Get all 12 jason chu releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of We Were the Seeds, Splash!, Vibranium, AYCE, living.room, Arrivals, MARVELS (ft. Sarah Jake), Some day soon..., and 4 more.
1. |
free
02:13
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Have you ever felt the challenge of keepin your balance
As you walk down the line between naive and callous?
When I rode a child seat, I had auras around me
That caught guidance counselor eyes like meat on shark week
I mean, I can’t speak for the rest of the crowd
But expectations are a burden that kept weighing me down
Big fish, little pond, big name in a small town
Sometimes I ask God if it's over for me now
Do I make my parents proud cuz I made it out of the house,
and very few other Asians are makin this kind of sound?
I was raised to be great, told to be the best
Now every project I release that fails just gives me stress
If you've ever been depressed, I know that you can relate
To the weight of a generation and a race
Evry time I step on stage, I'm fighting for my place
Even Asians often tell me I don't have a rapper's face
I'm NOT running in place, I'm here to run MY race
I don't reference my talent just to flaunt it in your face
I do it 'cause I'm conscious of the chips that are at stake
I'm workin on my music to bring honor to my race
Tryna make a statement, tryin' to make arrangements
So the next generation might, escape this wasteland
.I'd stay up late in, my parent's base ment
Listenin to the Walkman tuned to the radio station
Pop culture revealed my lack of basic information
My education was lacking in breadth and variation
Substance without style, smart with no mouth
I was young, wild, and free - minus the wild
For a while, blamed myself like I was too uncool
Like I was the only one left when everyone else ditched school
But now my people are on my back, that's what I CAN do
If I touch a single life, I guess my raps came through
So I'm practicing my craft like I do kung fu
If YOU want a chance to live, yes, you come too
Throw the shackles off your back, pack a bag, grab a map
find your voice, let it breathe and YOU can live beyond the edge
Free…
you can live beyond the edge
Free…
you can live beyond the edge.
Free.
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2. |
Oh Lord
03:45
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Verse 1
Lately, life has been a little bit crazy
If you ever broken up you know exactly what I'm sayin'
Flippin out, wipin out, messin up, stress had a brother about to go super Saiyan.
When I’m out of patience, I don't handle pressure well
Dad was super chill, but under pressure he would yell
The immigrant story, family went through hell, now I'm here to bring them glory through the stories that I tell
I do this for my fam, mom and dad, I love ya
Losin touch with Tori, I'm not a goood, brother
Stayin focused, don't have the time to spare
Sorry to my sister, when I make it, you'll be there
But I might never make it, even if I put in time
I'm not the greatest, I just need to speak my mind, and see my story cut through all the lies that I’ve been buyin
Troubled thoughts at night, but that's when I get inspired
and say
Chorus
Oh lord
Would you help me get off my knees
Gotta get off my knees, I gotta get off my knees
Oh lord
I got the devil at my door
He ain't gonna hold me back, ain't gon hold me back
Verse 2
Will I make it? Man, I don’t know if I’m a legend bein written or amateur tryna go pro
Every time I write a song, I’m feelin good, then I hear my voice recorded - that take was so-so
Wanted to write a legend like the Hobbit but the odds against me even though I graduated college,
the product of generations of scholars, not tryna kick no knowledge, I’m just here to give you something that helped me through all my problems
Give you something that your eyes can’t see
But sometimes I wonder if you see in me or ID some part of me that speaks truly
I’m tempted to give in and just let things be.
I tried that. It's cool, but that's not me.
And not me is somethin that I will not be.
What you see - the pain the struggle the fam, the hustle the music the lyrics - it’s all part of the plan
Bad habits and flaws? man I been through it all, lost some good friends ‘cause I was too selfish to call
Oh Lord, I’m tryna go hard, but oh God old habits, they die hard
These doubts are crushin my whole heart, I’m tryna hold on to go on,
so I say
Verse 3
I flew to college on a scholarship
But I wouldn't exactly call that a power trip
Cuz there's not a lot of love if you're academic
If you're Chinese and rap then it's probably a gimmick
Ain't another rapper out here that I'm tryna mimic
I do this for my art, I put my stories on the canvas, not an entertainer, I'm not here to play a role
I'm just here to give you all a piece of my, soul
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3. |
no angels
04:48
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VERSE 1 - First experiences. First loss of innocence.
