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Single : On The Curb
Artist : Lotus
Release Date : October 21st , 2013
Genre : Alternative Hip Hop
Written by : Sarojini ' Lotus ' Lui
Produced by : NinaT
Length : 6:45
On The Curb/The Prophecy
It's been 2 weeks since ' Leader Of The Pack ' was released by Billboard as a promo single from Lotus and it has already achieved a lot of success . It just debuted on #6 on the Weekly Downloads Charts and #7 on the Weekly Airplay Charts , having the highest charting Hip Hop song for the week , topping fellow artist like Liyah and Kidd Amaze . And I mean , who hasn't heard that song by now ? I swear there is a t-shirt for every line said in that rap ! And lets not get started on all the quoting . Though it did , Lotus wasn't planning on waiting for the results of her promo single to decide if it did well enough to where she was going pursue in a rapping career , because she is ready to give the crowd her debut single . An A-Side and B-Side single at that .
While ' Leader Of The Pack ' was a Hip Hop song that tended to the more mainstream side of things of Alternative Hip Hip , ' On The Curb ' overall has a more old school vibe to it . Some might compare Lotus to rappers like her newfound boyfriend , Kendrick Lamar , and others might compare her to up and coming rapper , Logic . All in all , Lotus is obviously going to bring the 90's rap sound that has recently been getting big in the male industry of rap , into the females industry . As a debut single , you could only expect it to be what that certain artist is going to make their career off of and even Lotus herself says that her original flow has more of a 90s flow to it anyway , she just did something fun for her promo single , ' Leader Of The Pack ' . The truth is , we don't care what type of flow her raps has , as long as she promises to keep rapping . That's all that matters . Her bars are just that good .
Both songs on ' On The Curb ' are about the rough stages of Lotus' life . If you didn't know , Lotus grew up in Shanghai, China , but moved to Newark, New Jersey when she was about 13 . There her family became extremely poor and Lotus thought it would help if she joined a gang and trapped to help , which turned out to put her through hell and tear her family apart . In ' The Prophecy ' , the B-Side of the single , she dips her toe into the topic just a little but it mainly focuses on her devotion to becoming , not only the best , but the biggest rapper in the industry . The A-Side , ' On The Curb ' mentions the rough stages of her life in a few lines as well , but is more about her overcoming the streets , rather than just being focused on succeeding in the rap game , like in ' The Prophecy ' . Both could be taken as inspirational or they could be taken as Lotus making far fetched predictions about the future of her career . After all , she's only been in the rap game for 2 weeks .
' On The Curb ' , the A-Side of the single , has a more of an ideal Alternative Hip Hop sound to it . It has a sort of Grime feel but at the same time Alternative influenced beat . The genre NinaT described it to us as , was Grindie , a genre that very few have touched on , despite it being out since early 2006 . The most notable thing about the music for this track is with no doubt the syncopation . Of course in the song you hear that steady beat , though throughout the whole song it constantly faces it . Whether it's from vocals , other instruments or some " side effects " that were added in to perfect the rap , it is definitely noticed and does tamper with the beat just a little , if not a lot . The best thing to do is to tease the mind of the audience while you spit extraordinary bars . It puts the cherry on top .
' The Prophecy ' is the B-side of the single and it goes in a different direction from what was heard music-wise in ' On The Curb ' . ' On The Curb ' was a Grindie/Alternative Hip Hop track , while ' The Prophecy ' is a Hardcore Hip Hop track with a 90's vibe to it . Though Lotus commented that ' The Prophecy ' is her favorite single out of both , the way she arranged the placements of each side was all about her bringing out her business smarts and being wise about the choices she made , so she could make sure that the single received as much success as possible . " ... I am sure that it would probably have more mainstream success . " she says , " It has a hook and all while ' The Prophecy ' is just a whole rap . I haven't really been hearing songs like that get noticeable airplay . " . The most notable thing about the song , period , is the lyrics . The song has no hook and so Lotus takes absolutely no break from rapping line after line , hitting harder with every single one . Just to use as an example , here are some lines from the beginning/middle of ' The Prophecy ' : | Music is to be my only victim , so don't look forward to any diss records , I have no time for killing girls | I plan on slaying rap like Perseus and then riding on the back of it's offspring out of this world | . Lotus says this fast and I think we all love it when rappers insert certain bars that are said faster than others into their flow . Not only that , but she referenced the rap game as Medusa and herself as Perseus . Since when has anybody in rap done that ? Love it or hate it , you can't deny that the song's lyrics are dope and that Lotus has a way with words .
