my respects, that's the easiest call