Ten Thousand Hours

I hope that God decides to talk to 'em

If the people decide to walk with 'em

Regardless of Pitchfork, cosigns I've jumped

Make sure the sound man doesn't cock block the drums

Let the snare knock the air right out of your lungs

And those words be the oxygen, just breathe

Hey man, regardless, I'ma say it

Felt like I got signed the day that I got an agent

Got an iTunes check, shit, man, I'm paying rent

'Bout damn time that I got out of my basement

'Bout damn time I got around the country

And I hit these stages, I was made to slay them

Ten thousand hours, I'm so damn close I can taste it

Also Malcolm Gladwell, David Bowie meets Kanye shit

This is dedication

A life lived for art is never a life wasted

Ten thousand

Ten thousand hours felt like ten thousand hands

Ten thousand hands, they carry me

Ten thousand hours felt like ten thousand hands

Ten thousand hands, they carry me

N-now, now, this is my world, this is my arena

The TV told me something different, I didn't believe it

I stand here in front of you today

All because of an idea

I could be who I wanted if I could see my potential

And I know that one day I'ma be him

Put the gloves on, sparring with my ego

Everyone's greatest obstacle, I beat 'em

Celebrate that achievement

Got some attachments and baggage

I'm actually working on leaving, see

I deserved Escher, I love Basquiat

I watched Keith Haring

You see, I study art

The greats weren't great because at birth they could paint

The greats were great because they paint a lot

I will not be a statistic, just let me be

No child left behind, that's the American scheme

I make my living off the words and do what I love for work

And got around 980 on my SATs

Take that, system

What you expect?

Generation of kids choosing love over a desk

You put those hours in and look at what you get

Nothing that you can hold, but everything that it is

Ten thousand

Ten thousand hours felt like ten thousand hands

Ten thousand hands, they carry me

Ten thousand hours felt like ten thousand hands

Ten thousand hands, they carry me

Same shit, different day

Same struggle, slow motion-esque

Time slips through my knuckles

Nothing beautiful about it, no light at the tunnel

For the people that put their passion

Before them being comfortable

Raw, unmedicated heart, no substitute

Banging on table tops, no substitute

I'm feeling better than ever, man, what is up with you?

Scraping my knuckles and battling with some drug abuse

I lost another friend, got another call from her sister

And I speak for the people that share that struggle, too

Like they got something bruised

My only rehabilitation was the sweat, tears and blood

When up in the booth

It's the part of the show where it all fades away

When the lights go to black and the band leaves the stage

And you wanted an encore but there's no encore today

'Cause the moment is now, can't get it back from the grave

Part of the show, it all fades away

Lights go to black, band leaves the stage

You wanted an encore but there's no encore today

'Cause the moment is now, can't get it back from the grave

Welcome to the heist, welcome to the heist

Welcome to the heist, welcome to the heist

Welcome to the heist, welcome to the heist