Tabernacle

I wanna share some shit with y'all

All truth, all truth

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

My name is Ryan Daniel Montgomery

Recovering alcoholic, I grew up on 9 Mile

I'm not a gangster, drug dealer or thug ****

Just a 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 it go to the studio and The Shelter

And listen to Redman and Heltah Skeltah

Aye y'all remember that one joint from 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

To make moms 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 recored at

Now, I would have to assume that

It was either meant for me 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 breath into my mic

Started learning why the Lord put certain people in my life

And the way He started blessing me

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 is goin' great

Kino booked me a show under contract to do that night

I got a call from my girl's people sayin' she 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 cryin'

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 it'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 tryna figure out why the Lord chose us

Or maybe chose me

To ride in this emotional roller coaster

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 5 centimeters dilated, so I waited

She gotta get to about 9, 'till it's that time

And meanwhile, I'm more popular in this hospital than the doctors

Nurses watchin', whisperin' like, That's the one, right there

Who got the lady in labor on nine, and other 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 seein' my momma 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 this 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 feeling 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, goodbye

<span ttm:role="x-bg"><span begin="4:27.742" end="4:29.515">(This is how the story goes)</span></span> <span begin="4:30.477" end="4:31.349">Powerful day</span>

<span ttm:role="x-bg"><span begin="4:31.349" end="4:32.969">(Now you know)</span></span> <span begin="4:32.969" end="4:34.066">Powerful day</span>

<span ttm:role="x-bg"><span begin="4:34.066" end="4:34.990">(Now you know)</span></span> <span begin="4:35.000" end="4:36.738">Most significant day in my life</span>

<span ttm:role="x-bg"><span begin="4:37.772" end="4:38.486">(Yeah)</span></span> <span begin="4:38.302" end="4:38.702">I mean</span>

<span ttm:role="x-bg"><span begin="4:38.702" end="4:40.373">(This is how the story goes)</span></span> <span begin="4:40.113" end="4:41.767">Aside from meeting my man Marshall</span>

My son being born and my Granny dying on the same day

My grandma didn't live anywhere near that hospital

I learned a lot this day

<span ttm:role="x-bg"><span begin="4:49.822" end="4:51.672">(This is how the story goes)</span></span> <span begin="4:50.428" end="4:53.427">I learned that the universe has this was of balancing itself out</span>

For me to loose 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