" When it came to debuting , I really just wanted to give all the people out there , fans or not , an insight on who I am , who I used to be and what I am becoming . I thought it would be the best way to kick my career off and so that's what I did with this A-side and B-side single . I figured ' Leader Of The Pack ' gave everyone a good idea of who Lotus is on the surface and so I wanted to make sure that in my career I release music that not only shows the bold side of me , you know , Lotus , but also the humble side of me , Sarojini . I'm planning on saving that for later on in my career . The A-side , ' On The Curb ' , isn't necessarily about who I used to be , but pretty much me looking back on my life , starting at the present . My testimony . I named it ' On The Curb ' because while writing it , it reminded me a lot of the epiphany I had when I got kicked out of my parent's house . Every time I thought about that epiphany , it acted as something like a pep talk to stay on the right track so I can prove all the people who doubted me , wrong . Especially my parents . and you know , not meaning to get deep or anything , but myself as well . The fact that while writing this rap reminded me of that " pep talk " and realizing that I have proved everybody wrong made me feel so good that I just had to be an ass and name it after it . It's a nice track , but my favorite is definitely the B-side . I love both , but I adore how well ' The Prophecy ' turned out . Still I picked ' On The Curb ' to be the A-side because I am sure that it would probably have more mainstream success . It has a hook and all while ' The Prophecy ' is just a whole rap . I haven't really been hearing songs like that get noticeable airplay .
The B-side , ' The Prophecy ' , is about what I'm becoming , not what I'm bound to become . I had to say that because I know some people would get confused by the title of the song saying , ' I predict this will happen ' , and the lyrics saying , ' I know this will happen ' . It's not what I predict will happen in my career , but what I can already see happening . The word prophecy is really two things , foretelling and forthtelling . In ' The Prophecy ' I was forthtelling my future , not foretelling . I announced that I will soon be on the throne , I did not predict that I might be there soon . I know that for a lot of people it wont piece up and for the the ones it does , many will say that I'm being far fetched . If recognizing my talents and knowing how far I can get with not only that , but my ambition and my passion , makes me sound implausible , then so be it . But don't be calling Lotus cocky when she come's out with that ' I Told You So ' record . You were warned . " ~Sarojini ' Lotus ' Lui
A-Side : On The Curb
Artist : Lotus
Genre : Alternative Hip Hop , Grindie
Written by : Sarojini ' Lotus ' Lui
Produced by : NinaT
Length : 3:43
[Verse 1]
Hmm , bitches don't even know the half
But they judge like it's a philanthropic gesture on their behalf
Yea , I did a few dumb things as a youngin'
But it's not like it whites out what I'm becoming
Hung with the wrong friends who threw me in the deep end
Got to the point where it was weapons vs. Sarojini's bare hands
Yeah I could've died that day
But I guess God don't ride that way
Spittin' a few bars , playing the blame game
Knowing I put myself in pain , just for the gain
But the gain never came so the chase ended up driving me insane
Thinking there was something I could attain for doing the wrong thing
[Hook]
Locked outside
(Kicked out , on the curb)
Locked outside again , again , again
Locked outside
(Kicked out , on the curb)
Locked outside again , again , again
[Verse 2]
No, I'm not grown , barely even legal
But I'm something holy rising out of the illusion , like a steeple
I always knew I would never be the type who could fall back on my free throws
So I gained some wisdom , now even to these cold streets , I'm lethal
Act like a thug , but I think intelligent
That's why my raps are never a disappointment
Fuck a one hit wondering , all this ringtone rap make a sista' wanna kill a bitch
You are just a rhymer , bitch , so stop hogging up the charts
Make room for Lotus the lyricist , she's already leaving her mark
That's why I don't need your respect when I'm spitting bars
Wherever my shoe game walks , bet money it'll be a landmark
Fresh out the womb to the tomb, they know who we are ... (Bosses)
That's why they ain't fucking with mine
Cause everybody knows that I be packing that 9 ... -7-3
Saraojini
Don't make the mistake of underestimating me
[Hook]
Locked outside
(Kicked out , on the curb)
Locked outside again , again , again
Locked outside
(Kicked out , on the curb)
Locked outside again , again , again
[Verse 3]
Feeling like I gotta tell myself this shit again
Rose above the streets, don't know how to act again
Hard trying to stay intact and alert at all times
Why ? 'Cause killing raps isn't a victimless crime
Started from the bottom, but I'm not letting you look at me now
I've came a long way , but this isn't the point I wanna stop and brag at right now
I'm on the run and it's impossible for me to look back
'Cause every time it's a wrap , my mind keeps racing off to the next rap .
