[Verse 1]
A 16 year old with dreams of goin' gold

Even though they shuttin' down the record stores
Used to rap battle up on AOL with kids
After seein' 8 Mile cuz I wanted to spit

Never believed in it - neither did my chick
Who was I to try and rhyme like a real artist
My path was finance cuz I was good at math

And all the private school kids were supposed to do that - but
I still had dreams of making crowds scream
Being up on the cover of magazines

They would play my videos all day on MTV
And I could do interviews about who influenced me (uh)
Ain't %#@! changed my dreams they the same

I'm jus older been reading the Hunger Games
Just no longer afraid to give into the chase
Cuz my dreams would be better if I lived them awake


[Chorus]
They say dream big just in case you miss

Ever since I was a kid all I wanted was this
The juice worth the squeeze so f*ck the risk
Cuz my dreams sure as hell ain't on no bucket list

They say dream big just in case you make it
You only get one shot so I suggest you take it
The juice worth the squeeze so f*ck the risk

Cuz my dreams sure as hell ain't on no bucket list

[Verse 2]

23 with my bachelor's degree
I'd record tracks on my Mac when my time was free
But I needed money yeah I was broke as f*ck

With student loan payments that been overdue for months
Didn't want a job so I moved home with my moms
My pops he couldn't understand why I was not

Tryin' to work at a bank or an ad agency
I just said I didn't really know what I should be
But it was these dreams I had of rockin' shows that were packed

Droppin' raps so dope I could hear the people clap
Imaginin' all that - wouldn't it be a trip
F*ck I'd wake up and tell myself get a grip

It's not realistic for me to do music
And what would my family say? Would they approve of it?
"Look at Jay on YouTube actin' a lunatic

He must be going through a phase he's confused and sh*t" (well)

[Chorus]


[Verse 3]
Hip-hop ain't dead it's just been gettin' f*cked

Used and beaten up by suits and hipster punks
No one shows it the love cuz they don't remember the dream
Just that now it's cool to say you can rap and MC

Well it wasn't for me this sh*t was never a choice
And the only way I'd give it up is if they severed my voice
Even tho my dreams always seemed way out of my reach

If I didn't chase 'em down I'd never feel complete
I had to do it - got up everyday I started
Just tryin' to record a song a week in my mom's apartment

No goals or any targets except to release these rhymes
Get the thoughts down on paper that been plaguing my mind
So I'd write and I'd write then record it at night

Slowly I felt better some of the songs I liked
I couldn't see it back then but now I sort of do
The reason I had these dreams was to make them come true


[Chorus]