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Life After Dennison

by Funky DL

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1.
Intro (x9) The Dennison chapter of my life is over. Verse One Life after Dennison, where do I begin? A fresh start, so I’m focusing on where I’m going, not where I’ve been, I got my own apartment now, my ex helped me decorate, I put the carpet down, cream sofas, cream curtains, spent a few thousand pounds over every expense, a little worried bout’ stability and paying the rent, because this music game is unstable, around that time my label was getting ready to increase the timetable of releases, cos now I could record without the sound of my Step-Mother on the phone talking fucking loud, messing up my recordings, now I’m waking every morning, no more Pops trying to call me and sending me to the store, focused on what’s important cos I’m trying reach the next level, let’s go and double this money, fuck it lets get treble, it’s coming up to 2006 and J Dilla’s still alive, I’m still taking these trips to Japan and doing sold out shows for all the fans, next I’m trying to get to Midem in Cannes and making plans, I’m a force to be reckoned with, cos every second this beat-making-rhyme-slaying kid was infected with the passion for this hip-hop shit and making moves, with a total disregard for anyone who disapproves, the days of Dennison behind me, so now I ignite to walk this chapter of my life like a thief in the night. Chorus (x2) I’m no longer on the 5th floor, a different place, more space is what I wished for, I’m nocturnal, so you ain’t gone catch me in the light and probably never see me coming like a thief in the night. Verse Two I got this new found freedom, cos I’m out on my own, I’m writing more lyrics than ever, spit em’ out on my phone and making beats, ain’t got no time to stay in the streets, with many albums to complete, I’m trying to make em’ in peace, but then the next thing I heard was that this kid was fucking murdered in the lobby of my building, cos these dudes will take it further than words and he was only fourteen, that’s when I noticed that the place that I was living had some super high quotas of deprivation, unemployment, mental health and drug abuse, beggars on the corners, everyday they be some bug-a-boos, so I had to keep myself to myself, cos stepping out my door could be enough to overwhelm, still I gotta stay positive and keep a hold, cos anything that is external is something I can’t control, I got a couple years until I’m reaching thirty years old and I can change my situation if I stick to my goals, but low and behold, the music business took a turn for the worst, it’s like somebody took a knife and cut a whole in my purse and now this vinyl ain’t selling like it used to sell, people downloading more and more for free, I’m losing sales and now it’s 2008 and the world is in recession, so it’s harder to create these releases, but yo’ I guess I gotta hold tight and just plan my next move like a thief in the night, yo’. Chorus
2.
Intro My Brother taught me... Verse One My Brother taught me, be an eagle in the sky, see things from afar, don’t get too close before you find out where you are, like a curious rodent getting caught by a viper snake, don’t wanna rub shoulders with anyone, there’s all type of snakes, (my Brother taught me), my Brother taught me to enhance the lives of others, you don’t wanna be the type of person people run for cover from, if you can’t bring something beneficial, then there is absolutely no point in handing out your issues, (my Brother taught me), my Brother taught me, never get in fight, unless it’s push come to shove and you defending your life, cos it’s too easy to die in a world that’s so violent, so I step like these people don’t see me, I’m ultraviolet, (my Brother taught me), my Brother taught me I should learn from observation, it’s either that or learning the hard way in situations, you never need to do everything to know the outcome, so even though I rhyme I use my eyes more than my mouth runs. Chorus (x2) (My Brother taught me), these are the things my Brother taught me, helped to support me, cos they informed, me sent his wisdom towards me and I'm a little older now and living lower down, carrying the world on my shoulders now. Verse Two My Brother taught me to honour those who came before me, even if someone upset me and I feel defamatory, cos there’s something bout’ a person with age to be respected and elders sacrificed so much so we can be protected, yo’ (my Brother taught me), my Brother taught me to never go backwards, forgiving and forgetting ain’t the same, his exact words, you can forgive a wrong if there’s remorse and there’s admission, but you never ever put yourself back in the same position, (my Brother taught me), my Brother taught me when you are decision making, track record is an invaluable indication, when you wanna know the future, you can look at the past, especially when all you have is this to make a forecast, (my Brother taught me), my Brother taught me a lot, so I am grateful and try return the favour at times when he’s unstable, I love him in a way that’s far removed from Cain and Abel, from the cradle to the grave, from the grave to the cradle. Chorus
3.
