Stepping Stone

It's 2002 everything was totally new

We were globally huge

Watching sales go through the roof

We wrote and we viewed it

Runyon Avenue soldiers included

A multitude of homies who would bounce for no good excuse

We were so bulletproof wrote souped and soaked in our youth

Thought we was running **** till we lost the sole of our shoe

The death of Doody broke us in two

We were thrown for a loop ain't none of us know what to do

And at the time I was going through my own struggles too

So I wasn't in no condition to be coaching us through

Everyone tried to go solo really nobody blew

I was hoping they do so I ain't have to shoulder the group

The plan was put everyone in position so that they knew

How to stand on they own and I don't want to open up wounds

I just noticed the oomf was gone when we go in the booth

Cause the truth is the moment that proof died so did the group

If I could leave this world behind

I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line

Turn to the river with you

Help me leave this all behind

I'ma wash away my sins

I'ma rinse away this dirt

I forgot to make amends

To all the friends I may have hurt

I better stop and say my grace

From that I pray that I don't fall

'Cause on the way back down I may

May end up running back into them all

I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones

It was never the same and it's bothered me since

And the farther we drift apart the more awkward it gets

The more time goes by the more life happens

And we gotta be men we got responsibilities

Plus we don't say how we feel and I feel like this is what got us in

The debacle we're in d**n with you guys thick and thin

But it's almost as if sometimes we're not even friends

Which reminded me this Rockstar was the ****

Y'all could've got you a hit without you on it

If you've put D12 on it wish I could've did

More than try talking you into coming up off of it

I know it wasn't my fault but part of it probably is

I think of all of the trips to BET and the rappers

I wish that we would've politicked with

Maybe y'all coulda clicked and got you some features

But that's water under the bridge

But I'm washing my sins in it till my concious is clear

If I could leave this world behind

I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line

Turn to the river with you

Help me leave this all behind

I'ma wash away my sins

I'ma rinse away this dirt

I forgot to make amends

To all the friends I may have hurt

I better stop and say my grace

From that I pray that I don't fall

'Cause on the way back down I may

May end up running back into them all

I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones

Bacardi in hand

Never thought the party would end

One minute you're bodyin' **** but then your audience splits

You can already sense the climate is startin' to shift

To these kids you no longer exist

Went from rainin' cats and dogs in this *****

To tiny drops full of drips

And by the time your reign is over you'll hardly be missed

You start thinkin' of all the artists you gift

All the carnage you left

Is this the kinda karma you get

For turning your ******' back on Bizzy Kuniva and Swift

A Freudian slip

Subconsciously I honestly wished

I ain't feel so much guilt and y'all didn't harbor resentment

But it's hard to pretend that y'all ain't got none of this

Wish I had words

But I guess they're just ownin' for this

Still my point is I just can't say how sorry I am

This is not how I planned for our story to end

I love all of you men

But I just can't be the guy

Everybody depends on for entire careers

'Cause that's not even fair

I will always be here

But that spark isn't there

And I don't know how to recapture that time and that air

I've tried hearkening back to

But I'm fighting for air

I'm barely charting myself

Feels like I'm under the sink

But it was not my intent

To treat y'all like a stepping stone

Though I ain't left no one behind

But we been down every road

Done all we possibly can

I know we kept up our hopes

But the longer we spend livin' this lie that we live

The less is left for closure so let's let this go

It's not goodbye to our friendship but D12 is over

I'ma wash away my sins

I'ma rinse away this dirt

I forgot to make amends

To all the friends I may have hurt

I better stop and say my grace

From that I pray that I don't fall

'Cause on the way back down I may

May end up running back into them all

I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones

I never meant to make you feel like my stepping stones

I never meant to use you all for my stepping stones

[00:10.03]It's 2002 everything was totally new

[00:12.59]We were globally huge

[00:13.59]Watching sales go through the roof

[00:15.32]We wrote and we viewed it

[00:16.61]Runyon Avenue soldiers included

[00:17.82]A multitude of homies who would bounce for no good excuse

[00:20.70]We were so bulletproof wrote souped and soaked in our youth

[00:23.48]Thought we was running **** till we lost the sole of our shoe

[00:26.70]The death of Doody broke us in two

[00:28.70]We were thrown for a loop ain't none of us know what to do