It all started when I was eleven
At the mall I saw angels - but they didn't come from heaven
From their curves to their lips, feminine perfection
To youthful eyes, they were basically naked
That night, my imagination thrived
They haunted my eyes, I felt butterflies rise
Amazed, I had never seen a woman that way
And I fantasized, what it would be like
.So full of innocence, I didn't even know
What I stepped into, setting foot upon this road
One picture turned to two, two turned into four
The next thing I knew, I was way out of control
.So young, but already I'd been told
The measure of a woman is her body, not her soul
Plus the hormones in MY body were not just to help me grow
So girls replaced the toys I'd out grown.
Chorus
We flew together, but I'm no angel
I'm no angel, I'm no angel
We used each other, and I'm no angel
I'm no angel - we're not angels
Verse 2
A sexual addiction in its early stages
Attracted to the pics and links up on those webpages
Vivid promises of sex, but it's not enough
You can't buy me love, but I can sure pay for lust
I'm battling myself, and boy, I'm getting massacred
This girl on my computer will do whatever I ask of her
Once it was fun, now I can't stop
Every time online, new tab - MAN she's hot
No more thought, once I'm locked in
Til I stop, all I think about is her skin
For the moment, I can own her, or worship at her throne
but once it's over and I'm sober then I'm back here on my own
The goddess that captivated me is just a tab to exit
History deleted, I'm cleaning up my messes
It makes me sick just to think about it
A couple hours later, all I'll do is think about it
Chorus
Verse 3
A billion dollar industry with great PR
All based around denying just how lonely we are
Silicone-pumped curves and airbrushed scars
Hide the drug use and abuse of the women they call stars
Broken women, broken by broken men
When I idolize their image, the cycle starts all again
I-look-at-my-girl like why won't YOU fuck like them
Forgetting she's a person, not an internet icon
Now she's the casualty of habits started casually,
Sixteen years ago, never dreaming they would master me
.It's the wool that I pulled over my eyes
Telling-myself that women are all just freaks in disguise
Librarians and wives, mothers and professors
18 and up, all just subjects, for my erection
And I'm buried alive, while chasing dreams
Of angels with no wings, that will never fly
Chorus
Outro
You are not a toy, you're a woman
And I am not a boy, I'm a man
In this cold world, we're all broken
I can't fly, but I can try to stand
x2
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4. |
3amLookingAtYourPictures
02:21
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When you had her, you loved her, now you've left her
When you had her, you loved her, and you messed up
I just realized that porn has gotten boring. shit, I'd rather have a girl here just to kick it with
White picket fence, is that too much to ask? or am I trippin off of surfin through Facebook pictures of my ex
I mean, I was the one who left, cut her off like her dad when her father left
And now she's fatherless, plus missin her boyfriend but why am I still the one who's got an empty chest?
And if I talk about emptiness, would you feel my heart through the words or am I just an emo kid depressed
Who might as well slit his wrists, write bad poetry, listen to Death Cab for Cutie, and dress all in black?
…I want to call her bad
But since the last argument, I haven't called her back
She always asked why I never wrote a song about her, well here you go: this song, this is OUR track
.Not break-up music, the soundtrack to play after you've broken up, and when you want her back
The band-aid on top of a wound that's still bleeding months after your jacket got stabbed in the back
I can't relax, not the type for Xanax but after panic attacks, I might just try a pack
After dates, I would drive you back
We'd make out in the back seat of my car with the windows cracked
.Plus play the latest Kendrick on my Mac
I lent you good kid maad city, and I don't want it back
I just want YOU back, but I can't handle the facts ringing through my head like an old machine sending a fax
…I want to put you on blast, but you don't deserve that, you were just doin the best that you can
I wasn't enough of a man, not the man you needed, in fact, I was holding you back
.Plus you were dragging me down, it seems so simple now, we held each other so close we had no air and drowned
Crowned our relationship, said you were the one - now I'm standing here wishing I had held my tongue
Cuz if we'd never kissed like that, the mistakes that I made wouldn't have hurt us both so bad
And it's oh so sad, we were really in love but our love wasn't the best
But if it's any consolation to you, I guess you were right when you said
That because of you I'd turn out to be a wiser man… Man.
