| I think it’s time I told my, yeah
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| I think it’s…
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| I think it’s time I told my story, not so many know it
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| No I ain’t come from the gutter man, nothing heroic
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| When I was signed I was seventeen, but way before it
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| Was just a kid with so many dreams of world touring
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| But Epic Records, damn they ain’t no joke
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| I showed the world my X Factor when I was just fourteen
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| That lil youngin' trying to get it, you know what I mean
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| And like my brother Bobby say «Tryna bust on the scene»
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| I gotta thank L.A. Reid, JT, L-O-G-I-C
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| For everything you seen in a younger me
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| But there’s a different reason that I’m thanking you all
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| Some of y’all was in the right, some in the wrong
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| L.A. Reid, L.A. Reid, why you even signed me
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| When you had no intention to put the label up behind me
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| Maybe it was trust, maybe it was timing
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| Or finding myself as an artist instead of what you designed for me
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| Remember all the times you almost put me out?
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| Four or five times at the finish line
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| Talkin' bout «Look he ain’t a star, I can tell when he walk
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| And he don’t suck the air out the room every time that he talk» Damn, yeah,
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| that shit was personal
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| Ain’t nothing to do with my talent or my versatility
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| Or my ability to make music that every single person in this world needs
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| The fuck do you know?
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| No disrespect, I take it back
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| You made a lot of stars who they are but you don’t talk about the ones you
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| passed
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| Chris Brown, Gaga, even passed on Mr. West
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| And J.L. 'bout to be on top of that list
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| But I ain’t coming for your neck like that
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| I’m still grateful and you know I got respect like that
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| You gave me music education and I just might add
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| That getting dropped from Epic Records was the best lesson I ever had
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| It made me greater than I ever was or ever been
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| Up in my bedroom cooking records til I couldn’t stand
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| It’s all love, it’s all love, now watch me ascend
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| And if I see you, swear to God I’m gonna shake your hand
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| Yeah, ooh, ooh
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| So this how we gon' be
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| Yeah, uh, yeah, uh-huh, wait
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| Just little John, working so hard to be an idol
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| Trying to be just like Justin and Michael
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| Memorizing every note for piano recital
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| Teacher would yell at me, telling me I should read my notes
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| Uh-huh, yeah, I should read my notes
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| I remember meeting JT way back in my hometown show, was seventeen
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| In 2013 you was on tour, before you went on you said to me
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| «You good boy, you good
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| I heard you when you sing
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| You good boy, you good
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| They tell you not to dance
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| You should boy, you should
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| You good boy, you good»
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| I told him «You're my living idol and I know that it gon' come with the grind
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| though
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| Hundred percent in my mind though
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| How you be hitting them high notes when you still be dancing on
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| Time though
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| Haven’t missed a beat, I can’t find one
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| Never could believe how you glide on 'em, wait (wait)
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| We talked about you producing my album man
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| From the executive standpoint we never got the chance
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| 'Cause plans fell through, my deal fell too
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| To be honest the only reason they kept me on was 'cause of you
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| 'Cause you’re the validation they needed
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| Thought I was nothing on my own but with you they believed it
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| But even you started to tell me that at some point you need to be the baddest
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| motherfucker in the room, don’t conceal it, yeah
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| Boy, where your confidence at?
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| You walk up in this room thinking you belong in the back
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| You think I got to where I am without me leading the pack?
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| You got more talent in your middle finger than the rest of these cats
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| Why it don’t make sense, no it don’t make sense
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| How you be walking 'round acting all tongue twisted
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| 'Cause they don’t listen, treat you like a little kid
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| But half of it’s your fault, you put up with that shit, I wouldn’t
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| I shouldn’t, you right man, I shouldn’t
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| Why am I focusing on the past back when I couldn’t
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| Get out of my own head, so scared what people gonna think
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| Thank you brother for your honest opinion
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| I ain’t seen you in a minute but I know you been winning
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| Heard you missed a few shows, homie get well soon
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| And if you ever need a friend I’ll be there for you too
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| I’m out
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| (And if you ever need a friend I’ll be there for you too) |
| I’m out
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| The biggest thank you of all, Sir Robert Bryson Hall
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| If you had never called, don’t know where I’d have gone
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| You passed me the baton, showing me the greatness
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| While all my dreams had already burned down in flames and
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| My parents told me I should go to college
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| «You're not that far behind, we can start you in the fall time
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| And get you a degree, it’s gon' be alright
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| We’re so tired of seeing you cry, it’s gon' be alright»
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| Yeah, I always had the perseverance
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| Since I was a kid man, I knew that I was fearless
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| But it’s the first time that somebody broke my spirit
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| Screaming at the top of my lungs, but no one hear it, except you
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| The older brother that I never had
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| The only voice of hope when I thought everything was bad
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| The only one who told me «You can beat this, you can do this, pull through this
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| Fuck anybody and everybody who said you can’t
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| Now look around, you got the whole world singing like
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| This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life
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| Yeah, I always knew that you would make it when the time’s right
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| Damn, «I used to wonder what it feel like»
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| Love you, Bobby |