Click on the track to view the lyrics
W'happen to the good emcee, the rapper
Mic-ripper, rhyme-spitter, whatever the weather
Shake it up, breaker, breaker, funk soul brother
Rappers today too cold, word to mother
Come on, stop the ish, drop the anchor!
That could only be the anthem of a ...
You sound like a crime extravaganza
Roll it back, take it back, back to the lyrical
Man, it must be hard to be
The grown man you're supposed to be
When violence in movies and sex on TV
Is all you ever seem to see
Back to back pure negativity
Because you rep your endz you spit what you see
Spit for the streets make brothers pack heat
Your rhyme sounds sweet, ignorance you secrete
Man, you can't blame hip-hop for all the ish
But propagating it isn't really helping, is it?
Our music is a very strong influence
But a lot of what I hear just doesn't make sense
Look, hip-hop is my default setting
Old school, hi-speed dubbing of cassettes and
Seeing it being ruined is a tad upsetting
Hip-hop should have some etiquette ting
I've got a wife, not for me, no gold-diggers, no!
I've got a life, don't bore me with your kiddie flow
Some people don't eat pork but they sniff coke
Double cheeseburgers, large fries and a diet coke...oh no!
Any who... over there it's soccer
Not football, their vibe a different texture
The Yanks seem fond of the trigger
Our troubled youngsters feel the gangsta swagger
Kill or be killed. Man, that stuff's so vulgar
This is the future
This is the future
This is the future
This is the future
Man, this is the future
2000 and what, I'm a lil' bit older
The grass is greener, a lil' bit stronger
The kids are bolder, a lil' bit colder
Spent my youth listening to Robert Nesta
Haile Selassie I, and I not a Rasta
Sorry, I love some pork with my pasta
I don't wanna look like some kinda impostor
They say you are what you eat; I say you are what you listen to
Tiger Shadow crew, one, two, on a mission to
Diversify the soundscape, give us your permission to
Rock you with fresh sounds and funky compositions, you
Wanna hear different stuff, don't you, I bet you do
Bringing you brand new, fresh styles overdue
None of them rappers have the career I want
Man you can't stop us from breaking the barriers we want...
To break, I am not the new nobody
Komla MC, there's only one of me
There's enough room for all types of MC's
To stand out originality is the key
I see where you're coming from, but that's not the only way
And if you think that's the way, then you've already failed
All day, homicidal wack tales about crack sales
Gangsta fairytales to hide the fact you lack skills
Man, find a nice somebody and just settle
Keep a tight unit, a crew, a close circle... brethren
Honestly, if you don't use the drug, don't tell it
All that crack chat, all you do is sell it
All that gun talk, crime talk, kill it
I'd rather chat about some pork chops, grill it
In your skillet
Forget the guns and the bullets
This is the future
This is the future
This is the future
This is the future
Man, this is the future
Hip-hop did not die, whilst trying
Hip-hop got rich and the public got tired
Of all the lying, so they just stopped buying
Man, this is the future
The bloggers have all the news before the journalists
It's much easier for recording artists
Technology rules! Thank you Mr Scientist
Keyboard, mouse, click, drag and drop
We overindulge in home studios non-stop
Imagine life without laptop and desktop
You wouldn't get to hear my brand of hip-hop
Neolithic mythic lyrics I use the Bic
African linguistic skills through the mic...
Mic, tomato, tomato, potato, potato
Crack plus rap equals crap
Behold bling rappers after the fool's gold
Short-sighted, money remains the blindfold
How many more mothers will be consoled?
How many more brothers will be paroled?
Watch how I transform scrap bits of paper
Into new tunes with nuff lyrical flavour
Yes Sir, I do concur
I'm an old school hip-hop connoisseur
We are becoming entrepreneurs
Keep the milk clean like Louis Pasteur
So uptight man, you need a masseur
Male or female I wonder which you prefer
Now this one here is a non-sequitur
Another Appleton and it will all be a blur
I'm not a gangsta in any way, shape or form
And I'm not gonna spit that just to conform
This is the future...
