I think it's time I told my, yeah
I think it's, I think it's time I told my story
Not so many know it
No, I ain't come from the gutter, man
Nothing heroic
When I was signed, I was 17
But way before it
Was just a kid with so many dreams
The world tore it
But epic records, man, they ain't no joke
I showed the world my X Factor when I was just 14
That lil' youngin' tryna get it, you know what I mean
And like my brother Bobby say, tryna bust on the scene
I gotta thank L.A. Reid, JT, L.O.G.I.C.
For everything you've seen in the younger me
But there's some different reasons that I'm thanking you all
Some of y'all were in the right, some in the wrong
L.A. Reid, L.A. Reid, why you even sign me
When you had no intention to put the label up behind me
Maybe it was trust, maybe it was timing
Of finding myself as an artist instead of what you designed for me
Remember all the times you almost put me out
Four or five times at the finish line
Talking about, look, he ain't a star
Look, I can tell when he walk
And he don't suck the air out the room every time that he talk
Damn, yeah
That * was so good

Personal, ain't nothing to do with my talent
Or my versatility and my ability
To make music that every single person in this world needs
The * do you know?
No disrespect, I take it back
You made a lot of stars who they are
But you don't talk about the ones you passed
Chris Brown, Gaga, even passed on Mr. West
And JL, bout to be on top of that list
But I ain't coming for your neck like that
I'm still grateful and you know I got respect like that
You gave me music education and I just might add
That getting dropped from Epic Records was the best lesson I ever had
It made me greater than I ever was
Or ever been
Up in my bedroom cooking records till I couldn't stand
It's all love, it's all love, now watch me ascend
And if I see you, swear to God, I'm gonna shake your hand
Yeah
Ooh
Ooh
So that's how it's gon' be
Yeah
Uh, yeah
Uh-huh
What?
Just little John
Workin' so hard to be an idol
Tryna be just like Justin and Michael
Memorizing every note for piano recital
Teacher would yell at me, tellin' me I should be manos
Uh-huh, yeah, I should be manos
I remember meetin' Jay-Z way back in my hometown show
I was 17 in 2013, you was on tour
But before you went on, you said to me
You good, boy, you good
I heard you when you sang
You good, boy, you good
They tell you not to dance
You should, boy, you should
You good, boy, you good
Yeah, I told him you're my livin' idol
And I know that it gon' come with the grind, though
100% of my mind know how you be hittin' them high notes
But you still be dancin' on Tyno
Haven't missed a beat, I can't find one
Never could believe how you glide on them way
We talked about you producing my album, man
From the executive standpoint, we never got a chance
Cause plans fell through, my deal fell too
To be honest, the only reason they kept me on was cause of you
Cause you're the validation they needed
Thought I was nothin' on my own, but with you they believed it
But even you started to tell me that at some point you need to be the baddest mother in the world

Fuckin' the room, don't conceal it, yeah
Boy, where your confidence at?
You walk up in this room thinkin' you belong in the back
You think I got to where I am without me leadin' the pack
You got more talent in your middle finger than the rest of these cats
That's why it don't make sense, no, it don't make sense
How you be walkin' round actin' all tongue-twisted
Cause they don't listen, treat ya like a little kid
But half of it's your fault, you put up with that *
I wouldn't
I shouldn't
You right, man, I shouldn't
Why am I focusin' on the past back when I couldn't?
Get out of my own head, so scared
What people gonna think?
Thank you, brother, for your honest opinion
I ain't seen you in a minute, but I know you been winnin'
Heard you missed a few shows, homie, get well soon
And if you ever need a friend, I'll be there for you, too
I'm out
The biggest thank you of all, Sir Robert Bryson Hall
If you had never called, don't know where I'd have gone
You passed me the baton, showin' me the greatness
While all my dreams had already burned down in flames
And my parents told me I should go to college
You're not that far behind, we can start you in the fall time
And get you a degree, it's gon' be alright
We're so tired of seein' you cry, it's gon' be alright
Yeah, I always had the perseverance
Since I was a kid, man, I knew that I was fearless
But it's the first time that somebody broke my spirit
Screaming at the top of my lungs, but no one hear it
Except you, the older brother that I never had
The only voice of hope when I thought everything was fine
Was bad
The only one who told me you can beat this
You can do this, pull through this
Anybody and everybody who said you can
Now look around, you got the whole world singin' like
This is the moment I've been waitin' for my whole life
Yeah, I always knew that you were beggin' when the time's right
I used to wonder what it feel like
I never knew it would rain or shine
Love you, Bobby