So What’s The Score … ?        
To Be Seen As … *******… !?!            
            
Being Lyrically RAW … !!!            
For Some Fa’ SURE … !!!            
            
Or Dropping BOMBS … !!!            
On Heads Through Songs …            
In …. Native Tongues.…            
I Guess For Some …              
Is … ******* Stuff … !?!            
            
******* Words …            
of … Curse-Filled Verse …            
Like Those That Run …            
Wordplay Like … ” **** ” … !!!!!            
Now Makes MILLIONS … !!!!!!            
Believe It Son … !!!!!            
            
Is That … ******* … ?!?            
            
Or Talk For ****** … !?!            
Whose Thoughts Are Poor …            
When It Comes To The Cause …            
of REALLY Being … ******* … !!!            
            
Well Here’s The Score … !!!            
My Wordplay STUNS …              
WITHOUT Taser Guns …            
Or Running Gums …            
To Prove I’m TOUGH … !!!            
    
My ******* Mind …            
Creates Fine Rhymes …              
That EXPOSE Crimes …              
I See In This Life …      
        
So My Rhyme Designs …            
Are ******* Lines …              
That Take The Stance …            
of A … RIGHTEOUS Man … !!!!!            
            
That’s QUITE A Claim … !!!            
******* … INSANE … !!?!!            
            
Hell Nah I’m Playing … !!!            
            
My Brain INFLAMES …            
Pages With REIGNS … !!!!!            
            
REGAL … NOT Slave …              
Unable To BREAK … !!!            
            
ABOVE The Snakes …            
Lyrically... A SAGE …. !!!            
            
Ya See ******* Talk …            
INSPIRED My Walk …            
Towards These Thoughts …            
To Source Lyrical Swords … !!!            
    
Wu Tang INSURED... !!!  
            
******* To Ya Pores …              
With … Lyrics of WAR … !!!!!            
            
No Blood Need Pour … !!!!!            
But THOUGHT Fa’ Sure … !!!            
I DO …. IMPLORE …. !!!!            
Ya Bring To The FORE … !!!            
To Join THE CAUSE …. !!!!!            
            
Lyricism Good For Rhythm … !!!!!            
Incision Filled With Scissors …            
That Cut With Skilled PRECISION … !!!!!            
You Suckers NEED TO Listen … !!!!!            
            
******* Does Not Mean KILLING … !!!!!            
Or Illin’ … Penicillin …            
Is That Good For Your Children … ?!?            
            
It’s Just Rhyme Flows I’m Bringin’ … !!!            
******* NO I’m Just Kiddin’ …            
            
See This Is Lyricism …            
Built With Witticism...              
Joke Filled … YES …            
For The … Women …              
            
Cos’ Jokes Help Man …            
Get …. In Em’ …. !!!!!            
            
Girls Who KNOW Be Grinnin’...          
Cos' ******* Bros' Be Winning...            
And Seeing **’s Like VISION …. !!!            
            
I See You Chose To Live In …            
A World of... " Western Fiction ” … ?!?            
            
It Seems It’s BROKE … !?!          
..... NO Fixing..… !!!!!            
            
No Jims or Joes Enlisted …          
That Line’s For Those With Children... !!!            
    
It’s Deeper Than You’re Thinking …            
Paedophiles Who Mess With Child …            
My ******* Vibe Gets WICKED … !!!!!!!            
            
I’d **** Them Up With QUICKNESS …              
YES Them And ALL THEIR Siblings … !!!            
    
Right Now Big Virge Ain’t KIDDIN’ … !!!!!!!!!            
These EVIL BREEDS Are SICKENING … !!!!!!            
I’d Cut Heads OFF Like Quickenings … !!!!!            
            
Highlander Slander …            
******* Gambler … !!!            
Take A Risk And Slit The Wrist …            
            
I Meant The NECK...              
of ANY ******* Racist Head … !!!            
            
******* And VEX …            
When YES … ” UPSET ” … !!!            
            
Silence Transcends …………            
To Make Things TENSE … !!!!!            
            
I’m A PEACEFUL MAN …            
So It Doesn’t Make SENSE … ?!?            
            
To Make ATTACKS …            
******* Like DEATH … !!!            
            
These Thoughts Expressed …            
Have … NO CONTEXT …            
Cos’ This Violence Rests …            
            
... Inside My Head... !!!  
    
******* Oh YES … !!!!!!            
Until I’m … DEAD … !!!!!!            
            
I’m A ******* Smoker …            
Well Some Say … ” JOKER ” …            
Who Gets Through Quotas …            
Like Stocks Do …. Brokers …. !!!!!            
            
NOPE NOT Bram Stoker … !!!            
AFRICAN Yes …            
But NOTHING LIKE Botha … !!!!!!            
            
Just A Breed Like Locust …              
Swarming WARNING Those Informing … !!!!!            
...... Watch Yo’self...… !!!!!!            
Them Cards You Dealt …            
May Just Have Spelt …            
A... ******* Tell …            
            
That’s Gone DAMAGE Your Health … !!!            
            
This Set of Rhymes …            
Is A ******* WRITE … !!!            
    