[Hook]
Locked outside
(Kicked out , on the curb)
Locked outside again , again , again
Locked outside
(Kicked out , on the curb)
Locked outside again , again , again
[Hook]
Locked outside
Are you ready ?
Locked outside again , again , again
I think it's finally the right time
( Kicked out , on the curb )
B-Side : The Prophecy
Artist : Lotus
Genre : Hardcore Hip Hop , Oldschool Hip Hop
Written by : Sarojini ' Lotus ' Lui
Produced by : NinaT
Length : 3:02
I was nothing but a little girl running through the schoolyard
Don't you just love how quick adversity is quick to catch you off guard ?
Damn, who would've thought that life could become this hard ?
Seems like everything Lotus tried to do to help , tore the family apart
Yea , it was all my fault , so I guess I can't get mad
But don't you dare try to discredit my passion by saying I thought I was big and bad
I just got a little mad , not at the world , but the system
Why do I have to wait to eat when the government gives me permission ?
Seems like food stamps and welfare didn't complete the mission
So I felt like it forced my hand , I had to chip in
Barely got anything from the man because apparently we had too much funding
How the fuck is a part-time job going to feed a house of seven ?!
Wait , let me cool it down and bring it back
I really meant to make this a feel good track
Ya know , something like a memoir of going through this and that
And overcoming the obstacles against the stated facts
Even had the nostalgic beat on so I could bring you back
To the old rap so we could all help kill this new crap
Music is to be my only victim , so don't look forward todiss records , no time for killing girls
I plan on slaying rap like Perseus and then riding on the back of it's offspring out of this world
Bet money that Lotus the flower bomb will elevate to levels that you never knew existed
When you see my career soar , I know the feeling of defeat has never been that exquisite
Rap will feel the wrath of Lotus' endeavor
I want the whole fucking kingdom , bitch you can have the treasure
The amount of my ambition just cannot be measured
Since I know that my life was filled with pain to prepare me for the pleasures
And everything I went through was a contract of prosperity
And everything I've lost will be restored due to my lack of animosity
When it comes to struggle , perseverance is the key
After while you'll realize that it's just a phantom that haunts your reality
Ha , do you hear me preaching and shit ?
Just last year I was incompetent and ignorant
Inadequate
For anything other than stripping or dealing , I was not fit
These bitches really thought they had my whole future figured out and shit
Man , those teachers really didn't know the half
Thought I was going to be a fail in life because as an Asian I got a C in math
Really bitch ? Notch it down a pitch
I'm not going to let you predict my future without a crystal ball in hand and shit
Please , excuse the French that I insert in these rhymes
I swear in time , your mind will no longer be adjusted to the basics
I already knew there would be a process before you could take this in
OK , so we're here again .
Another sob story blamed on the government from another black kid
Funny how the sympathy decreases when your life is twistedly stereotypic
That's " ignant "
Destitution isn't a figment
Being poverty stricken doesn't come and go like it's an illness
But I'm not complaining , I've learned how to embrace it
Because the success is speeding up the process of abrasion
I'm not the first to walk the moon , or to write this story
But Lotus the flower bomb will be the first to copyright the glory
So fuck a nigga with the balls to call me authentic
You might know how it feels , but you don't know what I'm feeling
You know that I dealed , but you don't know why I was was dealing
You can decide if I'm strong willed , but bitch I'm telling you that I was willing ,
To do whatever it took , and I never regretted that
It's only been a couple of months but I'm not looking back
Came a long way from eating when government gave permission
Thanks to all of you guys' intuition, my fate has been written
... All in stone now , so even if you wanted to , you can't object now ...
You'll just have to hold your peace .
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