1,2 Go!
1,2 1,2...
I've been perfecting my craft for years
I've studied this art, man lend me your ears
I've paid attention to rhyme flows and mad skills
Paper and pen I polished my flows and my skills
Before we started with community studios
Self-made geek, DIY home studio
Communicate with my Midi Controller Yamaha
Complicate it with my digital toys in Sonar
Freestyling with Kofi and Dzifa since 04
Started writing when rap went soft-core
A lot of what I hear is so bloody immature
My stuff deffo sounds better, of that I'm sure
The tonal nature of my vernacular
Makes me rap with this here rhyme structure
Chale, you can't mess with the mother tongue
Since my baby days I haven't really hit the bong
Man everyone in this world has issues
Big issues in Mogadishu
Then you go and rap about your new shoes
Small feet, big shoes, you snooze, you lose
Go west, life is peaceful there
At best, man, life can be blissful here
Heaven, 7-11's open 24/7
Before you know it things fall apart, man what the devil?
Knives, Mac-11's, AK-47's
And you know it's been a bit weird since 911
It's on a-whole-nother mother wother level
The one eyed man is leading the blind
Common sense is hard to find
Like reggae-reggae sauce
Reggae-reggae sauce
The respect
The art form
The poetry
The flow
The ill rhymes
The good vibes
The swagger
The show
(What d'you know about it?)
Lord, help me please
This ain't a freestyle, man I write these treats
Don't bother competing better start to retreat
Please, you're messing with some real OG's
Original rhymes like these
Wacktose intolerant, I make it with no cheese
Put some thought into it, show some expertise
Like I said, you're messing with some real OG's
I don't just rhyme for the hell of it
When I grab the mic I say something relevant
Yes We Can! People, change is evident
The Black Man made the White House his residence
There's really no need to go bearing arms
Unless you wanna end up on your best friend's arm
As a tattoo, ah-tishoo, excuse me when I bless you
With this musical juju, with Tiger Shadow crew
The respect
The art form
The poetry
The flow
The ill rhymes
The good vibes
The swagger
The show
(What d'you know about it?)
Man, what do you know about being a man?
What do you really know about loving a woman?
Make yourself sound like Don Juan Superman
With the emotional depth of a one-night stand
Now everyone is packing ammunition, shank or metal
I'm old school, back in the day we used to arm wrestle
They make the most noise, you know, those empty vessels
Deep down they're probably soft like rose petals...
Say, maybe, you could even chat about mortgages
Perhaps, instead of glamorising 9 gauges
I might pay some attention, you just might engage us
Brethren, break out of your boxes and cages
Lord, help me please
They say the early bird gets the worm, please
I say the second mouse gets the cheese, please
Chill! Even monkeys fall out of trees...
The respect
The art form
The poetry
The flow
The ill rhymes
The good vibes
The swagger
The show
(What d'you know about it?)
Last year we go stand for altar
No more life of a balling bachelor
My rhymes I dey chat like some banter
The beat funky like your local boozer
Dem pints no dey taste like Bu-Bra
Comot for there with your chips and your burger
I come here as a likkle youth, a youngster
The place dey do and turn me into some kinda hustler
So long as it no turn me into gangsta
E no dey hia say I go go see some pastor...or preacher
Dis be some wicked spiritual mixture
Of higher beats and rhymes for you the listener
To build dis track for your listening pleasure
We use the computer the pestle and the mortar!
To build dis track for your listening pleasure
We use the computer the pestle and the mortar!
Escape before the pressure becomes torture...