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5. |
Red Lines
03:40
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Verse 1
How many nights have I been up late?
Alone and frustrated, overly medicated, my head is aching, I can't get to sleepin so I'm still awake
Thoughts are racing and my blood is pumping heavily, I'm far from heavenly
I'm only human, I'm only broken, the only mutant in this family
Mom and dad are mad at me: their bastard son with a catastrophe
My pastor pleads and says that problems need to be solved with peace plans, but I can't receive that
Now I'm searching through the house
For anything that's sharp enough to pierce this cloud that I'm surrounded in
From the kitchen to the office, shocking how much has changed since I was toddlin
Up these stairs, now I'm lockin the door to the room that I grew up in
I just drank some whiskey - what is this stuff
It burns but it feels good, my stomach churns,
now I'm looking in the mirror, looking at myself
I don't even move my hand, it moves itself
Chorus
None of you can save me from myself
I look strong but I'm far from perfect health
Red lines, red lines
Red lines, red lines
Everyone knows I'm a cry for help
Locked doors and I'm cuttin everybody out
Red lines, red lines
Red lines, red lines
Verse 2
I cut myself tonight, and it hurt
Now I'm in the bathroom, trying to hide a bloody shirt
I was nervous, but now the tension's gone
When my parents come home I'll just tell them I did my homework
At school, my friends and teachers are concerned, but I've learned
if I insist that everything is all right, they'll mind their own business, and I can hide in plain sight
It's a cycle that I'm on and honestly I'm afraid that I'll be pedaling til I'm gone, I'm trying to sound alarms
But my friends already know that I'm artistic on my arms plus I'm a ticking time bomb, or am I just a drama whore who missed attention from his momma
I don't know how I can stop, now I'm ready to blow up, I need to bleed to feed the urge
that seizes me won't let me sleep, now I'm creeping out from under sheets and sneaking past the hallway: creaking boards, beeping laundry machine, my daddy's asleep while I'm seeking a means for release
I always wonder if I'll go too far, but that hasn't come yet, so I keep on doing this….
Chorus
Verse 3
I'm an addict, and my drug is hard to swallow
The pills that I pop are not prescriptions, you'll never find them in a bottle
I don't know what tomorrow holds, I barely have today
But I'm halfway through this day and standin stronger than the pain
Now I've learned that just because I've given in, that doesn't mean I have to give up
yeah, I can still get back up
I'll put this knife down, and I won't pick it back up
No matter how much bad luck can stack up, I'm moving forward, I'm moving forward, I'm moving forward.
I'm moving forward!
uh
End Chorus
Will you be there if I cry for help?
Maybe I don't have to do this all by myself
Red lines, red lines
Red lines, red lines
I feel alone but I'm reachin out
Learned I don't have to listen to my doubts
Red lines, red lines
Red lines, red lines
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6. |
Shine With Me
03:00
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Shy at first, now I'm bright and new
When I saw your light, I spent the night with you
Will you push me away, or draw me closer to you?
Will you shine with me, if I shine for you?
Verse 1
I started rapping attracted to all the action
Never thought I'd ever have a chance to fashion my own lane
Fascinated by the way these words portrayed a mind state,
My motivation was passion, captivated by dropouts with more eloquence than my graduation speakers
I know it sounds odd… but this Chinese kid played rap and heard God//
See Jason up late hearin Eminem songs, then rappin them back on the back of the bus
I packed my bookbag with my calculus books, plus the latest Jigga disses to Nas
See Jason walkin round in his mom and dad's house, rapping to his toys, action figures and cards
Fast forward, ten years later, see him on stage in LA, three hundred younger kids in the house, wow
CHORUS
Shy at first, now I'm bright and new
When I saw your light, I spent the night with you
Will you push me away, or draw me closer to you?
Will you shine with me, if I shine for you?
