Get all 14 Es releases available on Bandcamp and save 15%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Tribute To Tribe [Single], Shotgun (prod. by Rhook Beats) [Single], Driver Or Driven, You Want A Piece Of Me?, Not That Serious (prod by Bombay) [Single], Social Meteor Vol 1: Inspired By My Timeline, The Do Better Challenge [single], Chess Game Of Life (prod by Soul Chef), and 6 more.
1. |
Share My World
02:04
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I put myself out there like street busking
Giving a piece of myself more potent than key hustling
Getting rid of any assumptions of the man who you think I am
Bringing different parts of me, a part of my plan
From my upbringing to journey to the man that I've become
To the rhymeslinger over drums to the father of 1, 2, 3
Boys but still build stanzas to destroy
Chump rappers and decoys and break them like bboys
Got the call from my H-O-M to the E boy
J.Pal on some Chuck D ish bringing me noise
We met back in 97, a couple of Mac bretheren
College radio underground hiphop and rap connect them
2012 after so many years had elapsed
Low and behold my email was graced with a beat batch
Full of nothing but heat stacks
Selected 2 joints Feud For Thought Intro and Day And Night to be exact
Fast forward to pandemic '21
Right place right time to embark on another one
This time exclusive producing
Allowing me to mesh cohesively so we can be aligned with creative juices
The beat speaks so I talk back to it
Sometimes I attack it or walk right through it
Like RBs receiving the hand off from the QB
Tuck it under my arm see if the crowd gon move with me
On some emcee ish moving the chains
Forward progress is maintained that's the name of the game
Salute to my loyal supporters who been rocking for a minute
Thought it was time to share more of my world and what's in it
From my winning formula to what sets me apart
To the solitary spark that drew me close to this art
Labeled this project You Want A Piece Of Me? to bring clarity
Not a piece of me like physically challenge me
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2. |
You Want A Piece Of Me?
03:21
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The oldest of 3 kids from an immigrant house
Navigating 2 cultural norms trying to figure things out
North American mindset, west african roots
Society built on excess but taught to stash away loot
For a rainy day...was taught to live within my means
But as I grew into adulthood, it's harder than it seems
I mean, once you earn it then its gone in a flash
All depends on your discipline when it comes to the cash
Financially illiterate, when you think about it it's ridiculous
Hard escaping the trap when you're in the thick of it
Climbing out of debt and I'm building my wealth
Got feelers in the universe instead of feeling myself
Investing in stocks and myself with maturation long term
The journey supersedes the path as far as I'm concerned
Though I strive for the finish taking the path less traveled
Optimistic about the future as it unravels
Battling out of jams with my back against the wall
I brawl, get back on my feet right after I fall
For every time I hit the floor, I picked myself back up
This life forever testing my mettle with the force of a mack truck
But I’m resilient, rebound nothing short of brilliant
I make obstacles fade away into oblivion
Testament to my upbringing, kudos to mom and pop dukes
They supplied the keys to the doors that I walk through
You want a piece of me?
These soundbites reflect a bit of who I seem to be
A bit of my background incase you didn't know it
Over the beat, my inner me is who I'm showing
You want a piece of me?
These soundbites reflect a bit of who I seem to be
A bit of my background incase you didn't know it
Over the beat, my inner me is who I'm showing
Battling racism as immigrants in the 80s
The will to fight against the odds subconsciously got engrained in me
As a youngin seeing the effort and the sacrifice
My parents made, they pushed for better grades to help me pass at life
Role models, big sneakers to fill
Either fight for what you want in life or proceed to be nill
Either way, nill ain’t an option, call it pride or reputation
African culture is all about the drive in education
My parents were educators, so the bar was the highest
Mr doing pole vault in high jump was equal to trying
Training the mental to excel, the opposite of fail
Indebted but paid the tab to them in life by doing well
From grade school to high school, undergrad to grad school
From adolescent to adult, married and had youths
Now I’m wearing DAD shoes and it all makes sense
Role reversal, next generation of kings to raise next
Black boys...more endangered than rare species
Gotta teach em there’s no limit to where their peaks be
That's my frame of mind as I live my true purpose
My true worth is my legacy left on this earth
As a piece of me, just the notion of puts me at piece
Peace of mind, meets the grind of achieving the feat
I'm succeeding at least, and that's the current state
For now, more important than winning medals is running the race
You want a piece of me?
These soundbites reflect a bit of who I seem to be
A bit of my background incase you didn't know it
Over the beat, my inner me is who I'm showing
You want a piece of me?
