Tantu Beats issued a contest inviting rappers to write over this instrumental that he calls "Fahrenheit". I liked the challenge of approaching this more commercial style beat by running with those stylistic popular rap tropes but doubling down on my vulnerable confessional in a way you don't often hear in mainstream and trap music. I put the song together from thought to fully recorded in 6 days, which is a personal record time. This speaks to a feverish exorcism that the process of this was, my silver tongue licking my wounds of a bizarre and emotionally strenuous few months of love and loss, great achievement and doubt. Tantu is an incredible producer whose work I've followed for nearly a decade now. I recommend you listen to him and maybe freestyle over his plethora of youtube uploads as I have over the years. At risk of sounding cliche, I feel that in getting to make this song, I've already won the contest in some respects. I hope you get something out of me getting this out of me.
lyrics
Aye how you feelin' ?
“Haven't felt like myself” is my answer
Whose gonna make it?
Haven't felt like “myself” is the answer
verse 1
irrelevant bastard, developed a Hell of a standard
stand in a Hell, understand when I tell 'em I've seldom been sadder
it's no embellishment, candor, this fella that fell on his damn sword.
One with a double edge, cunning and cutting edge
glutton for punishment,
something is puzzling (coming undone again),
been on the fucking edge (compelled to jump from it),
he has unraveled, hung jury bungee neck
heart beat is a gavel, judgments have pummeled him
punting his crumpled up bucket list, slash all the junk from it
underfunded under slept, upset, setup with its cousin death,
head clouded in a mushroom sense...
head-trip-wired destructive mess.
"Oh um I guess AllOne's depressed?!"
crazy neurons paint a collage pain's a mirage
making you strong, brains over brawn, break all the bonds
silver tongue (saying it wrong,)
golden boy takes home the bronze (hates it's his fault)
beguiled and hopeless, no grace in the fall
cloud silver lining I've chosen is “silence is golden”
my lips are closed and eyelids are open,
Die of exposing naked truths I've been clothed in,
I've been cold yes, petrified and been frozen,
posed in Lotus faux zen focus mindfulness notions
trying to cope with psychic implosions:
I hate all my stuff, I ain't making the cut
when they pay me a cut, I ain't making enough,
maybe making these cuts, I ain't stable enough
((...okay that's enough....))
Chorus:
Every rose has its accessory to a crown
martyring yourself as you bled everything out
village idiot cries “lone wolf” for attention of the town
doubting the benefit of the benefit of the doubt...
Aye how you feelin' ?
“Haven't felt like myself” is my answer
Whose gonna make it?
Haven't felt like “myself” is the answer
verse 2
intelligent bastard enveloped in dwelling disasters
Selfishly pamper the health of his hazards, delicate
delving in stanzas like elegant hampers, quelling his damn hurt
demographic on a good day is a wall-flower bouquet
few make it to see Bruce play when anxiety is too great
too grateful for thousands of hugs,
expounding on love from a powerful bunch
I'm not sure my parents are proud of their son.
not drowning in funds, not out for the sums,
but wow I'm a chump, how afoul I've run!
can't take a chick out to a lunch?
all in all, All' put his all into every album I've done
art felt deserted: my brainstorms shower the dust
open a vein, page'll devour the blood
(that may get read)
when it's game time? Stage dive: I may connect
with the crowd from the jump (they're my safety-net
from my grave descent) I'm plagued with stress,
no patience left I can't pay my rent.
No main event, I mainly vent (got an aching chest
there's a stutter in my lungs when I take a breath)
am I making sense?
Chorus:
Every rose has its accessory to a crown
martyring yourself as you bled everything out
village idiot cries lone wolf for attention of the town
doubting the benefit of the benefit of the doubt...
Aye how you feelin' ?
"Haven't felt like myself” is my answer
Whose gonna make it?
Haven't felt like “myself” is the answer
Verse 3:
Inelegant bastard is yelling for help in a clamor
crammed in his shell like a clam or he jammed in a jelly of amber
dwelling unwell in a cellar a cell he selling himself as a shelter he asked for
(and buys it! A voluntary assignment of solitary confinement!)
No drama, everyone likes him but problems steadily bind him:
coming to terms with age like “Geez my head is balding”
no connections in my direction like my GPS is faulty
fallout with my calling, call out for she who never calls me
vaguely creepy sense of taunting, lately demons tend to haunt me.
Chorus:
Every rose has its accessory to a crown
martyring yourself as you bled everything out
village idiot cries lone wolf for attention of the town
doubting the benefit of the benefit of the doubt...
Every rose has its accessory to a crown
martyring yourself as you bled everything out
village idiot cries lone wolf for attention of the town
doubting the benefit of the benefit of the doubt...
credits
from Whole > Sum Parts,
released March 26, 2019
Lyrics written and performed by Bruce "AllOne" Pandolfo
produced by Tantu Beats
recorded mixed and mastered by Franky Bones at Vudu Studios
Artwork by Evan "Attaboy" Bujold
Left-field rapper, slam poet, singer/songwriter, and author Bruce Pandolfo from Long Island.
Creating to connect. Obsessively exploring and creating art as healing and growing.
Deeply vivid/introspective lyrics populate this ambitious folk rock project. The arrangements span from mellow/minimal to rocking and grandiose. Consistently emotive, unique and sincere. Brilliance. AllOne
Progressive yet punk, aggro yet emotional. One of my favorite bands from Long Island and doing everything they can to live up to their name, raising money for causes and making badass music, AllOne