Verse 2
Learned to speak from my heart with the art in this wrist
My pen used to itch til my fingers twitched, it wrote words on the pad til my blisters split,
I didn't feel it like a hypnotist
Ignored my younger sister, I was so selfish
Fought with mom and dad, I was a little prick
Plus a little self-hatred, I was hypocrite
Never kissed a girl, I was way too timid
But evry word that I wrote, man, it lifted this, turned pissed pessimist to artistic bliss
Learned to spit raps like unwrapping gifts, plus my attitude turned activist
I activated my mission, learned to act as if I wasn't the only person that mattered
Fast forward, five years later, now I'm spitting in Beijing, three hundred kids listening, wow
CHORUS
Verse 3
Imma end this track real honest, sometimes I rap cuz I love to see your comments
Sometimes I want to blow my money on designers, product of consumerism plus years in college
So I need you to shine with me
Cuz if I don't rhyme for you, there's no rhymes in me
That's the reason I see for this season in life
I'm writin words to give you somethin to believe in//
I'ma keep on writin trustin that you're readin
keep on rappin trusting that you hear it
I'ma keep on living just so you can see what it looks like for a broken young man to find freedom
If I'm tellin lies, damn right I'mma eat em
I'll swallow mean bullets from Marine peacekeepers
Crucified on the beach during shark week season
Screamin as I lie there bleedin
If my country shuts me up, I will commit treason
If I die, cut the words out my lungs, and keep em in a jar with vinegar and embalming ether
A suicide bomb plus the calm of Jesus
Plus the karma of Edward Snowden, Imma tell the truth even if it earns me no friends
Fast forward to today, I'm spittin in LA, and I need my words to leave you weeping, unh
CHORUS
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7. |
MILLENNIAL
02:18
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Every generation to pass leaves a footprint on the path
Once your time is past, what will yours look like?
Much Love
Verse 1
This is not a tracklist with bangers
This is antisocial stuck at home with no manners
What you know about Tupac spittin at the cameras?
This is the sound of surgery on social cancer
I'm grabbing the microphone at every open mic on campus, canceling every class that they use to direct the masses
This is the sound of guerrilla war and harassment
The voice of a generation raised without compassion
From orgasm to the casket, parents leaders and pastors
Leaned over our shoulders while they were lookin right past us
That's why you always ask why we dress black and aggressive in hoodies jeans and skimasks, all a part of the package
Chorus
A generation of millionaires with molotovs
How do you dare to judge us when you don't know us at all?
Confusion is at the root of all hatred
And just remember, we're exactly what you made us!
Verse 2
The constant gossiping, bullies plotting, the Oxycontin
copping Kamikaze no common sense
all my Facebook friends are watchin me hawkishly, no common decency
I'd be calm immediately if I had no media feeds
I'm a media beast, eatin no wheat, I'm eatin the weak, I'm eatin your meat
And meetin your mourners out in the streets
I'm a coronary, so coronate me, read 'em and weep
And the coroner knows me, I'm deliverin the deceased
Of the last generation that passed into my reach
The new millennium, I'm the insolence in the speech
Of the millenial generation raised on ADHD, Ritalin and Internet, interventions cannot reach
The honor student dropout, the college campus walkout
The reason all your kids are on the phone while you try to talk now
The voice of a generation racin cross the nation
crossin races, raisin' hell, erasin all of your hard labor
uh… And I'm not advocating terrorism
Don't throw a bomb, write a song and have the nation listen
Takin the system prison, pressin on your indignation
My parents' youth was wasted, now I'm here as their replacement
A generation of millionaires with molotovs
How do you dare to judge us when you don't know us at all?
Confusion is at the root of all hatred
And just remember, we're exactly what you made us!
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8. |
Song For You
03:45
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Prechorus
I won't always be near
So I wrote this song for you
When I'm not in the room
My words will lift you
Verse 1
Jay brought you to our show over New Year's,
introduced us "meet my student Eli right here"
Raised in a fam'ly without a brother or a sister
Your distance from parents was better measured in light years
Saw us on stage and you looked up to us
Bought a signed CD and wished good luck to us
I always hoped to make music that would inspire
The younger generation and give you someone to admire
I remember who I was when I was sixteen
Hid my voice, and never dared for big dreams
.'cuz experiences around me were never heard on radio or projected on a big screen
.I saw you as a younger version of my self; you hit me up, said my songs were a really big help
I rapped about Grace, you related to it
Heard my song about race and saw your face through it
But I had to leave the city to follow my dreams
And outside our final show, I saw you in the street
We shook hands - thanks for your support
And I hope you're still inspired when you hear my voice...
