Winds of Change

(*Prod. by Quincey Jones)
[Winds of change have blown*
What goes around is sadness]
[Master Ace:]
I love rap music, I spit it from the heart
I did it a lot of years, been in it from the start
As time has gone by, to whom it may concern
I paid close attention, let me tell you what I learned
Today and tomorrow's a reflection of the past
Life's like a cycle and nothing ever lasts
And bein' that we human, we forced to play the game
The more things change it seems the more they stay the same
[Verse:]
From MJ to Usher, from Heav' D to Bonecrusher
Hip hop culture, new school to old lovers
Soul brothas, James Brown to Pete Rock
Timbos, 5411 Reeboks
Jordan to Bryant, try to triumph
The winds of change all revolved around science
From Walkmen to iPods, long as I'm breathin'
Game changes like the Earth with the seasons
[Wordsworth:]
From summer to fall, from winter to spring
From gold ropes to platinum chains and rings
Coleco and television, Atari to PS3
From Gameboy to a PSP
Beta to DVD, tape to CD
Plasma and LCD from black and white TV
Every day life's destined to change forever
But some things are never better than their predecessors
Come on
[The past, the present, the future]
[Master Ace:]
From the fur Kangols that I wore as a kid
To the headbands and fitted hats a few sizes too big
From OshKosh, Jordache and Benetton
To Rocawear, Phat Farm and Sean John
From suede Pumas and goin' back with the Keds
To Jordan 20s with the strap, black and red
From sharkskin slacks and some mean gabardines
To Akademik, ENYCE and G-Unit jeans
[Verse:]
From Wild Style to Krush Groove and Tougher Than Leather
To Turbo and Ozone, no one did it better
From Breakin' an' Beat Streat, Ramo and Lee
To Paid in Full and Eight Mile, Life in the D
From Murphy to Richard Pryor, funny as hell
To Martin and Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle
Time flies and it feels so strange
You've got to love to ride the winds of change
[Wordsworth:]
Holdin' a picture frame wishin' that we didn't age
Photo album cellophane, shocked as I flip the page
Snapshots on stage and the tour van that we wrecked
Videos and DVDs of us rehearsin' our set
In my sixties: bald, grey beard, wrinkled skin
Glasses, gettin' thin, jaw line sinkin' in
Thinkin' then were different times, young, in my prime
At fifty-five started forgettin' lines, mumblin' rhymes
Wrote books, scripts, screenplays, stayed lyrical
MP3's digital, vinyl is now minimal
It's critical, still freestylin' with my grandkid
The beats and the flows are new, but I understand his
Old school, not bitter, I don't have a grudge
Not that my era was better, just tell 'em how it was
It's noon, the car's here, headin to the studio
The Garden sold out a week straight for our reunion show
[Master Ace:]
Today and tomorrow's a reflection of the past
Life's like a cycle and nothing ever lasts
But bein' that we human, we forced to play the game
The more things change it seems the more they stay the same