I never considered myself a contestant, so to speak.
I was an artist on a show.
People have preconceived notions
of what a competition show is,
so it was my duty every round to challenge that.
When you give them something that they didn't expect,
and they feel like, "Man, I didn't know I needed that,"
that's when you really win.
That's when you really make genuine connections with people.
As one of the contestants on "Rhythm + Flow,"
the final challenge was to make a song
that kinda culminated everything
that we had done up until that point.
The only that I had already planned on doing
was sitting down at a piano
and rapping from the piano with nothing else happening.
The Last Supper idea came about just because
we had developed bonds with other contestants
but I thought,
I also knew that the competition element is there
so similar to the Last Supper,
you're among people who you you break bread with
but, you know, there's someone among you
who is gunning for you, so,
I just thought it made perfect sense.
My initial intent was, you know, keep it 100,
you know, and then I'm looking out, like, who?
Who, who want it?
But the interesting thing is,
when I hear it back, I hear different meanings myself.
You know, and I think that's,
it's dope when art does that, you know,
'cause it can take you different places so,
when I hear it back sometimes I hear, you know,
keep it 100, I be feeling like who,
like, who do I be feeling like?
Nobody else, right?
Nobody other than myself.
I feel like me.
Being felt and understood, you know,
I'm praying they overstand me,
see where I'm coming from, see who I am,
my intent and the lyrics and the music, you know?
Just the idea of having heroes.
Like, I can look back on my own upbringing
and remember the people that I idolized.
I idolized my older brother, Ron.
He said, you know, he said, "Outkast was dope,"
so then I'm going to the school telling all my friends,
"Outkast was dope."
I remember what teachers, you know,
black male teachers, which were, you know,
few and far between but I remember the teachers
who, when they closed the door,
could look you in your eyes and talk to you
like a older brother.
I remember myself seeing myself in them.
You know, concrete is not soil.
Concrete is not fertile.
All I see is concrete, that's the why.
Like, why does every kid need a hero?
Because, when they look their surroundings
it's not like I see opportunity for growth.
I feel like I'm the type of artist
that writes lyrics that come from within,
come from a real place.
So, the reference of the ink being blood
is basically saying, I've sacrificed
to be able to write what I write.
You know, the lyrics are coming from a real place.
It's coming from experiences
that are not just in this bubble of,
I've been in the studio all my life.
No, I've been outdoors, I've fought
literally and figuratively, you know.
So that, to be in a position to write lyrics
that come from in my veins.
I'm not doing this for validation.
I'm not doing this other people's approval.
I'm taking this opportunity to present
what I know already to be incredible art, to the world.
I'm most proud of just knowing
that I was an incredible teacher.
I put my heart,
in the same why that I put my heart in my art,
I put my heart into the classroom
and into the lives my students.
So, I can say I was, and still am, fulfilled as a person
because of what I was able to do in the classroom.
So, we could sit back and be like,
yeah, I did that.
You know, but I'd rather coast, move forward
and talk my shit.
It's that attitude that, you know,
I'm gonna get what it is that I want,
in the same way that I always have.
The stigma is that people off of competition shows
are like, okay, they have this television moment
and then somewhere along the line they fizzle out.
But, that's not my story.
So, it was both me telling myself like,
you know, eat, as in like, eat the competition.
Take your time, do you what you do.
You know, be poised it's a long dinner.
You know, this is just the beginning of it all.
So, in the recording I said,
it's one queen and few brothers, the last supper.
That was me kinda giving a nod to Cardi
being the one queen among the judges.
And then you got, you know,
the two pillars, Chance and TI.
However, in the competitive sense
after having recorded that record,
when I went up to perform it I just made that
executive decision to be like, you know what?
I'm not giving anybody a nod, this is my moment.
And, I'ma go head and claim the fact
that I'm the king of this
and make it real hard for people to follow that.
Black people season stuff in layers,
you know what I'm saying.
Even though, you got flavor in the Campbell's Soup
but the chicken itself has to have flavor too.
So, before you put it in the pan
you had to season the chicken with, you know,
the Lawry's and black pepper,
then you put the Campbell's Soup and all that stuff.
So, I was really taken them to the kitchen.
You know, and that was just my favorite childhood meal.
Mash is the homie from Inglewood.
Mash is in a wheelchair.
Some city business, things went down,
Mash got shot, damaged his spine
and he's paralyzed from the waist down.
But, Mash is also that dude that you'll find
doing pull-ups in 24 Hour Fitness,
with his chair attached.
You the homie or whatever nigga,
but Jesus was homies with Judas.
Like, and so even when I performed it,
it was like that inhale,
like, I'm feeling like Descartes or Thomas Hobbes,
I'm feeling philosophical.
Sometimes people can only support you
as far as they can understand you.
When they stop understanding who you are
and where you're going,
then they feel threatened by your own growth.
I got homies who when we kickin' it, they the homies,
but when I'm busy,
they feel like a slight to our friendship.
Now you're looking foolish
because y'all had that kind of misunderstanding
like friends, relationship's changing.
Despite how things change, 'cause they different,
you know, I'm still rooting for you because
once I get over my feelings
I'ma realize like, the time we spent
was valuable and I'm rooting for you, you know.