[00:31.33]And at the time I was going through my own struggles too

[00:33.97]So I wasn't in no condition to be coaching us through

[00:36.82]Everyone tried to go solo really nobody blew

[00:39.38]I was hoping they do so I ain't have to shoulder the group

[00:41.87]The plan was put everyone in position so that they knew

[00:44.67]How to stand on they own and I don't want to open up wounds

[00:47.38]I just noticed the oomf was gone when we go in the booth

[00:49.99]Cause the truth is the moment that proof died so did the group

[00:52.29]If I could leave this world behind

[00:57.40]I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line

[01:03.36]Turn to the river with you

[01:08.11]Help me leave this all behind

[01:12.84]I'ma wash away my sins

[01:15.36]I'ma rinse away this dirt

[01:18.16]I forgot to make amends

[01:20.77]To all the friends I may have hurt

[01:23.24]I better stop and say my grace

[01:25.93]From that I pray that I don't fall

[01:28.61]'Cause on the way back down I may

[01:31.42]May end up running back into them all

[01:33.85]I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones

[01:40.62]It was never the same and it's bothered me since

[01:43.51]And the farther we drift apart the more awkward it gets

[01:46.10]The more time goes by the more life happens

[01:48.65]And we gotta be men we got responsibilities

[01:51.54]Plus we don't say how we feel and I feel like this is what got us in

[01:54.41]The debacle we're in d**n with you guys thick and thin

[01:56.67]But it's almost as if sometimes we're not even friends

[01:59.44]Which reminded me this Rockstar was the ****

[02:02.06]Y'all could've got you a hit without you on it

[02:04.74]If you've put D12 on it wish I could've did

[02:07.32]More than try talking you into coming up off of it

[02:09.48]I know it wasn't my fault but part of it probably is

[02:12.27]I think of all of the trips to BET and the rappers

[02:14.87]I wish that we would've politicked with

[02:16.92]Maybe y'all coulda clicked and got you some features

[02:19.47]But that's water under the bridge

[02:20.89]But I'm washing my sins in it till my concious is clear

[02:23.12]If I could leave this world behind

[02:28.31]I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line

[02:34.17]Turn to the river with you

[02:39.26]Help me leave this all behind

[02:43.99]I'ma wash away my sins

[02:46.21]I'ma rinse away this dirt

[02:48.96]I forgot to make amends

[02:51.50]To all the friends I may have hurt

[02:54.23]I better stop and say my grace

[02:56.81]From that I pray that I don't fall

[02:59.55]'Cause on the way back down I may

[03:02.22]May end up running back into them all

[03:04.78]I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones

[03:11.92]Bacardi in hand

[03:12.71]Never thought the party would end

[03:14.19]One minute you're bodyin' **** but then your audience splits

[03:16.90]You can already sense the climate is startin' to shift

[03:19.52]To these kids you no longer exist

[03:21.11]Went from rainin' cats and dogs in this *****

[03:23.55]To tiny drops full of drips

[03:24.93]And by the time your reign is over you'll hardly be missed

[03:28.37]You start thinkin' of all the artists you gift

[03:30.40]All the carnage you left

[03:31.62]Is this the kinda karma you get

[03:32.93]For turning your ******' back on Bizzy Kuniva and Swift

[03:35.97]A Freudian slip

[03:36.73]Subconsciously I honestly wished

[03:38.32]I ain't feel so much guilt and y'all didn't harbor resentment

[03:41.01]But it's hard to pretend that y'all ain't got none of this

[03:43.65]Wish I had words

[03:44.59]But I guess they're just ownin' for this

[03:46.32]Still my point is I just can't say how sorry I am

[03:48.66]This is not how I planned for our story to end

[03:51.45]I love all of you men

[03:52.82]But I just can't be the guy

[03:54.18]Everybody depends on for entire careers

[03:56.88]'Cause that's not even fair

[03:58.27]I will always be here

[03:59.52]But that spark isn't there

[04:00.79]And I don't know how to recapture that time and that air

[04:03.59]I've tried hearkening back to

[04:04.83]But I'm fighting for air

[04:06.23]I'm barely charting myself

[04:07.50]Feels like I'm under the sink

[04:08.89]But it was not my intent

[04:10.26]To treat y'all like a stepping stone

[04:12.04]Though I ain't left no one behind

[04:13.77]But we been down every road

[04:15.56]Done all we possibly can

[04:16.70]I know we kept up our hopes

[04:18.31]But the longer we spend livin' this lie that we live

[04:20.70]The less is left for closure so let's let this go

[04:23.75]It's not goodbye to our friendship but D12 is over

[04:27.87]I'ma wash away my sins

[04:30.75]I'ma rinse away this dirt

[04:33.20]I forgot to make amends

[04:35.93]To all the friends I may have hurt

[04:38.42]I better stop and say my grace

[04:41.12]From that I pray that I don't fall

[04:43.79]'Cause on the way back down I may

[04:46.39]May end up running back into them all

[04:49.04]I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones

[04:54.46]I never meant to make you feel like my stepping stones

[04:59.73]I never meant to use you all for my stepping stones