I wrote this track (or at least the bones of it) in 2007 i think, before The Union Jack Album actually even came out, I really got what i wanted to say across with the lyrics, in late 2009 i decided to blow the dust off it, Richie Ruks reworked and remixed it, me and Thabo rewrote the hook and I rerecorded the vocals because i had changed my delivery QUITE a bit since the demo i layed down in 2007. If i ever needed proof of growth it was there! Shit, i was on some mad aggressive type of rhymin on such a chilled out track?? youthful aggression maybe?? Anyway, yes this is really about the lifestyles i see around me, wanting to escape from the mental and physical traps we spiral into and my solution to it is slow down and take a load off. Enjoy.
lyrics
Verse1
ye we livin in the fast lane, aspiring to do what they tell us to
i'm tryna develop new songs so i can sell a few
mellow from the stella brews, high off second hand fumes
grass roots music produced by working class yoots
grew too fast, time flies like a boeing jet
no regret so far, i know it isnt over yet
blowing sess once in a blue, vodka and juice
head spinning like the ones and the twos
and i got nothing to loose, honesty driven
i put my ipod in and listen, thats when i make myself a conscious decision
like "i need to escape this, coz everydays the same shit
and i int never gonna break away on this wage slip
and some turn to drugs, and drugs turn to beef
when beef turns to death, we turn the other cheek
now tell me what's worse, all these acts of violence
or the fact that nobody even bats an eyelid?
i know, its mad scary, time slips through our fingers
some make it worse, piercing their skin with syringes
and we got our own versions of personal demons
i turn to the verse and the beat and i work to defeat em
we're only as clean as the dirt we're conceiling
hanging onto my hapiness, tryna make that shit a permanent feeling
yo i gotta prioritise, i'm all grown now
but i'm wishing that just for a minute we can slow down
Chorus
Thabo: I want you to slow down
Take a, take a, take a load off
(Decelerate)
Coz you're living too fast now
pay the, pay the, pay the loan off
(Fast pace living got my heart rate racing)
I want you to slow down
turn the, turn the, turn the phone off
(slow down)
coz you're living too fast now
(ye, slow it down yo, slow it down)
Verse 2
It's all criss women and casual sex
catching the symptoms of syphillis coz you didnt strap on a blex
it's all, broke pocket and gambling debts
cracking a can to opress embarrasment of having regret
me, im a man of respect,
certain people cross their fingers with their right, and shake your hand with their left
but i got standards to set, so when you ask if im vexed
with the current way theyre living then the answer is yes
i swear my sanity gets pushed to its limit
it took me a minute
to tell the real from the fake, but i discovered the difference
coz everybody acts the the thug, mean muggin at the club
man give you daps and hugs, still you feel the lack of love
wannabe suge knights, drug highs and drunk fights
gun crime, but still the sun shines here, sometimes
you could learn to love life if you slow down
a sense of desperation seems to run through my whole town
me, im at home now, bumping some motown
polotics on the blower, im throwning my phone down
i int gonna deal with it, ill just go AWOL
take a day off and ignore it when they call
still at the same stall, on the same market
crack of dawn, up with the sun when the days starting
the hustle and bustle rush and the struggle we're livin
is why i'm tryna slow it down for a couple of minutes
Thabo: I want you to slow down
(slow down)
Take a, take a, take a load off
(Decelerate)
Coz you're living too fast now
pay the, pay the, pay the loan off
(I can feel life breathing down my neck)
I want you to slow down
turn the, turn the, turn the phone off
(yo)
coz you're living too fast now
(Richie Ruks, elevate, slow down, slow it down yo)
credits
from The Sound Of Colours --- EP,
released April 19, 2010
Rap lyrics written and performed by Jack Flash
Singing lyrics written by Thabo and Jack Flash
Singing vocals performed by Thabo
Produced by Richie Ruks
Mixed by Jack Flash and Richie Ruks
Mastered by John Goodier
Jack Flash, known offstage as Rob Bradley, is a versatile artist based in West Yorkshire. With a sound grounded in hip-hop,
he’s evolved his craft by seamlessly blending rap with raw, stripped-back acoustic elements. He’s celebrated for his insightful storytelling, astute social observations, and the distinct razor-sharp wit characteristic of his Northern British roots....more
Not decided on a favourite track but the album as a whole is positive, reflective and mature - aside from the lyricism and the recognisable voice, things have changed since 'The Essance' (still a great album though!) Great LP. Scissorino
This song changed my music variety entirely but to be honest the entire album is amazing and not to forget all the bands that feature with Sinners are great as well highly recommended Drew Diamond
Solid follow-up to Escape. Funk, jazz and reggae beats and breaks behind an A1 rosta of MCs, with Sparkz a standout. (Kid has the chops. Every style, any flow. Big future.) Rufous