I no really dey use no ghetto grammar
Kwashiman no be ghetto, e be nice area
No feral teenage kids pulling triggers
Unless u be some bloody fool armed robber
That one die, public justice, grim reaper
E no be rumour, open public, no whisper
You feel say I dey lie, ask the P&P seller
For here, they dey get away with bloody murder
Your neighbour be the mugger, the buster, the happy slapper
This Ayigbe skin thick like leather
Sturdy like timber, chale! Built for this pressure
Escape before the pressure becomes torture
Escape before the pressure becomes torture
Narration, narration, narration, narration
Inspiration, perspiration, motivation, meditation
Imagination, administration, application, registration
Immigration, familiarisation, legislation, participation
Ramification, election, station, dramatisation
Flagellation, invasion, plantation, gesticulation
Degradation, desecration, salvation, elevation
Vibration, liberation, expectation, one-nation
Population, starvation, escalation, damnation
Cannibalisation, depravation, misinformation, devastation
Falsification, fabrication, fascination, pontification
Mastication, lactation, salivation, gyration
Masturbation, fornication, defecation, urination
Exsanguination, suffocation, strangulation, hibernation
Procreation, incubation, regeneration, multiplication
Duplication, magnification, immunisation, vaccination
Sanitation, mineralisation, calcification, hospitalisation
Urbanisation, justification, separation, manipulation
Marginalisation, oversimplification, location, location, location
Capitalisation, jazzification, education, elation
Qualification, facilitation, vocation, stabilisation
Emancipation, jubilation, celebration
Jubilation, celebration
Jubilation, celebration
Jubilation, celebration
Back to reality... (reality)
Back to reality
Dis beat sick, bacteriology
I no be rapper, dis e be takashi
I bravely take my hobby break the monotony
With no posse, just me and my funky self
Buga-buga or legit, stay true to self
The rapper dey sing like e be tone-deaf
Moki time the paddies just for pack and left
The best medicine they say e be laughter
Some my brethren too dey claim say e be blifter
To each their own anything to ease the pressure
What's the worst that could happen? Dr Pepper
If u no fit control am watch the liquor
Otherwise your mouth go need some muzzler
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper
So I picked myself a pencil and some paper
Failing in my search to find me a rapper
Nobody to nail my beats proper proper
Scholar juggler, try the mic, see the swift results
E make I shiver like juju, voodoo, the occult
Me talking about crack, chale, never
Wicked drummer, smelling fresh, e be camphor
Low batt, cha! you get Nokia charger?
Hmm, prime minister used to be chancellor
Seemingly random, just practising my flow
Practice makes perfect, cliché lingo
Look beyond the baldhead, spot the halo
Yamaha maestro, no macho
Some brand new sh** like an embryo
I'm bored of uninspired sh** on the radio
Makes me wanna fast forward like some porno
Get out my face with your mambo-jambo
Ignorant boys on the mic with some hustler sh**
Fast cars, too much bass, annoying music
Formula wannabees driving like grand pricks
If it ain't broke don't try to fix it
But it is broke, Jim, will u fix it
No more knuckle fights, quick to draw biscuits
Guns and crack don't make you bigger
If only they could see the bigger picture
If only they could see the bigger picture...
The worst in us is now normal and accepted
I thought MC's had to be lyrically gifted
Or at least say something to spiritually lift ya
Or maybe something you can sit and chill and drift ta
So how many half naked women
Sipping Cristal draped in diamonds
By the poolside in your rented mansion
In your borrowed cars, fake champagne fountains
Before we all agree (that stuff is tired now)
Who cares about the blah blah rims on your tyres now
I think we all agree (that stuff is tired now)
The kids are beginning to believe your lies now
This dumb-downing propaganda should not be allowed
Record labels turn ex-cons into cash cows
On the TV here comes another buffoon
Opens his mouth, with some more stereotypical poo
Silly billy lyrics, looking like some cartoon
It's a shame he had to go and ruin that tune
If you want us to just dance, that's cool
In fact, I love the odd Missy and Nelly tune
It doesn't all have to be about packing tools
Do something useful, go back to school
There's no need to waste the platform you've been given
To continuously glamorise that gangsta drivel
I'm tired of hearing about guns and crack
And mother-loving bling and ting and that
Of that opinion I'm not alone
We want more intelligent stuff to get us in the zone
Forget being trendy cool, man I'm no fool
What do I know, maybe I'm just old school
But that thing with diamonds is a funny trend
I thought diamonds was a girl's best friend
I'm blessed with a level of awareness
That makes it impossible to enjoy the wackness
That mainstream hip-hop offers
Full of lazy lyrics and curses for verses
Hip hop used to be diverse
Remember the golden age, oh my word!