These soundbites reflect a bit of who I seem to be
A bit of my background incase you didn't know it
Over the beat, my inner me is who I'm showing
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3. |
Home
04:42
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Home is a place, or is it a state of mind
Sometimes I feel alive when my mind is straying outside
Trying to find another part of me that I didn't know existed
Then I pull that part of me, incorporate it into a scripture
I learned a lot about myself through my writing
Seen the effects of my words manifesting to real excitement
When reciting in person, that natural high's undeniable
If you happen to be a creative then this applies to you
It's not about awards, glamour and glitz
The release of adrenaline, finding that passion within
Letting that passion take you somewhere that you never had been
Get inspired, lift a spirit, repeat that action again
Kinda therapeutic, helped in seeking my sense of self
Blessed with a little bit of talent easing my mental health
Each verse, a journal entry that helps me to cope
Channel these feelings I quote in a method that's dope
Relatable to any listener
Articulating a thought that they were thinking at one point in time but couldn’t spit as tough
I feel at home behind the microphone
Mindstate is home whether constructed in brick, tile or stone
My source of refuge from the many unknowns
That life catapults our way and we’re forced to decode
So for those few hours, I use my music for power
My home away from home within my home that I’m proud of
My get away from home even when I’m physically home
Home is like my escape, perhaps its all up in my dome
I feel like I’m a king on a throne when in a zone
The creative process the place of solace I’m going
Call it the man cave, my little hideout down in my basement
Or call it the headphones to my ears when I’m creating
Within this space I’m elevated to a higher level
Slave to the rhythm, to the bass I’m a rebel
My house turned to a home
With enough incentive for me to always wanna come home
My queen and my 3 princes makes this king feel so significant
A lot of little things make all the difference
For instance, where do I wanna go when work is stressing me out
After a day of chewing me up and spitting me out
It’s home, where I can be myself with those that matter the most
The place where I can recharge like a battery post
Family matters, modeling my home after the Winslows
Only difference is there's no quiet on the set
No outtakes or episodes of pilots on deck
In a home with 3 sons man its rowdy as heck
But its love, the kinda family dynamic I wouldn't trade for
The kinda family dynamic I wouldn't pay for
Prayed for and it came true, stayed in Gods graces
Love, wealth, prosperity and health God was gracious
Enough to give me a safe space, my haven my palace
Stability in life for when life knocks you off balance
The structure, the foundation to build a strong alliance
The home to nurture cubs to fight with the force of a lion
This spot that I dwell is much more than the brick and mortar
Much more than a listed offer you see on a home listing
This spot is tight knit like blood's thicker than water
Despite the external drama potentially soul denting...it's home
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4. |
Attack (feat. Elzhi)
04:40
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5. |
Dreams (Interlude)
01:10
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6. |
The Come Up Story
05:29
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I caught the bug in 87 never looking back
Tricky the 1st record I recall had me hooked to rap
A born Canuck living in T&T till adolescence
Planted the seed of what would be today’s semi-profession
Back it up, what did I stumble across
Heard a couple of dudes talking and then a number of thoughts
Started racing inside my head of what it was I just watched
All I know at the time I didn’t want it to stop
The images caught my eye plus the sound was unique
From the style of the walk to the clothes to the sound of the speech
Talking over the music with a style I never heard before
A different kinda energy and I wanted to hear some more
Later I learned it was a thing they call rap
The generation before me thought it a fad and some crap
That wouldn’t last, but youth would have the last laugh
That rap was here to stay and that’s a matter of fact
From, humble beginnings I've witnessed the progression
The many stages in my development's been a blessing
A few milestones to get me where I'm going
Summarized in condensed form if you're not knowing
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
Into the 90s T&T North Americanized
TV began to see the world through American eyes
TV and music influence was undeniable
Donnie Simpson and Casey Kasem opened my eyes to view
The latest music plays smoking the charts
Remember T&T was Calypso and soca at heart
91 life circumstance would bring me back to the North
Take the flame with me that I brought and then carry the torch
That I kept lit while I studied greats and mastered my craft
Recorded rhymes onto cassette through boombox when I rapped
I remember thinking that everything I spit was so impressive
In retrospect it was just a bunch of copycat impressions
From Das Efx to Lord Finesse to Heavy D
Biting before I figured out who I'd eventually be
The growing pains until I came into my own
The path to find my own voice on this microphone
From, humble beginnings I've witnessed the progression
The many stages in my development's been a blessing
A few milestones to get me where I'm going
Summarized in condensed form if you're not knowing
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
Fast forward, early 2000s where you find me
In a circle amongst a bunch of my peers cypher rhyming
Bouncing energy off one another like trampolines
Downtown Guelph or Hamilton catch me rapping to beats