Verse One Yo’, my friend’s Sister told me she don’t wanna work for the white man, not even if the possibility, or a slight chance of improving her life was right there for taking, she would rather sit back and be vacant, ain’t no mistaking that I’m trying to get my head round the statement, it’s complicated, see I understand that people need payment and have been patient, trying to move towards their future but facing discrimination, even though they got they qualifications from education, I asked these young brothers who were chillin on my block what they saw themselves becoming as a kid growing up, they replied saying they saw themselves as bank managers, but all that they were doing everyday was smoking cannabis and eating fried chicken, leaving bones on my doorstep and couldn’t see the point in even taking a small step to something greater, I tried to talk, I try to teach em’, couldn’t reach em’, now the sound of the police has got em’ fighting for they freedom, you best believe it, I’m trying to get down to the reasons, I'm noticing a surge of Europeans in my neighbourhood, that’s when I really started to notice that every geographical place will get its prognosis. Chorus The prognosis (x4) Verse Two I’ve heard black women tell me they ain’t dating no black men, because it didn’t work with a handful way back when, now each to his own, but I find it disheartening and I heard your counter-argument about some brothers targeting women the same way, but exactly the same, I am disheartened by these juvenile games that people play, now this really got me thinking bout’ who I am in society, how do people view me when there is so much variety? Everyday succumbing to someone stereotyping me, color of my skin the only thing why they disliking me? when I spend my money that’s when they forced to be nice to me, taxi driver tells me he charging a different price to me, because we black brothers and so he found me tolerable, I told him that ain’t ethical, conscientious or honourable, you gotta come better than that, he thought about what I was saying and conceded the fact and I don’t wanna have to do him like that, but see the truth is the truth and karma got a way of coming right back, so from the stand up people to the ones that are bogus, everybody gonna play they prognosis. Chorus
4.
Fanatic 03:30
Intro Fanatic, yeah, uh, yeah, fanatic... Verse One I’m a fanatic, from Midnight Marauders to Illmatic, Hip-Hop has carried me from dark times into ecstatic places, I’m working hard, at times for weeks I wouldn’t see no faces, I recognise so I’m just talking on the phone, or looping up a bass and chopping up a trombone, I got that Dennison work ethic, but this a new home and as the years passed I stopped fucking with UK, the love I had wasn't reciprocated two ways, I mean the industry, not talking bout’ the fans, the fans forever in my heart, I know they understand, but there’s some jealous artists who watched me climbing up the ladder, working like the hardest and working like the smartest, then this promoter booked me for a show at Cargo, she treated me like shit, I said what’s up with your bravado? And I wasn’t even getting paid for the privilege, the kind of treatment that would make it hard to find forgiveness, and then a Journalist from Hip-Hop Connection reviewed The 4th Quarter and painted a misconception, I asked for a correction, cos it wasn’t an opinion, it was lies, the Editor told me that he would listen to my album to see if that journalist’s words were dramatised, called me back and told me next edition they’d apologize, but the damage was already done, I told him forget it and now they gone, but I’m here still son, I’m a fanatic (word up). Chorus Fanatic Verse Two I took Social Services to Court cos’ they were trippin’ they took it personal, but could of played ball from the beginning, represented myself, the Judge told me that she really sympathised with my position, thanking me for my petition, it’s a fucked up system, my Brother went missing, called the Police, they didn’t take it serious and listen til’ my Father passed away and then they found him, I’m in the Morgue looking at my Pops dead body and surrounded by these people I don’t know, can I get a moment please? I know he’s deceased, but still I need some space to breathe and take it all in, 2010 was like a blow to the chin and I sunk deep within, the next year I started Uni and my money was real low, but Parris spoke the truth to me and told me for real yo’, you gotta just adapt to everything that’s around you, no time for looking back, that’s why I say he’s a sound dude, a student in my class said she thought I was a hoodlum, and not because of anything I did, it’s cos she couldn’t see past the Nike Air’s and New Era Snapback, but I was reading every book in my backpack, I’m having flashbacks of sitting in the library, revising for my test, but at the very same time I be making all the beats for Jazzmatic, this music in my blood cos I always been a Hip-Hop fanatic (word). Chorus/Outro Fanatic, and you don’t stop, and you-and you-and you don’t stop, and you can’t-and you can’t-and you-and you-and you can’t stop, and you-and you-and you-and you-and you don’t stop, uh, uh, yo, for real.
5.
Verse One Aniseed Liquor, Stixx and I reminisce about the days when we were coming up as little nippers, now we touring overseas, hanging out with Nujabes and cruising Tokyo to Yokohama by the sea and we eating Chinese, Wing Wah, High Road Leytonstone, open only six days a week, eat a number 93, barbecue spare ribs and hold the sauce please, these my brand new jeans, Aniseed Liquor, remember when I told you bout’ my best friend J? The one who went away to prison back day, a couple years ago he called me asking for an alibi, Police was after him, so asking me if I would lie, I told him J, let me take this time to introduce you to someone that you need to meet he’s called the truth, you my man, fifty grand, shake my hand, but I doubt I’m gonna perjure myself on the stand for you, Aniseed Liquor, Charl it’s gonna take more than words to paint the picture of how much I love you and how much I miss ya’, can only thank God I got to share my life wit’ ya’ and you’re sacred to me like a verse from the scripture, so when you get to Euston I’mma always come and getcha’, so please remember that I’m just a phone call away, you are the light that makes the dark things fall away. Chorus Each time, all the time, every time (x4) Verse Two Aniseed liquor, Lei, ever since we recorded Imagine Me, I knew that you were special, you forever on my team, cos you always there to back me up for anything I need and listen to me talk about the things that get me peeved and I am super proud of when you striving to achieve and when I suffocate, we conversate so I can breathe, and your Mom said a prayer for my Pops to help me grieve