CHORUS
Verse 2
I was unpolished… to be honest, I gave myself a C for my performance at your college
I was young, when I traveled to Wisconsin as the closing act inside of your Spring concert
I flowed so-so, they should have just had a local close
.But you waited to talk to me after the show
Had me autograph the contents of your pockets
I even signed my name on your Totoro backpack
Totally thankful that you would compliment my raps
Said you found them meaningful and even bought my tracks
Friended me on Facebook, I added you back
When I was anxious, you left a comment on my status
You said my music, had impacted your heart, and you'd ride around with my CD in your car
Gave me hope that my words could move a nation
So this verse right here is a dedication…
...to you
uh
…thank you
CHORUS
Verse 3
This is why I live the life that you see and hear, for every single lonely kid that I see in here
For every spark of artistic inspiration that could jumpstart the aching hearts who want to beat clear
.And let me be clear: I am not an idol, like a child, I am full of fear
I might rise, I might crumble - maybe I will stumble, but I will never cheat here
…And I will never give you cheap beer
I pledge you the best of my recipes, the best I have left in me, the stress and messiness
The honesty AND the struggle will always be real
.And I do it cuz I grew up with the muses
I heard in the music that I played on my computer
.I'm a student of those singers and producers, and I'm just hoping my voice will reach the future
So if you listen to this on YouTube, or download the MP3? you too
I want you to know every time you hear me speak through these beats that I wrote this song
for YOU. (For you)
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9. |
Manhood
02:57
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INTRO:
The Children of the children of the seventies
Expectations for their future were higher than they could ever meet
Parents gave them all the freedom in the world but never knew how they should treat em
Greeted them into the world but didn't know how to feed em
Millennial
VERSE 1
Twenty-seven years old, ready to be a man
No more waiting for hand outs, I'll do whatever I can
.My best plans are still written in sand
I'm done with sand castles, I need my OWN land
.The world's colder, my mind's older, I was young when I vowed to always be stone sober
But I haven't yet been bowled over, though I see why men drink something stronger than Coca Cola
Or sniff coca, on trips to Acapulco
Pokin their nose in pots of gold that they were not supposed ta
Once super local, now I'm thinking total global
I'm still hopeful in a world gone super loco
Like Toto's owner, or a token marijuana smoker
Startin to feel like I have wandered far away from home, uh
In a Honda Odyssey, I'd give my girl monogamy
But I've accomplished next to nothing next to my degree (Yale!)
CHORUS
.What does it take to be a man?
A dollar and a dream, empty pockets and a plan?
Momma always said, life will never hold your hand
To make God laugh, you just tell him all your plans
x2
12th grade yearbook, "most likely to change the world"
Same time, I was least likely to chase a girl
Sum it up, you don't have to have a brain
To know the combination equals jason goes insane
I'm not saying that MY life is worse than YOUR case
We all have struggles - these are just the ones that I've faced
Not to mention, the girls I found on MySpace, late at night, sendin messages, pictures I erased, huh
I had to get that off my chest, huh
I had to hide all of those texts! Huh
I had a complicated mess
Of how I viewed the other sex - and also sex, huh
.Expecting greatness was problematic
I felt the weight of public gaze, and I couldn't stand it
Ever since I turned 12, I've had this awkward habit, thinking that my future should be brighter than the lunar landing
.So now I'm sorting through my options
From passive thought, now I'm moving to production
To start conducting my life with new reductions
Less consumption. More action. More confronting.
x2
CHORUS
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10. |
Letter to Jin
04:36
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Verse 1:
Fifteen and pimply, my friend sent me a message that said "Chinese freestyle on BET"
Intrigued by this emcee from Miami, Chinese kid with slanty eyes kinda looked like me
Awkward as a kid, I was a nerd but I loved Hiphop
Just never thought that the culture would give me my shot
Rappin with my friends after school before dad picked us up
Just out of love - never dreamed that I’d amount to much
So I was psyched to see you on SMACK DVD
Release day, I bought the rest is history
Even Ryde Or Die 4, just for YOUR one track
Aim for the head, when you see em go get em - yeah
More than Learn Chinese or hot import nights, what you represented to me was our civil rights
& I KNEW that you would blow up soon
But then I heard you got dropped from Ruff Ryders... Boom
Chorus
Dear Jin,
I just wanted to say thanks.