From the playful verses of Tribe Called Quest
Digable Planets, De La Soul, Das EFX
To the conscious words of the conscious rapper
Arrested Development, KRS-One and Gangstarr
The list is endless. Man, I'll need more paper
And none of it was talking about a crime caper
Enough! With your plated grills and your strip clubs
Enough! With your no skills and your pimp cups
Enough! With your run-of-the-mill fake thugs
Enough! You know the drill, sipping on bub...
Here we go!
I'm feeling this beat I'm spitting yo
With my main man Tycho in the studio
With my crew Tiger Shadow in stereo
Maybe one day you will hear us on the radio
With the original Ghanaian flow yo
Vibing with the spirit I bring from the Gold Coast
With the hardcore training from Cape Coast
Could be one of the best, I'm not trying to boast
Komla MC, I brung you something new
Respect to all my positive hardworking crew
You know the rules, hustle hard for your daily food
Where I'm from killing your own is a taboo (Chale)
So I don't really get this hoo-de-hoo
It's either murder-murder or cheese fondue
Excuse me, the African man coming through
Little pickneys go to bed! It's your curfew
To my youths too cool for school
Wise up or you will end up a damn fool
Girlfriend, your dress, a bit too see through
Enough of that, man I don't wanna preach to you. Cool?
Here we go yo!
Here we go, here we go yo! (repeat)
Man, look around
The root of evil and it makes the world go round
There's no doubt, we're all trying to chase the pound
But negativity is not how I get down
I stay on the straight and narrow like cornrow
I'm not built to move kilos for big dough
Could your heart really be that hollow
Wake up! A long time since the cock crow, oh
Easy with the hardness, chill out geezer
Too much violence I'm on the brink of a seizure
Who do I think I am? That man from Ghana
Chale, pass the ting and gimme hope Joanna
Life imitates art, you don't know
It's like we're stuck in Grand Theft Auto
It's like we're stuck in Grand Theft Auto
It's like we're stuck in Grand Theft Auto
I'm not the kind of brother to just sit about
When there's too much negativity, too much to speak about
Man, I don't wanna sound too preachy or owt
But there's a bit too much doggone rubbish about
And when it's dark it's not safe to go walkabout
Mess about and get stabbed by a lager lout
So I'm gonna do my thing positive, scream and shout
No arms house round here, music is our clout
West African MC, modern day griot
For my brothers and sisters, bwanas and gringos
The American Dream is mostly a nightmare
It's bound to promote too much debt and despair
It's impossible for one man to change the world
But there's gotta be better shepherds to lead the herd
No pimps, hustlers or drug dealers
Certainly not the Governator!
That's the way of the world
We're trying to make a change
Our attempts are not in vain...
That's the course it takes
That's the course it takes
That's because it is...
Good music out there, not all doom and gloom
Still, it's largely ignored like Bibles in hotel rooms
It shouldn't stop you if you love it through and through
If you're consumed by music, from womb to tomb
Merit substance and originality most lack
Their ignorance pulls the culture few steps back
Over-used topics promoting violence and hatred
Or sugary sweet sickly pop sugar-coated
Same playlists all day on the radio
It's about as funny as hitting your funny bone
One-dimensional images in videos
Makes me wanna throw the telly out the window
Kids in Africa dying mining diamonds
So our friends can wear huge blinging medallions
At whose command did the bar get so low?
