Tabernacle

Yeah
 I wanna share some shit with y'all
 All truth, all truth
 Uh, like I'm standing inside a Tabernacle
 I promised not to lie in not one of these verses
 I started out as a battle rapper
 All I knew was Maxells, ADATs, DATs and gats
 Uh, my name is Ryan Daniel Montgomery
 Recovering alcoholic, I grew up on 9 Mile
 Uh, I'm not a gangster, drug dealer or thug nigga
 Just an MC who made a name with his rhyme style
 Now, sometime around '95 I found my calling
 And that all coincides with the time that I found my darling
 Now later on in the story, I tell you her significance
 But now let's talk about me, specifically, three brothers and one sister, see
 My daddy taught me consistency with his fucking patterns
 Hallelujah I'm the son of a addict
 My addiction was music, all I would do is go to the studio and The Shelter
 And listen to Redman and Heltah Skeltah
 Ayy, y'all remember that one joint from the Heltah Skeltah album called?
 Sean Price be like, "I'm not sure any-" yeah, that was my shit
 I used to bump that shit all, day!
 By this time I knew I wanted to be an artist
 I didn't want to be anything else
 You know, but my mom had plans for me
 She wanted me to go to school, so you know
 Uh, to make mom's happy, I took some general courses in college
 Took the bus until I got hella bored with that
 Because the bus stop I had to walk to
 Was right across from the first studio I ever recorded at
 Now I would have to assume that it was either meant for me to be rapping
 Or meant for me to be laughing at God's geographical humor
 As soon as I stepped foot in the open-mic, it was like a reunion
 I was a shoe-in
 I met Kino there too and he asked me to manage me
 And that was back in like, let me see
 '97, my girl was pregnant, hurdles was prevalent
 And it was therapeutic just for me to breathe into my mic
 Started learning why the Lord put certain people in my life
 And the way he started blessing me, uh
 I guess before my inner demons got the best of me, like sneezing was my vice
 Needless to say that December 29th was the day I became a believer in fate
 Okay now it's December 28th, my day has gone great
 Kino booked me a show under contract to do that night
 I got a call from my girl's people saying she's in labor
 In the hospital right now, ninth floor
 I get on the elevator, elevator stops on the fifth floor
 Elevator opens up, my uncle's standing there crying
 Now I'm caught off guard, I'm like, "What the fuck?"
 My uncle standing there like, "Ryan, they that way"
 I walk out, I see my momma and that entire side of my family
 Looking like there's some kind of drama happenin'
 I said "What happened?" They like, "Granny's been in a bad accident
 And it ain't looking good", I'm like "Man, what?"
 I'm having a baby four floors up before I froze up
 I'm trying to figure out why the Lord chose us
 Or maybe chose me, to ride in this emotional rollercoaster
 My momma said, "The baby here yet?" I said, "Maybe"
 She said, "Maybe? Baby, go see"
 I walk away feeling like a good father, the same time as a terrible son
 Get to my girl she five centimeters dilated, so I waited
 She got to get to 'bout nine 'til it's that time
 And meanwhile, I'm more popular in this hospital than the doctors
 Nurses watching, whispering like, "That's the one right there
 Who got a lady in labor on nine and another lady dying on five"
 By this time I don't even fuckin' remember that I got a show
 Somebody had to remind me, the doors was already open at the venue
 I got emotions runnin' every which way
 All the nurses and stuff is like, "We'll keep you posted about the baby
 We'll keep you posted about your granny."
 I didn't like seeing my mama like that, so I had to get out of there
 Yeah, I hit the stage at 11:50, killed it
 I got off at about midnight with about six types
 Of different emotions floatin' around inside me
 Hopeless, tryna find me, hopin' in time God'll guide me
 In the future, just as I was about to leave out
 I saw Kino talkin' to Marshall and then he introduced us
 We talked about collaboratin' and how chasin' this rap thing is aggravatin'
 But I'll get back, I got the family waitin'
 I get to skatin'
 As soon as I get to the hospital, they tell me that my granny didn't make it
 She just died, I'm feelin' helpless, it hurt me
 On the flip side, my little boy is healthy in the nursery
 I picked him up, looked in his eyes for the first time and just cried
 Ain't no denyin' this is the power of God
 I said, "I love you, Granny" and looked to the sky
 Like even though he just got here (got here), goodbye (goodbye)
 This is how the story goes
 Powerful day (now you know) powerful day (now you know)
 Most significant day in my life (yeah)
 I mean (this is how the story goes) aside from meetin' my man Marshall
 My son bein' born and my granny dying on the same day
 My grandma didn't live anywhere near that hospital
 I learned a lot this day (this is how the story goes)
 I learned that the universe has this way of balancing itself out
 For me to lose such a beautiful soul in my granny
 And gain such a beautiful soul with my first born son, little Royce
 It showed me that God is real, God is real
 And you know what they say: God giveth, God taketh away
 (God taketh away)