Open mic or on the radio big shouts to my folks
I chopped it up with on the regular when out at the shows
Shout out the spitters who sparred to help me sharpen my blade
The catalyst lighter fluid arson the spark of my flame
You can say the water, the seed, planted the tree giving new life
Now I bear the fruit of my labour verses I do write
'07 was the genesis, Myspace was the platform
Released my first recordings to the public I was proud of
As time progressed so did my network too
Messed with the best producers and put out my best work too
Started with HomeGrown Monsters then my debut LP
Feud For Thought with 2 beats that J. brewed and dealt me
From, humble beginnings I've witnessed the progression
The many stages in my development's been a blessing
A few milestones to get me where I'm going
Summarized in condensed form if you're not knowing
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
The quest continued, I reached the point of no return
Continued plugging away at this music with no concern
For the opposition of naysayers whose crutch is my age
Till they see me live in the flesh and commend how I engage
With the audience with relatability, skill and abilities
Stand on what I speak on with truth and humility
Aspired to inspire while lifting your spirits higher
Kicking jewels for the soul with intensity minus the ire
Vulnerable on We Are Only Getting Older
Embracing your age and growth was the message that I told em
Social Meteor the gift and the curse
Summarized a number of interactive aspects at work
Then connected on a short player for pandemic release
Still riding high off adrenaline get me past the release
Took a break and now I'm back on these beats back to unleash
With J. Pal, release the hounds like busted straps on a leash
From, humble beginnings I've witnessed the progression
The many stages in my development's been a blessing
A few milestones to get me where I'm going
Summarized in condensed form if you're not knowing
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Onto the next phase of this story I brought
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I cut it short? (No!)
Should I keep it going? (Yup!) or should I
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7. |
Say My Name Right
03:29
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I guess you can call it a pet peeve
Perhaps a bit of a nuisance how you address me
Been capital "E" ever since a lower case "s"
Put the letters together they spell Es!
Butchered the past decade put some respek on my name
Two simple letters together, for some reason it's a pain
I repeat it ad nauseum on many a record
But some of y'all ain't listen many years later still messing
It up...nomadic soul, never claimed the address
Seems the attention to detail hella lazy at best
I walk the street with a super man "S" on my chest
Trying to do what I was sent to do better than the rest
It's such BS, when I'm addressed as E-S
Last time I checked there's no dash between E and S
This ain't the first time, most likely not the last
Just another moment in time that'll soon come to pass
In the beginning I laughed, cause I thought it was cute
After so many years gone by on this pursuit
Figured the audio and vids cleared the air like a statement
The abuse would continue and its borderline flagrant
Say my name right, the name of the song
Made a name for myself despite the fact you're saying it wrong
Whether you're guilty of this wrong, I'm glad you're singing along
To the lyrics that I spit in the song...what's it called?
Say my name right...don't get it confused
Not your prototypical rap name but it do what it do
Say my name right...just a couple of letters
1 syllable sounds magical when put together
Es is the name, nickname no gimmicks
Abbreviated form of my government when I'm spitting
Capital "E" and a lower case "s"
Simple as pie but gets butchered to death….say my name right!!
So, I guess I'm part of the problem
Been a issue from childhood but I did little to solve it
Since the age of six I felt it more convenient
Rather than repeatedly correct I went with something easier
People struggled to enunciate my government
Through word association this what I was running with
This dating back to elementary days
I told them that my government namr sounds like sesame (ayyy)
Looking back I felt I did it for their memory sake
But thinking 'bout it now perhaps my fundamental mistake
Rather than embrace my African name I westernized it
Lost a piece of me when I failed to recognize it
Trying to assimilate in this Canuck salad bowl
Where individuality in all of us turns halves to whole
Kinda hypocritical to command respect of my peers
When I didn't respect myself enough for plenty of years
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8. |
My Winning Formula
03:54
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I'm a thinking man's writer, my pen caters to thinkers
Maneuver through minds like lane changes with blinkers
Signaling the brainstorm while collecting my thoughts
To splatter it on a canvas painting a picture to force
The pushing of rewind buttons, my content defines substance
Differentiate myself cause I'm rapping unlike the others
When I write I like to discover places my mind can take me
Once the concept is locked in, the groove motivates me
To spew the feelings inside of me to share with the masses
Grasping at inspiration to release as a captured
Moment in life that I time stamp immortalized offering
My catalogue a light source, hearing is life altering
My strength is concepts, bars with a purpose
To get you looking deeper inside to reflect your inner workings
Whether regular life, hopes and dreams or some storytelling
The takeaways at the end of the day are more revealing
Of where my head is at now that I'm seasoned in life
A few decades under my belt gives me the reason to write