At which point did the rap get so cold?
That's the way of the world
We're trying to make a change
Our attempts are not in vain...
That's the course it takes
That's the course it takes
That's because it is...
Komla MC wyling out on the road
Like the Africans jumping out of the boats
Astrologically tenth sign the goat
This musical raft could keep you afloat
What dominates the scene is apparent
Uzis, Glocks, Lugers, double barrels
Mobsters, pimps, gangsters, drug barons
I keep a safe distance, at least 2 chevrons
Nice surprise, like finding a tenner in your jeans pocket
When I grabs mics and plugs into sockets
Steals your attention like pickpockets
Brothers often act like crabs in a bucket
Spitting rhymes, no sweat, not a hair out of place
Quick time, wait less, like it's outer space
No grace is commonplace in this rat race
Reasonable man, get off my case
Feel the rhythm like...
No more schisms like...
Feel the rhythm like...
No more schisms like...
Feel the rhythm like...
No more schisms like...
Feel the rhythm like...
Hold on tightly!
Fast life, fast cars and fast women
It's the way of the world, futuristic, modern
Lemonade is made from artificial flavours and
Furniture polish is made from real lemons
Pizza arrives before the ambulance
How to dance and romance without finance?
Land of the free, land of milk and honey
Now skimmed, sugar-free, not even funny
Today, hunter-gatherers go shopping
Get ready meals probably do a bit of chopping
Remove sleeve and pierce film several times
It's dinner time, when the microwave chimes
Now before we end this song
What's with the nations killing people who are killing people
To show that killing people is wrong?
Feel the rhythm like...
No more schisms like...
Feel the rhythm like...
No more schisms like...
Feel the rhythm like...
No more schisms like...
Feel the rhythm like...
Hold on tightly!
The Rise of The Tiger Shadow was recorded in February / March 2009 at Cottage Road Studios in Leeds and was released on the 20th April 2009.
Produced by Jim Tycho, Matt Peel & Andy Hawkins
Mixed by Matt Peel
Mastered by Andy Hawkins
Drums & Percussion - Karim Nashar
Guitars - Dave Pearson
Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar & Synths - Jim Tycho
Vocals - Komla MC
Additional Drum & Synth Programming by Matt Peel
All Lyrics written by Komla MC
All Music written by Jim Tycho*
*Dave Pearson co-wrote 'That's because it is...' and 'Hold on Tightly'
Tiger Shadow Choir:
Carl Taylor, Gamil Haddad, Rich Haddad, Sal Haddad, Komla MC, Karim Nashar, Dave Pearson & Jim Tycho
Additional Vocals on Narration - Lisa Mistry
"you won't find a duff track on here... highly recommended stuff" - Read full review
"With other hip-hop acts seeking out catchy choruses that are ultimately meaningless and irritating, Tiger Shadow have taken things back to a style that is entirely more satisfying. Their songs are no less infectious than the latest Dizzee Rascal chart-topper, but they are also lyrically interesting, intelligent, acerbic and performed excellently by a talented group of musicians. If they can keep this up with future records this is a band on the brink of big things"
"They're an eclectic band, who just might garner fans from all sections of society, many of whom would usually give anything vaguely hip hop a wide berth. And this, you sense, is exactly what they're aiming for." - Read full review
"...there is a gaping hole left in Trip Hop that I believe needs refilling and this lot sound more than capable of rising to that particular challenge." - Read full review
"The Rise of Tiger Shadow' is a bit of a multi genre success story... generally this is an example of positivity infused hip-hop mixed with various reggae, indie and funk... Production is superb and a couple of the tracks sound absolutely epic"
"It works well with the guitars feeding off the plot and the drums adding a lively and very exciting dimension to their forward thinking ideas. Komla MC works over the top of this and to a stunning effect" - Read full review