Black Thought & Danger Mouse – Because (ft. Joey Bada$$ & Russ) (Audio, Lyrics)

Off the forthcoming Cheat Codes album, Black Thought & Danger Mouse unveil the collaboration titled “Because” featuring Joey Bada$$ & Russ. The piece of music was produced by Danger Mouse. Listen, read the lyrics, stream, buy the song.

Black Thought & Danger Mouse Because

This track has a bit of a throwback sound, and the verses match that energy. Black Thought dives into his dangerous upbringing, in Philadelphia, his emotional turmoil and paints a picture of what his life was like. His lines are sharp, vivid, and to the point, and standouts include “We took shoestrings, lemon drops, and chips from the deli / Knocked ’em out the box with spinner tops and skelly / “Do it, you’ll get to it,” what Mr. Woo Mac would tell me / I was locked, my celly read nigga, no Makaveli.”

Joey Bada$$’s New York husk pairs well with the throwback beat, and his verse is similarly reflective in tone. He narratively goes through his past experiences, and lines like “Havin’ flashbacks, niggas gettin’ clapped at in front of the cleaners / On 34th street, until this day it haunts me” cut deep in the song. Closing out the track is Russ’s verse, whose feature is a surprising placement on the song given the difference in sound between these artists. However, he is no slouch on the track, delivering one of his most confident and smooth verses in a while.

This new track is sure to have fans excited for more, and Danger Mouse and Black Thought are two legends who will always have anticipated releases. As one of hip-hop’s most skilled and consistent lyricists, Black Thought’s run with The Roots and his string of excellent features and tracks make for an impressive and growing catalog. He recently spoke about his new musical titled Black No More on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Danger Mouse, on the other hand, is famous for his collaborations and team-ups. Apart from his work with Gorillaz and mashing up The Beatles instrumentals with Jay-Z verses, he’s done collaborative albums before with MF DOOM for their legendary Danger Doom album and with A$AP Rocky for his AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP record.

Black Thought & Danger Mouse – Because (ft. Joey Bada$$ & Russ) (prod. Danger Mouse)

Lyrics

[Chorus: Dylan Cartlidge]
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because you better not, you better not stay
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because, a story so non-desirable

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
I’m from where too many lives twenty-five years or fewer
Nothing we receive is brand new, it’s just newer
While brothers drop down to their knees and make dua
Popsicle sticks, raced down the curb into the sewer
The next American hangman, sketch the crayon
Gangland all a façade, the truth persuade all
Killin’ birds with one stone is what we stay on
Wingspan never too wide for you to fray on
The ways never seems to amaze or inspire
Illiterate, the signatures been forged, the fire
Broken spirit, some assembly required
It confirmed the door of no return at El Jara
Screamin’ into the ocean for emotional support
We never won awards, we was boards of the pork
Puttin’ swords to umbilical cords to cut ’em short
Translation, vacation is at a last resort

[Chorus: Dylan Cartlidge]
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because, a story so non-desirable

[Verse 2: Black Thought]
We took shoestrings, lemon drops, and chips from the deli
Knocked ’em out the box with spinner tops and skelly
“Do it, you’ll get to it,” what Mr. Woo Mac would tell me
I was locked, my celly read nigga, no Makaveli
This inheritance was negative, marriage is the devil’s piss
State’s evidence, give us anything instead of this drama
In the mirror like Yayoi Kusama
Had me turn into Muhammad, to Buddha the Dalai Lama
If I would snatch a shoulder bag from somebody mama
Am I cancerous? Can’t discuss what the short answer was
Hungry as munks, take the money and run
Sometimes simultaneously taking one of your lungs
What I mean is I’ve seen everything that’s under the sun
Niggas below the poverty line live under the gun
We all schemin’, savages ain’t vegan, what the fuck is love?
Don’t need a reason to die, we die just because

[Chorus: Dylan Cartlidge]
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because you better not stay, you better not stay
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because, a story so non-desirable

[Verse 3: Joey Bada$$]
I was on thirty-four cruisin’ through Medina
I was just a Neo ‘fore I had the Nina
I had the snapback with the tees on
Practicin’ my ollie, I could hardly get my feet up
Had me hittin’ the staircase just to roll the reefer, uh
Now I’m smokin’ big Cohibas out in Costa Rica like [?]
Havin’ flashbacks, niggas gettin’ clapped at in front of the cleaners
On 34th street, until this day it haunts me
It’s why I had to move raunchy
I know killers in Marcy, so please don’t taunt me
I spent some summer times in Canarsie
Me and Quan gettin’ stopped and frisked by Hutch & Starsky
They was lookin’ for hard drugs in our movie
Mama told me not to let that shit bother me
Poppa said to move cautiously
So the streets would never father me
But you don’t know that part of me

[Chorus: Dylan Cartlidge]
Because it’s hard to find your love, i found it though
Because, a story so non-desirable

[Verse 4: Russ]
Yeah
My girl told me I should watch my tongue
My skin gets red too easy
She don’t wanna change her name like Washington
Wonders where I got it from
My parents’ marriage was a toxic one
Mmm, oh well, I’m ’bout to cop a gun
Hope I get to use it, it’ll help blow up the music
I know somethin’ slightly off with me, drama is therapeutic
Ego hates feeling futile, sometime I move without scruples
Like havin’ Mrs. Perfect with me and still chasin’ approval
From other women, I’m a glutton, I can’t run from who I become
Dad’s around the corner, haven’t seen him in like three months
We don’t speak much, I don’t handle balance well, got a fragile shell
My money split the king and queen up, then the castle fell
The tension in the air is still crisp
Sometimes I wish this game was over like I’m Lil’ Flip (Flip)
Sometimes I’m wishing that my brain came with a kill switch
I don’t vacation, dawg, I guilt trip, real shit, yeah

[Chorus: Dylan Cartlidge]
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because you better not stay, you better not stay
Because it’s hard to find your love, I found it though
Because, a story so non-desirable