Royce da 5'9" - Tabernacle lyrics

Yeah i wanna share some shit with y'all
All truth, all truth

Uh, like I'm standing inside a Tabernacle
I promised not to lie in
Not one of these verses
I started out as a battle rapper
All I knew was Maxells, ADATs, DATs and gats
Uh, my name is Ryan Daniel Montgomery
Recovering alcoholic, I grew up on 9 Mile
Uh, I'm not a gangster
Drug dealer or thug nigga
Just an MC who made a
Name with his rhyme style
Now, sometime around '95 I found my calling
And that all coincides with the time
That I found my darling
Now later on in the story
I tell you her significance
But now let's talk about me, specifically
Three brothers and one sister see
My daddy taught me consistency
With his fucking patterns
Hallelujah I'm the son of a addict
My addiction was music
All I would do is go to
The studio and The Shelter
And listen to Redman and Heltah Skeltah

Aye y'all remember that one joint from
The Heltah Skeltah album called?
Sean Price be like, "I'm not sure any " yeah
That was my shit
I used to bump that shit all, day!
By this time I knew I wanted to be an artist
I didn't want to be anything else
You know, but my mom had plans for me
She wanted me to go to school, so you know

Uh, to make mom's happy
I took some general courses in college
Took the bus until I got
Hella bored with that
Because the bus stop I had to walk to
Was right across from the first
Studio I ever recorded at
Now I would have to assume that it was
Either meant for me to be rapping
Or meant for me to be
Laughing at God's geographical humor
As soon as I stepped foot in the open-mic
It was like a reunion i was a shoe-in
I met Kino there too and he
Asked me to manage me
And that was back in like, let me see
'97, my girl was pregnant
Hurdles was prevalent
And it was therapeutic just for me
To breathe into my mic
Started learning why the Lord put
Certain people in my life
And the way he started blessing me, uh
I guess before my inner demons got the best
Of me like sneezing was my vice
Needless to say that December 29th was the
Day I became a believer in fate

Okay now it's December 28th
My day has gone great
Kino booked me a show under
Contract to do that night
I got a call from my girl's
People saying she's in labor
In the hospital right now, 9th floor
I get on the elevator
Elevator stops on the 5th floor
Elevator opens up
My uncle's standing there crying
Now I'm caught off guard, I'm like
"What the fuck?"

My uncle standing there like, "Ryan
They that way" i walk out
I see my momma and that
Entire side of my family
Looking like there's some kind
Of drama happenin'
I said "What happened?" They like "Granny's
Been in a bad accident
And it ain't looking good", I'm like "Man
What?" i'm having a baby four floors
Up before I froze up
I'm trying to figure out why
The Lord chose us or maybe chose me
To ride in this emotional rollercoaster
My momma said "The baby here
Yet?" I said "Maybe"
She said, "Maybe? Baby, go see"
I walk away feeling like a good father
The same time as a terrible son
Get to my girl she 5
Centimeters dilated so I waited
She got to get to 'bout
Nine 'til it's that time
And meanwhile I'm more popular in
This hospital than the doctors
Nurses watching
Whispering like "That's the one right there
Who got a lady in labor on 9
And another lady dying on 5"

By this time I don't even fuckin'
Remember that I got a show
Somebody had to remind me
The doors was already open at the venue
I got emotions runnin' every which way
All the nurses and stuff is like
"We'll keep you posted about the baby
We'll keep you posted about your granny"
I didn't like seeing my mama like that
So I had to get out of there

Yeah, I hit the stage at 11: 50, killed it
I got off at about midnight
With about six types
Of different emotions floatin'
Around inside me hopeless, tryna find me
Hopin' in time God'll guide me
In the future
Just as I was about to leave out
I saw Kino talkin' to Marshall
And then he introduced us
We talked about collaboratin' and how chasin'
This rap thing is aggravatin'
But I'll get back, I got the family waitin'
I get to skatin'
As soon as I get to the hospital
They tell me that my granny didn't make it
She just died, I'm feelin' helpless
It hurt me on the flip side
My little boy is healthy in the nursery
I picked him up, looked in his eyes for the
First time and just cried
Ain't no denyin' this is the power of God
I said, "I love you
Granny" and looked to the sky
Like even though he just got here, goodbye

This is how the story goes powerful day
(now you know) powerful day (now you know)
Most significant day in my life
I mean aside from meetin' my man Marshall
My son bein' born and my granny
Dying on the same day
My grandma didn't live anywhere
Near that hospital i learned a lot this day
I learned that the universe has this
Way of balancing it'self out
For me to lose such a
Beautiful soul in my granny
And gain such a beautiful soul
With my first born son, little Royce
It showed me that God is real, God is real
And you know what they say: God giveth
God taketh away