when I was the bereaved, aniseed liquor, Parris you don’t know how much a true inspiration, we live in different countries holding down communication and went to school together, so we class foundation, I got to learn a lot from you all kinds of information, and see you moving forward to a place of elevation, you held me down when I would make New York my destination, I always had a place to stay without a reservation, so much appreciation, aniseed liquor, these are the people who go beyond careers and these are the people who know beyond my fears, felt my tears and were there and they cared and go beyond the Dennison years, aniseed liquor, these are the people who know about my journey and these are the people who listened and really heard me and these are the people who made me feel really worthy, so let me take a slurp b. Chorus Outro Friendship… yeah, I mean, I don’t know... friendship is a beautiful thing, I think um’... it’s one of those things that sometimes it’s hard to put into words, it’s crazy like… you know… I’ve been fortunate that… I’ve been blessed with some beautiful people in my life.
6.
Chorus Higher education (x2) Verse One For years I kept dreaming I was back at school, maybe a sign that I return to education and go back to do some more academics, so accordingly, I enrolled in twenty, eleven to go and do a law degree and I was 33, some others they were much younger, didn’t consider all the pressure it would put them under, some of them only showed up for the student loan, come in late, gossiping in class and wouldn’t do the homework, then complain to me, the Teacher don’t like them, so wanna make a formal complaint, I’m like “aight then”, but I put my head down and did a lot of reading, in the morning, in the afternoon, then in the evening, constitutional law’s political and also studied contract law and criminal, yo’, I didn’t really hang with anyone at first, and kept myself to myself until I was immersed in a routine, then I socialised with a couple youngers and tried to stay away from groups with abundant numbers and didn’t get involved in he say-she say. and yo I treated all my lecturers like DJ’s, when I didn’t understand, I asked them “take it from the top”, the amount of work we had to learn was far too much, but this is higher education not a game of checkers, and I’m a diamond, so I can handle any pressure. Chorus Verse Two A competition for debating and when it concluded, my team was crowned the champions and we were undisputed, somebody asked me who trained you? “You too nice”, I told em’ I’ve performed in front of crowds my whole life, but then I had a glitch in my second year of study, I fell short on a test, I wasn’t on the money, it was a difficult subject, it’s land and most of what they told us, yo’ I didn’t understand, but I make no excuses and gotta make improvements, I guess this kind of thing can happen when you just a student, so I got some more books and began to read further, took my attitude of music and became the hardest worker and my Father would have been proud to see me reach higher in an academic field, but he passed a year prior and that kinda got to me to really tell the truth, but didn’t stop my test scores going through the roof in year three, you catch me sitting at the front, cos the back was reserved for the ones who smoke blunts all the way through lunch and trying to hide it from the lecturer and now they asking me for notes to be catching up, I graduated in twenty fourteen and when I go to sleep I get no more dreams of going back to school, so I guess the job’s done, Bachelors Law degree, LLB 2:1 mutha... Chorus
7.
Mr. Taverez 03:03
Verse One On my way to the Barbershop to get a fresh cut, stepped out the front door then something really messed up happened, I got this neighbour Mr. Taverez, who got two dogs and couldn’t really care less and so these K9’s would be pouncing onto people and this ain’t the first time I had to tell him bout’ retrieval of his animals, cos once again they pounced on me, so I went to find Taverez to denounce his beasts, but then he said to me “you’re doing in my head about these dogs, why don’t you pay some taxes and go get a fucking job?” He knew nothing about me, but it wasn’t hard to figure that the only thing he’s seeing when he looks at me’s a nigga, I never hesitated, I got infuriated and stepped towards this fucka like I’m not the one to play with and then he calls me stupid, but he doesn’t know he’s saying all the things that just describe himself, I find it hard containing all my anger, the Caretaker tries to intervene, but the next part’s for real, this ain’t setting the scene, Taverez pulled out a stun gun, thinking I’m afraid, but that ain’t something’ I’mma run from, hell no and then he starts waving it around and hurling his abuse, but I’m standing my ground, eventually we both calmed down, but the Caretaker done called the cops to come around. Chorus Mr. Taverez, I hope that you can hear this (x2) you Son of a Gun. Verse Two Now, despite everything, I went to get my haircut, then the cops called me on my phone to get a clear cut version of the story, cos they came to my apartment, but I wasn’t home, so I told em’, then they said regardless of the facts , we went to your neighbour for a second, he told us what occurred and then he went to get his weapon to show us what he was prepared to use in his defence, but we jumped straight on him, put him under arrest for possession of a firearm illegally, then cuffed him and charged him, now in a cell looking for justice, he got two years conditional discharge, a criminal conviction, didn’t think it’d be this harsh, his lady broke out, she didn’t know she had a man with weapons in the house, I guess it gave it her doubts, plus his animals were taken away, tough luck, and every time he seen me ever since he gives me fucked up looks and he can think it’s my fault, but this could have been avoided if he didn’t resort to ignorance and he can blame me all he wanna, but this is just a case of self-inflicting all his trauma, cos I ain’t a trouble maker and I wanna live in peace, but this just another story when you live in the east, it’s just another story when you live in the east, it’s just another story that I had to release, Mr. Taverez, hah, you Son of a Gun. Chorus
