Stepping stone
[00:04.26] Take me to the river
[00:00.00] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
[00:00.00] It's 2002, everything was totally new
[00:00.00] We were globally huge, watchin' sales go through the roof
[00:00.00] We wrote and we feuded, Runyon Avenue soldiers included
[00:00.00] A multitude of homies who would bounce for no good excuse
[00:00.00] We were so bulletproof—wrote, souped and soaked in our youth
[00:00.00] Thought we was runnin' shit 'til we lost the sole of our shoe
[00:00.00] The death of Doody broke us in two
[00:00.00] We were thrown for a loop, ain't none of us know what to do
[00:00.00] And at the time I was goin' through my own struggles too
[00:00.00] So I wasn't in no condition to be coachin' us through
[00:00.00] Everyone tried to go solo, really nobody blew
[00:00.00] I was hopin' they do, so I ain't have to shoulder the crew
[00:00.00] The plan was put everyone in position so that they knew
[00:00.00] How to stand on they own, and I don't wanna open up wounds
[00:00.00] I just noticed that oomf was gone when we go in the booth
[00:00.00] 'Cause the truth is, the moment that Proof died, so did the group
[00:00.00] If I could leave this all behind
[00:00.00] I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line
[00:00.00] Down to the river with you
[00:00.00] Help me leave this all behind
[00:00.00] I'ma wash away my sins
[00:00.00] I'ma rinse away this dirt
[00:00.00] I forgot to make amends
[00:00.00] To all the friends I may have hurt
[00:00.00] I better stop and say my grace
[00:00.00] From it I pray that I don't fall
[00:00.00] 'Cause on the way back down I may
[00:00.00] End up runnin' back into them all
[00:00.00] I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones
[00:00.00] It was never the same, and it's bothered me since
[00:00.00] And the farther we drift apart, the more awkward it gets
[00:00.00] The more time goes by, the more life happens
[00:00.00] And we gotta be men, we got responsibilities
[00:00.00] Plus we don't say how we feel
[00:00.00] And I feel like this is what got us in the debacle we're in
[00:00.00] Been with you guys thick and thin
[00:00.00] But it's almost as if sometimes we're not even friends
[00:00.00] Which reminded me Biz, "Rockstar" was the shit
[00:00.00] Y'all coulda got you a hit without me on the shit
[00:00.00] If you woulda put D12 on it, wish I coulda did
[00:00.00] More than try talkin' you into comin' up off of it
[00:00.00] I know it wasn't my fault, but part of it probably is
[00:00.00] I think of all of the trips to BET
[00:00.00] And the rappers I wish that we woulda politicked with
[00:00.00] Maybe y'all coulda clicked and got you some features
[00:00.00] But that's water under the bridge
[00:00.00] But I'm washin' my sins in it 'til my conscience is cleansed
[00:00.00] If I could leave this all behind
[00:00.00] I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line
[00:00.00] Down to the river with you
[00:00.00] Help me leave this all behind
[00:00.00] I'ma wash away my sins
[00:00.00] I'ma rinse away this dirt
[00:00.00] I forgot to make amends
[00:00.00] To all the friends I may have hurt
[00:00.00] I better stop and say my grace
[00:00.00] From it I pray that I don't fall
[00:00.00] 'Cause on the way back down I may
[00:00.00] End up runnin' back into them all
[00:00.00] I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones
[00:00.00] Bacardi and Hen', never thought the party would end
[00:00.00] One minute you're bodyin' shit, but then your audience splits
[00:00.00] You can already sense the climate is startin' to shift
[00:00.00] To these kids you no longer exist
[00:00.00] Went from rainin' cats and dogs in this bitch
[00:00.00] To tiny drops, little drips
[00:00.00] And by the time your reign is over, you'll hardly be missed
[00:00.00] You start thinkin' of all the artists you gift, all the carnage you left
[00:00.00] Is this the kind of karma you get
[00:00.00] For turnin' your fuckin' back on Bizzy, Kuniva and Swift?
[00:00.00] A Freudian slip, subconsciously, I honestly wished
[00:00.00] I ain't feel so much guilt and y'all didn't harbor resentment
[00:00.00] But it's hard to pretend that y'all ain't got none
[00:00.00] I just wish I had words, but I guess there just are none for this
[00:00.00] To my partners, I can't say how sorry I am
[00:00.00] This is not how I planned for our story to end
[00:00.00] I love all of you men
[00:00.00] But I just can't be the guy everybody depends
[00:00.00] On for entire careers 'cause that's not even fair
[00:00.00] I will always be here, but that spark isn't there
[00:00.00] And I don't know how to recapture that time and that era
[00:00.00] I've tried hearkening back to, but I'm fightin' for air
[00:00.00] I'm barely chartin' myself
[00:00.00] Feels like I'm on the descent, but it was not my intent
[00:00.00] To treat y'all like a stepping stone
[00:00.00] Though I ain't left no one behind, but we been down every road
[00:00.00] Done all we possibly can, I know we kept our hopes up
[00:00.00] But the longer we spend livin' this lie that we live
[00:00.00] The less is left for closure, so let's let this go
[00:00.00] It's not goodbye to our friendship, but D12 is over
[00:00.00] I'ma wash away my sins
[00:00.00] I'ma rinse away this dirt
[00:00.00] I forgot to make amends
[00:00.00] To all the friends I may have hurt
[00:00.00] I better stop and say my grace
[00:00.00] From it I pray that I don't fall
[00:00.00] 'Cause on the way back down I may
[00:00.00] End up runnin' back into them all
[00:00.00] I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones
[00:00.00] I never meant to make you feel like my stepping stones
[00:00.00] I never meant to use you all for my stepping stones
