Rewind That - Common

Should it be, can it be simple?

Life is like the tempo of a No I' instrumental

Things that we been through define who we are now

Since «Can I Borrow a Dollar?», ooh, I’m a star now

Comin from Chi-town, we was the first to do it

Me, No I.D., Twilite Tone on the music

The city on our back, we was the opening act

Throw our tapes in the crowd, they throw 'em right back

But we stayed on track, they stayed on the tracks

I stayed on the raps 'til we made it on the map

By then, No I' was my main guy

He and I was like Chi-Town's GangStarr

We had came far together, with (ALONGWAYTOGO)

Seein a bigger picture, but now from different angles

Tangle of the hustling, survival in the game

Felt I had to leave home to be a household name

Show money low, needin to stack fast

City did have my back, now it’s a backlash

Was I a slave to the cash and wantin it so bad?

I just became a dad, rap is all I had

So I moved to New York, to make it pop

Did «Like Water for Choc», that album changed a lot

But my man who I started with, wasn’t a part of it

And his presence, I didn’t even acknowledge it

Knew I was wrong, he shoulda at least had a song

It wouldn’t be me without No I.D., and Twilite Tone

Wishin' I could get that time back

Oh I can, yo man, rewind that

Me and Dion back in the zone, I’m doin shows with Tone

For the future of the Chi, we gon' bring it back home

Rewind that and we can do it again

No I.D., Twilite Tone, where the story begin

«Rewind that one time, please»

This one’s for my man J Dilla

As I say these words, my eyes fill up

Cause wasn’t none realer than James Dewitt Yancey

So I’ma dedicate this to Dilla and his family

In Q-Tip's basement, I first met Jay Dee

I still remember the first beat he played me

He came to the Chi late three that was crazy

Didn’t even know me and gave 'em to me for free

I go the the D, he show big love

Cook up some hot shit, then go to the strip club

Then we made «The Light"and times got brighter

I said «Turn it up!"Jay'll take it +Higher+

One day, I noticed he was tired quick

That’s when I found out, Jay Dee was real sick

Things got worse before they got better

I said, «Come to L.A. for peace and good weather»

We got an apartment just so we can spark it

MP in the front room, records in the closet

The beats got iller, but the sickness was still there

I’m wishin, I could will him out of his wheelchair

It was hard for me to come home every day

And see my homie Jay’s life fade away

I stayed away some times, in other words I ran

'Til one day J brought me this TV stand

It was a gift so I couldn’t refuse it

It came from his heart, I regret I didn’t use it

The lupus got worse and, for what it’s worth

I wanted him to have a Grammy before he left this earth

Wishin we could have that time back

Oh we can, yo man, rewind that

You never gone, you live forever through song

I feel it when I see 'em with them Dilla shirts on

I know you still +Shining+, from heaven you watch me

Watch me put this Grammy on the stand you got me

«That's an um.infinite.

an infinite um.

team right there

Man Jay Dee, I’d work with him whenever I can

Cause he’s like, constantly progresssing and growing

He’s one of the greatest producers.

yo, greatest musicians of our time

F’real, I really know that.

(Aight!) Yeaaaah… yeah, yeah

Like I used to be able to wake up in the morning and hear J Dilla beats…

being made

Y’know I mean.

really, used to walk by me like.

damn, I’m blessed

Like I really felt that, like during the time where he was making it match

Like, I don’t look back and say I was blessed, I know I was blessed during that

time

I look and say.

'Man!

I’m gettin to see Jay make them beats.

everyday!'

Y’know…»

«Common, okay for me it’s definitely not a common out

But… it’s Common»