8.
Intro Check it out yo’, life… uh… check it out yo’. Verse One Yo, check it… when I hit thirty I thought my life would get a lot easier, accumulated knowledge from the world like Wikipedia, I felt that I had learned enough to hardly make mistakes, and move towards my future having minimal complaints, but I was incorrect, because the struggle got real, more money, more problems? Less money, more bills and just like everyone else I had dreams of owning properties and always traveling overseas and eating in the finest restaurants from London to Paris, but then I stopped to ask myself what does this really mean? And is there something in between the lines that I am overlooking? Found that someone that was deep inside and now I overtook him, see after many years of contemplation and reflection, I figured out the most important thing was my connection to the people in my life and it began to make sense, cos’ you can’t put a price on life experience.... I said Chorus (x2) You can’t put a price on life experience you can’t put a price on life experience you can’t put a price on life experience, I said you can’t put a price on life experience. Verse Two When I hit forty, I found I had a lot more inner peace, thinking more about my words like it’s an after dinner speech, and I accept that I don't have to understand the universe, and it can take time for difficulties to reverse, and there’s nobody born with a bag of promises, so life can start one way then finish opposite, so it’s important that we get to know who we are, so we can be prepared for seasons that are truly harsh, they say a lot can be learned from hard times, if you memorize and recall the lesson like hard drives, I can do what everyone does that’s no sweat, but I’ll probably only get what everybody gets, so I don’t stand with the crowd for crowd sake, oblivious to everything, but feeling like now I’m safe, that ain’t the case, ay’ yo’ 100 man, that doesn’t make sense, cos’ you can’t put a price on life experience. Chorus
9.
Verse One I now live in a place where I not too long discovered, behind my block is where my Pops first met my Mother Stewart Road, she told me the story of her younger days and everything that happened just before me, and I live in a place where there’s too many liquor stores and next door to each other too many chicken stores, gambling establishments, I couldn’t paint the picture more, and every day people queue to buy tickets for the lotto, in twenty fifteen, September second, I bought some tickets, later that night I checked them, 09, 27, 29, 33 in my hand, couldn’t believe it cos that night I won seven grand, live in a place where I guess dreams can come true, the same place that people suffering from drug abuse, the same place that people jump you at the ATM, the same place where you can make a friend, I live in, live in a place where people know my face, but don’t know my name, that’s cool, I love my space, I got a nice place, at least on the inside, at least that’s what my friends say once they spin by, live in a place where Police presence really low, they say they gonna fix that up, but yo’ who really knows? they been talking bout’ regenerating here for years, but everything stays the same and I’m still here… live in a place where... Chorus (x2 And it’s the place I live, and it’s the place that I live, and it’s the place I live, it’s the place I live. Verse Two I live in a place where when I cross the street, immediately it turns from E11 to E15, so I’m just a stone's throw away from Dennison, in a place where most of the time I’m reticent, live in a place where my Pops used to visit me, jump in his car and come through to deliver me the letters that I still used to get from my old address and to check that his Son wasn’t homeless, he always used to ask me if I’m managing to find the rent, I’d tell him yep, just so long as all this time I spent working on this music pays off, I’mma be alright and plus I’m free to work at any time I feel like, I live in a place that can take some getting used to, cos I ain’t feeling what some of these little youths do, but they young, so cognitively they ain’t quite there, you could say the way I was that age was quite rare, or maybe not, but it doesn’t really matter now, I’m older, I’m wiser, I’m stronger ain’t no backing down, I’m growing, I’m climbing, I’m reaching for the very top, so life is still sweet, like a cherry drop, live in a place where God loves me, and he’s re-tuning me to rediscover me, live in a place where nothing is physical, or geographical, I live a miracle, I live in a place where…
10.
Dennisms 01:24
Intro Dennisms (x4) Verse One I stopped writing rhymes on paper a long time ago, cos that cannot be copy and pasted into the liner notes and now I hardly use my MPC, because I find it too restrictive when I’m making these beats, but yo’ I still use a valve mic, because my vocals record clear and people tell me that is what it sounds like, I got a PC and a Mac, so I can choose between Cubase and Logic when I build a track, the way I work is more flexible and the library of sounds available and accessible’s tremendous, I still release music independent, the running time of my catalogue is endless, I’m more meticulous listening to audio to make better music for the people who support me yo’, so for the fans who reach out with the messages, the Africans, Asians, English and Americans, my people in Europe, Australia, Canadians, I hope the music I make will bring some radiance into your life, could be the words that I’m saying, or the beats that are playing that can keep you maintaining, hah’, so let me end this on a dope note, something you can tell to all your people’s as a dope quote, you may have heard it before, but yo’ it’s mad sick, if Funky DL just one thing, that boy is classic... (echo)

