The Puzzle - Brother Ali

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The Puzzle Lyrics

Who's to blame for the state I'm in
I play my cards but somehow I can't win

(Verse 1:)
Listen when life leaves you beaten up
Don't lay around in it, hurry pick them pieces up
Cling closely to the people you love
They're your umbrella when the weathers tough

See to it that your head is up
If not just remember this
Just never let your chest and your chin touch in public
Those that stand against us would love this
Man fuck them, something's bugging em'
They feel inadequate or something and that's been dug in em'
So deep they can't stand someone else making shit
Player hatred, same concept created Satan
Play em, no never mind let em play their part

They're here to make us prove we are what we say we are
We say we are the hard hearted
Been discarded from everything we've ever been part of
They just robbed it
Unguarded, tormented and tortured
And got nothing but scars and grey hairs to show for it
Fuck that, every stone that's ever been cast or blow that ever landed
Helped to build that man that's standing before your bitch ass
And back to wreak havoc and never retired, retreated or recanted

I, don't expect you to have stood where I'm standing
Why, repsect is the only thing I'm demanding
Try, you and I could build this understanding
You can't honestly shake unless you know where my hand's been brother

(Chorus:)
This is a piece of my puzzle now
Through the years I found peace in my struggle now
If we were put here to carry a great weight

The very things we hate are here to build those muscles
This is a piece of my puzzle now
Through the years I found peace in my struggle now
(Who'se to blame for the state I'm in - Yours truly
I play my cards but somehow I can't win)

(Verse 2:)
Listen I was taught that mistakes made with great intentions
Were never sins but where life lessons begin

Now that I'm 27, single father starting over yet again
I am who I have to forgive
Lost my mumma to cancer, closed a 10 year chapter shortly after
Can't deny that was some shit
Alone in this life would've been at my throat with a knife chop
Were it not for my passion to live
Follow my soul, not that I don't know the penalty
But that's the legacy that I pass to my kids
Heard of shining in the heat of the moment

And won my freedom the moment I realised that's what this...

(Chorus)

(Bridge: x2)
I can't believe my eyes Lord
I don't know what I'm seeing
I done watched them smash into little pieces everything I've been building
I can't believe my ears Lord
I don't know what I'm hearing

I heard they smash into little pieces everything I've been building

Who'se to blame for the state I'm in
I play my cards but somehow I can't win

Lyrics provided by LyricsEver.com
Originally born into hip-hop through break dancing, Brother Ali has been one with the mic since he first heard Miilkbone on record. A student of Hip-Hop's golden age, Ali's music ranges from purpose to passionate, yet always soulful and true to the boastful heritage of hip hop culture. An emcee, producer, host and overall party-starter, Brother Ali's talents are a well-defined addition to the Rhymesayers family.

In spring of 2000, Ali dropped a sixty-minute story telling and thought sharing album titled, Rites of Passage on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The self-produced cassette-only anthology introduced Brother Ali's beat making muscles and extensive writing skills. He played the congas, beat-boxed and still found time to lay out his views on the music industry, religion and urban life in America.

On stage with only a DJ, Ali's magical gift for capturing the imagination of his audience has been compared to that of a gospel preacher. His voice, large stature and albino features make him a unique and commanding presence. Brother Ali has perfected the live performance, having played countless shows with: Guru, Mos Def, De La Soul, El-P, Aceyalone, Souls of Mischief and Living Legends just to name a few. From September through November 2002, Ali earned his final road-dog tags showcasing his individual skills performing 63 shows in 71 days with Atmosphere and Murs covering North America.

Brother Ali has maintained credibility over time with guest appearances on many such projects as: DJ Abilities', For Persons With DJ Abilities, BK One's, For the Love of Music, The Phoenix with Musab on the Twin Cities Music Year Book 2001 CD, producing six songs on Musab's, Respect The Life album and battling in the 2000 and 2001 finals in the annual Scribble Jam MC Battles (Ali is featured on three of the Scribble Jam videos: Scribble Jam 2000, Scribble Jam 2001 and the Best of Scribble Jam).

Ali joined producer Ant (of Atmosphere fame) and went to work creating an intensely powerful album that promised to be one of the foremost efforts of 2003. Shadows on the Sun is an eighteen-song album produced by Ant, written by Brother Ali and featuring a guest appearance by Slug (also of Atmosphere). Shadows on the Sun is a testament of Ali's depth, range and growth as an artist.

Following the release of Champion in the spring of 2004, Ali ran into a number of roadblocks that halted his usually steady recording process. This included him parting ways with his wife, being homeless, and trying to secure custody of his son. Armed with a wave of stories to share, Ali recorded The Undisputed Truth, once again with Ant in his corner. In 2009 he released Us, his fourth studio album. Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, his fifth studio album, was released on September 18, 2012. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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Brother Ali