Now Across The Lines … !!!            
.... of My Notepad … !!!  
As My Mental GRABS … !!!            
These Words Like SLABS …            
With … COMMANDMENT Tabs … !!!!            
            
Thou Shalt Be RAW … !!!            
And Lead The Hoards … !!!            
Like Jim WITHOUT Doors … !!!!            
            
Thou Shalt Not FORCE … !!!            
Wordplay That’s Poor … !!!            
    
“My Prose rocks jaws            
of those on boards,
Yes, Corporate ****** !”            
            
Thou Shalt Face WAR … !!!            
And Deal With SCORN …            
From Ignorant Scores …            
Who You NEED TO Ignore … !!!            
Thou Virge Were Born To YES Adorn …            
            
Pages That Source …            
Verse Born From Thought …            
            
That Some Fa’ SURE … !!!!!            
Will Call ………            
    
… ” ******* ” … !!!!!

While capable of achieving abstract thought of the highest order, the human brain tends to function best when compartmentalizing data into manageable pieces. For example, the state in which one resides is useful in a macro view of geolocation, but largely useless when it comes to ordering a pizza. As such, our species developed streets, postal codes, cardinal directions, and a whole host of determining factors to describe your home with enough clarity to ensure your disc of cheesy goodness arrives safe and sound.

By this same token, we break down and discuss music. For the most part, all humans can say that they enjoy music to some degree or another.  But for those whose passion extends beyond using the radio for background noise, there’s a point where the specificities of what we absorb aurally merges with part of our socio-cultural identity. Whether this is reflected in your sudden urge to wear strapped sandals and listen to Grateful Dead live bootlegs while slack-lining or constantly refreshing a subreddit so you know which warehouse space is hosting a tech-house set until dawn, the most passionate amongst us eventually become that which we absorb. These things become fractalized versions of ourselves. After all, someone who has never had their heart broken probably won’t appreciate Elliot Smith as much as the rest of us.

It is on the fringes of these musical personalities that we find *******. Combining the most aggressive tendencies of metal with the politics and personality of street punk, ******* is an amalgam of all things angry. Exhibiting a neb-tribalism not often seen in other subsets of music, ******* “kids” (Kids can be used to define ages ranging from 13 to 45 depending on context) understand that a sweaty basement filled with people pummeling one another will never become a societal norm. And they revel in the misanthropy.

However, this is not to say that ******* kids are fueled only by rage. From it’s inception in punk scene during the late 1970’s, the entire point of ******* has been to create a community dedicated to supporting one another during our darkest times. Sure that occasionally means punching your friend in the head, but that’s only because we haven’t figured out how to punch the geo-political turmoil of Earth in the head just yet.

Whether extolling the virtues of veganism, Straight Edge, ecocriticism, economic inequality, anti-racist and anti-racist movements, or simply just talking about how alone we can feel inside of our own heads, ******* at it’s best seeks to improve the space husk we’re all floating around on. By virtue of these lofty goals, ******* swiftly takes on a communal nature due to the common belief that we are all united against an existence which does not reflect us. Rob Lind said it best: “*******’s not much. But for some of us, it’s all we’ve got.”

Then one clear morning in December, my father died. And suddenly ******* was all I had left.

Obviously, I still had my siblings and friends. But after all, the ethos of ******* always managed to echo everything my father taught me to believe. Whether that be standing up for someone getting picked on because they’re different, refusing to place trust in authority, or rallying all the other lost souls and building your own society two steps to the left of the mainstream.

So, as an autopsy was being performed to ensure the skin, organs, and long bones of Robert Rathburn’s arms were harvested for donors, I stood in the alleyway of the Nile Theater listening to the bass reverberate through the asphalt as Iniquity, Beg For Life, Troubled, No Altars, and Iron Curtain played to a packed basement below.

Admittedly, this was a show I was supposed to be reviewing, and this piece was also due months ago. However, my time was instead spent shaking hands and hugging people I’ve spent the better part of 20 years building a small, fractured, but loving community with. At the end of the day, I suppose that’s all ******* has ever and should ever be about. Communally channeling the hurt and anger into fists and screams until it stings a little less and the emptiness of the world wanes ever so slightly.

Chief of the **** Lords
Yet pure *******
Citizens on the streets know to beware
Johnny ******* is no square
Women just melt
It’s their interlude in ***** being felt
They moan in total delight
Johnny ******* finishes what he starts in complete in plain sight
He has a tattoo that says on his huge arm, ‘BLOODTOOTH WARRIOR”
Now don’t take that tattoo saying lightly
You mess with Johnny *******, and your flesh will be dropping blood
It will be an uncontrollable flood
The gang relishes their chief like a king
His jewelry is one big bling
Controlling the streets
Even Police are frightened, and won’t patrol their beats
Johnny ******* with the name for sure
He’s one man that no one dare too ignore
The ******* being solid as a rock
But he captures everyone being a flock
Tough and muscular, it doesn’t matter if you like him or not
Johnny ******* is the man that can put be in a knot
All fact
So Johnny ******* says, “Watch your steps and stay out of my way”
You haven’t seen anything yet
But don’t bet
If you lose, it will only be your regret