about

After an incredibly warm reception from the fans of the auto-biographical November 2018 release "Dennison Point", Funky DL returns precisely one year later with the sequel, "Life After Dennison". Keeping in theme with vocal accompanied breaks, the album explores topics such as, racism, discrimination, family, friendship, education, conflict, hardship, good fortune and the life lessons gained from them all. The focus sits firmly on the lyrical aspect of the album moreover the beats, however DL's trademark sound still weaves through and compliments the rhetoric throughout. One would think it difficult to capture so much insight into the last 14 years since moving out of Dennison Point, however, in just 30 minutes running time, the album showcases the continuation of DL's life exploits from October 10th 2005 to present day. The annexation of the 10 tracks from "Dennison Point" to "Life After Dennison" paint a vivid picture of the man behind the music and provide the backdrop of who Funky DL was, is and potentially might become. Enjoy.

credits

released October 31, 2019

All tracks written by N. Newman
All tracks produced by Funky DL for Washington Classics 2019.
Additional keyboards / acoustic guitar on tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 by Xantoné Blacq for Platinum Fingers Music.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Funky DL at the Washington SoundLab.
Art, design and layout by Sanchez at VC Design.

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Funky DL London, UK

Funky DL is regarded as one of the most legendary and significant MC's and Producers to come out of the UK. Now globally known for delivering albums with both musical and lyrical finesse...

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