You were a role model when I had no other path
I'm writing as your fan -
Representin the Chinese kids that grew up hearin you rap
V2
I started rhymin around my college campus
Around the same time that you dropped the emcee's properganda
Hot 97 did that racist song
And I was proud that you stood up and spoke out to put our people on
.Then I read in a blog, that you moved to Hong Kong
And you dropped some new songs - and got cast in a drama
I heard you were baptized - to REALLY be honest? a part of me sighed - would you change and lose your Asian-American pride?
Would this popular guise, tempt you to give up your fight against all the stereotypes?
Were you tired, or did you just need a change in your life?
Either way, it's all right, I'm GLAD you found Christ
You were quiet for a minute - I NEVER counted you out
But in the absence of YOUR voice started speakin mySELF
In Beijing with David I put some songs on YouTube
Then I moved to LA to do the same thing as you
V3
Now I’m livin out in LA and I feel like I’m on my way
And I’m writin music at night and recordin it in the day
And my friends are tweeting me like "Hey,
have you hearda MC Jin? You two should really collaborate.”
And I downloaded Brand New Me - Honestly?
It wasn't my favorite but still I played it for weeks
Cuz hearin you spit in English made me feel like a kid
Like I'm back in high school downloadin Hundred Grand Jin
And I've seen that you still got it & can hype up a crowd
No more battles - that's fine, I'm just glad you're still around
Then a couple months ago, we finally got to meet
I was stoked - you gave me props for a song that I wrote, a YouTube upload
Really, it gave me chills! an artist that I grew up with was complimenting MY skills
I remember on a mixtape, you once said that you hope to inspire the next asian hip-hop head
& you most definitely have - your words came true
Sincerely yours, your biggest fan - jason chu
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11. |
Fake Rollies & Rap
03:10
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Chorus
Fake rollies and rap x3
Who got time for all that?
x2
Breakdown
The chronicles of a non-chronic chronic fool
Conical cap, back corner of the classroom
Tryna keep cool, I tryna look kinda cool
But I grew up sheltered, never knew that I'm never-nude
Verse 1
Is it cool if I'm honest, no irony for a minute
I know that I sound cooler if I lie and say I'm
Something that I'm not, but that's someone that I'm not
I had some rhymes like that a while back, but they got ripped and tossed out
I started music long ago so I could floss out
But between kickin kitchen raps up in my mom's house
And moving to LA to do this music, that got crossed out
Checked the bar codes on my bars, I know my cost now
A combination that is #VeryRare, Asian hair
plus the kind of Jordan sneakers that I wear
Rarely seen, often parodied like MadTV
White Men Can't Jump - the Oriental version
Expected to lie like rugs, except they're often Persian
I'm not Tyson, but give me a mic stand and I can bite the ear off anybody, that's my word and if you haven't heard of me yet, uh you have now
Chorus
Verse 2
What does it say that I exist in present tense
When my presence tends to elicit bigot sentiments
Explicit comments that my essence is illicit and missing multiple pieces of soul found in Aretha
Rap swag is usually black or as white as Alaskan crab meat inside the shell when it cracks
So I suppose, I'm doomed to oppose or overthrow all the cracks at the types of melanin that I lack
Too white for the black kids - too white for the white kids
I guess my life is just not tight to the right kids
In other words, I'm faker than a Chinatown Louis V
Or the Tupac hologram Coachella speech
But I'm enveloped in rebellion and bow my knee
To nobody's opinion so I'll do me, just wait and see
So I wear this fake Rollie on my wrist to remind me that the people sayin I'm fake - they don't mean shit.
CHORUS
OUTRO
The chronicles of a non-chronic chronic fool
Conical cap, back corner of the classroom
Tryna keep cool, tryna look kinda cool
But I grew up sheltered, never knew that I'm never-nude
x2
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jason chu Los Angeles, California
I make rap music + speak on what I believe in.
TeamNotLazy
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