Album: Nobody’s Smiling
"Rewind that one time, please"
Should it be, can it be simple?
Life is like the tempo of a No I' instrumental
Things that we been through define who we are now
Since "Can I Borrow a Dollar?", ooh, I'm a star now
Comin from Chi-town, we was the first to do it
Me, No I.D., Twilite Tone on the music
The city on our back, we was the opening act
Throw our tapes in the crowd, they throw 'em right back
But we stayed on track, they stayed on the tracks
I stayed on the raps 'til we made it on the map
By then, No I' was my main guy
He and I was like Chi-Town's GangStarr
We had came far together, with (Alongwaytogo)
Seein a bigger picture, but now from different angles
Tangle of the hustling, survival in the game
Felt I had to leave home to be a household name
Show money low, needin to stack fast
City did have my back, now it's a backlash
Was I a slave to the cash and wantin it so bad?
I just became a dad, rap is all I had
So I moved to New York, to make it pop
Did "Like Water for Choc", that album changed a lot
But my man who I started with, wasn't a part of it
And his presence, I didn't even acknowledge it
Knew I was wrong, he shoulda at least had a song
It wouldn't be me without No I.D., and Twilite Tone
Wishin' I could get that time back
Oh I can, yo man, rewind that
Me and Dion back in the zone, I'm doin shows with Tone
For the future of the Chi, we gon' bring it back home
Rewind that and we can do it again
No I.D., Twilite Tone, where the story begin
"Rewind that one time, please"
This one's for my man J Dilla
As I say these words, my eyes fill up
Cause wasn't none realer than James Dewitt Yancey
So I'ma dedicate this to Dilla and his family
In Q-Tip's basement, I first met Jay Dee
I still remember the first beat he played me
He came to the Chi late three that was crazy
Didn't even know me and gave 'em to me for free
I go the the D, he show big love
Cook up some hot shit, then go to the strip club
Then we made "The Light" and times got brighter
I said "Turn it up!" Jay'll take it +Higher+
One day, I noticed he was tired quick
That's when I found out, Jay Dee was real sick
Things got worse before they got better
I said, "Come to L.A. for peace and good weather"
We got an apartment just so we can spark it
MP in the front room, records in the closet
The beats got iller, but the sickness was still there
I'm wishin, I could will him out of his wheelchair
It was hard for me to come home every day
And see my homie Jay's life fade away
I stayed away some times, in other words I ran
'Til one day J brought me this TV stand
It was a gift so I couldn't refuse it
It came from his heart, I regret I didn't use it
The lupus got worse and, for what it's worth
I wanted him to have a Grammy before he left this earth
Wishin we could have that time back
Oh we can, yo man, rewind that
You never gone, you live forever through song
I feel it when I see 'em with them Dilla shirts on
I know you still +Shining+, from heaven you watch me
Watch me put this Grammy on the stand you got me
"That's an um..infinite.. an infinite um.. team right there
Man Jay Dee, I'd work with him whenever I can
Cause he's like, constantly progresssing and growing
He's one of the greatest producers.. yo, greatest musicians of our time
F'real, I really know that.. (Aight!) Yeaaaah... yeah, yeah
Like I used to be able to wake up in the morning and hear J Dilla beats... being made
Y'know I mean.. really, used to walk by me like.. damn, I'm blessed
Like I really felt that, like during the time where he was making it match
Like, I don't look back and say I was blessed, I know I was blessed during that time
I look and say.. 'Man! I'm gettin to see Jay make them beats.. everyday!'
Y'know..."
[J Dilla:]
"Common, okay for me it's definitely not a common out
But... it's Common"