Found my lane and my audience
Never needing to compromise the person that I've become on this journey that's been glorious
Stayed laboriously mastering my craft
Slipped under a couple radars with a catalogue stacked
With mature faceted rhyming for grown folks
I'm the one that the doctors prescribe, best move discarding your old dose
My winning formula adopted since 2010
I amassed a cool following of many friends
I got some cool quirks to set me apart
Allowing me to be the best that I can be from the start
J Pal supplied the canvas for me to paint stanzas on
Best foot forward, not trying to be a tag along
Adding to this catalogue of flyness
I ride with these winning recipes for this mandatory diet
My jotted lines reflect my reality
Some of you pill Cosby rap fans get off on technicality
Lyrical miracle drivel with no flow
Upper echelons when it comes to status but they got no soul
Going through the motions like marital missionary
The ability to be so predictable's kinda scary
So like a kitty with 9 lives, stay on your toes
Cliff hanger when Es plays in your headphones
I delve into themes that stray away from the norm
Approach records after the brainstorm and the rain is gone
Dissect every single phrase that I say in a song
Repeat the steps a couple times then I'm playing it forward
Seek the common denominator from 3 songs
To formulate conceptually the direction I'm riding these beats for
My winning formula adopted since 2010
Amassed a small following and support of many friends
Collaboration prospects for future projects
Groundwork laid for the crafting of future content
From the perspective of a man whose grown into his own
Got it down to a science on this microphone
Releasing as therapy for clearing my head and conscience
Kept my head down, now the ascension is constant
Up up take off wind beneath extended spans
Apply pressure on a record there's no limit to where it's headed man
My winning formula adopted since 2010
I amassed a cool following of many friends
I got some cool quirks to set me apart
Allowing me to be the best that I can be from the start
J Pal supplied the canvas for me to paint stanzas on
Best foot forward, not trying to be a tag along
Adding to this catalogue of flyness
I ride with these winning recipes for this mandatory diet
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9. |
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Holding a ladder inclining outta my pigeon hole
Typecasted auditioning for a different role
Out of my comfort zone as well as the box that I'm jacked in
Out of this world I moon walk like I'm Michael Jackson
Bars reciting setting stages ablaze
Off the rhymes that I made, smartphone or a page
After its laid down I claim the crown snatching it off of your melon
Better by the letter put words together like spelling
Bees, cleverly combined into bars and stanzas
Heads or tails, I kill releases like the morning after
Pill, from a night of regret
Take in an Es joint for a flight you'll never forget
The eargasm, the oohs to the sound of my wax
Clean out your ear canals cause I'm profound when I rap
Never doubled or tripled timed when slaying a mic
I don't need to ride that wave just to say that I'm nice
Hiphop is in a great place so I'm playing my part
I mean fraction not acting, capping ain't a part
Of my modus operandi your man got standards
In the house when it's time to shine, flows out standing
Standing out from the pack no gimmicks attached
Tight flows and subject matter, clean image attached
Mean with lyrics to match, obscene lyrics detached
I'm instrumental to the scene like beats picked when I rap
I spit game duke my shit is the truth
Microphone phenomenal
Interject with intellect
Don't grab this mic the shit's too hot
I spit game duke my shit is the truth
I set the microphone on fire
Don't start none, won't be none
Don't grab this mic the shit's too hot
Too much of anything can make you an addict
I got a lot up top, guess I'm an attic
A deep thinker spraying thoughts across canvasses
Peaks and valleys I'm playing the law of averages
Meaning overall I flat line rappers
Between the highs and lows I clock my hang time after
Like Jordan from the free throw
I'm off the hook like a hanger heir to the throne, you plain (plane) landing like Heathrow
Distinguished with the English slanging nouns and verbs
Truth Hop at its core that's why my sound's preferred
Forever urge my age mates to keep rocking if they got it
Skill, hunger and passion is the knot inside our pocket
And we got it if you want it, you're confused by the greys
Misconception when it comes to the age
Stop playing yourself, I'm as instrumental as the beats that I rap on
My aura penetrates you like a strap-on (pause)
Had to let the beat drop out
Pause for the cause, the last bar made your jaw pop out
Applause when I rock out, frauds I make em clock out
Show up at show time like I pulled my watch out
Tick tick, witness the 2nd coming
Of the era you claiming had come and gone end of discussion
Es here to render destruction to your minimal potential
Sound of my voice is essential over instrumental
I spit game duke my shit is the truth
Microphone phenomenal
Interject with intellect
Don't grab this mic
My shit is the truth
I set the microphone on fire
Don't start none, won't be none
The shit's too hot
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10. |
The Last Piece
02:13
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Es Mississauga, Ontario
Based out of Mississauga (suburb of Toronto), Es is a student of hiphop. Inspired by golden era hip hop, Es makes a
conscious effort to capture the essence of hip hop...hard beats and raw rhymes. With 7 quality projects under his belt, his 8th aims to be another solid release for lovers of true school hiphop.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoTuMtoybDQ
... more
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