Sine Qua Non (feat. Awon)

from The World Changed [Radio Edits] by Napoleon Da Legend & Amerigo Gazaway

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about

Producer Amerigo Gazaway and Napoleon Da Legend flex their creative chemistry on a new collaborative project, “The World Changed”.

Connecting on the outset of the Covid pandemic, the duo’s rapper-producer formula showcases NDL’s introspective lyricism while highlighting Gazaway’s growth and evolution as a beatsmith.

“Amerigo and I connected in a time of great turmoil and change both on a planetary scale but also on a personal scale in both our lives. His ear for highlighting the “soul” of a sample really gave me the space to dial into the many emotions I was sorting through during that period.” - Napoleon Da Legend

Working in tandem to keep the cohesion heard throughout the album’s 16 song tracklist, NDL finds his pocket on a range of emotions over versatile beats composed with Gazaway’s signature nuances.

“This is an album about survival...it’s about navigating and adapting to an ever-changing world while struggling to maintain one’s sanity and peace of mind. Napoleon is a true master of his craft as a poet/storyteller and I think that’s something that really shines through on this record." - Amerigo Gazaway

With assists from vocalist La Bruja, Brooklyn’s Skyzoo, and three appearances from rapper Awon, The World Changed delivers focused bars rooted in Boom-Bap and Soul.

lyrics

[Awon verse]
I put it all in Gods hands this is part of Gods plan
Hip hop raised me up from a boy to a man
Held me down in the can or on the block with the grams
Now I rap for the fans who do the knowledge understand
Intelligence and intellect is what you should seek
You reap what you sew as you birth what you speak
Stand on your own because a soul is never cheap
It ain’t about where you been it’s where you go when you sleep
I lived a full life I done did it for the streets
the jeeps and all my peeps so the cipher complete
The stakes heightened time to enlighten what you inciting
Inspiration or riots because these entertainers lying
I feed the masses with these poems out of a passage
Of life written by experience which is a master
The mic miracle straight forward there’s no subliminal
Hip hop immortal a 100 years from my pinnacle

[Napoleon Da Legend & Awon hook]
Seen a lot of trends come
Seen a lot of trends go still
Hip hop immortal
A 100 years from my pinnacle
Seen a lot of artists pop
I seen a lot flop
Hip hop immortal
A 100 years from my pinnacle

[Napoleon Da Legend verse]
Yo soulful like the blood of a Taino
I’m a one eyed man traveling the land of blind people
Don Cheadle in a blockbuster sequel
Got me stuck between two evils
Off of my flow and too cerebral
I used to read through magazines and dream of a lifestyle
Iced out like my favorite rappers
Only seeing highlights of the high life
Even though behind the scenes
The truth grimmer when ya young it’s hard to see through the glitter
When the gold turn to plastic and a flow can turn classic
When ya preconceptions die
Some never learn to get passed em
And it ain’t easy cause stubbornness is not subtle
Subs can turn to bloody scuffles gotta use ya gut muscle
Stuck with my hustle when it wasn’t cool
So before you envy what I got
Think about the shit I went through to make it pop
And it’s not rocket science or mystic
And if you don’t know how to read through the lines
You must have missed it

[Napoleon Da Legend & Awon hook]
Seen a lot of trends come
Seen a lot of trends go still
Hip hop immortal
A 100 years from my pinnacle
Seen a lot of artists pop
I seen a lot flop
Hip hop immortal
A 100 years from my pinnacle

credits

from The World Changed [Radio Edits], released November 19, 2021
Written & Performed by Napoleon Da Legend
Produced & Mixed by Amerigo Gazaway
Executive Producer: Rickey Mindlin

Soul Mates 2021

napoleondalegend.com
amerigomusic.com
soulmatesproject.com

Post-Production Mixing & Mastering by ThisIsART:
thisisartmusic.com

Album Artwork by Amerigo Gazaway:
amerigomusic.com

Additional vocals written & performed by Awon (Tracks 7, 10 & 16):
dontsleeprecords.bandcamp.com