I TRULY BELIEVE ALL PAIN CREATES PLATFORMS IN YOUR LIFE TO HELP YOU TAP INTO YOUR POTENTIAL AND REACH YOUR PURPOSE. ONE THING I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE IS GOD IS ALWAYS PURPOSE-FULL!!! NO WASTED PAIN, NO WASTED TEARS, NO WASTED EXPERIENCES. ONE THING YOU CAN ALWAYS BET ON, THE FIRE INSIDE OF ME WILL ALWAYS BURN BRIGHTER THAN THE FIRE AROUND ME. AND SO I DEDICATE THIS LYRIC BOOK TO LOVE.... TO THE LOVE OF LYRICISM, TO THE LOVE OF MUSIC AS AN EXPRESSION, FOR THE LOVE OF TURNING VULNERABILITY INTO ART, TO MY LOVE WHO INSPIRED THE EMOTIONS AND TO THE DEEPER LOVE I FOUND FOR MYSELF. THE WAY THE SUN STILL RISES DESPITE THE STORMS, MUSIC FOUND ITS WAY BACK TO MY SOUL. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF MY JOURNEY.
Brisa Lauren
Still I never knew that when you break more light shines through Pen and paper in hand, I’m finally speaking my truth The truth is I’m strugglin, running and stumblin Wondering how I lost so much to nonthin Good things must be coming Waited patiently. I’m done loving everyone but me Cause pain can change you, and sometimes for the good It’s like finding the perfect home in an unexpected neighborhood But if he didn’t call me mom, I would have gave up yesterday this songs a reminder for another hard day You can pick up pieces, you can learn to breathe again Surrender to the journey, cause healing never ends Took my light and sold it back To the sky for twice as high Gave purpose another try Creativity on my side And I’m still here And I still cry But I know God ain’t never left my side So I’ll be still for as long as it takes Cause this is where I heal and I’m allowed to make mistakes So I’ll be still I’ll heal, I’ll grow, I’ll write, I’ll pray And I’ll be still for as long as it takes I’ll be still
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Photographer: Leslie Colon www.lesliecolonphoto.co @lesliecolonphoto
Sabotage
So yeah, I got hurt real bad and it’s all bad, But I’m the one cho0sing to stay mad, These triggers are on me And I spend more time pointing out lies Ignoring your good, shutting down your try’s Playing the victim still, staying hurt against my will And I know it’s me reacting from insecurity, so insecure of me And I know it’s me impacting All that we can be, such toxicity Sabotage, Destruction (that’s what I do) Sabotage, Destruction (it’s me not you) Sabotage, Destruction Cause I can’t keep blaming you for the work I’m not willing to do, ya.. (Sabotage, Destruction, Sabotage, Destruction) Cause I can’t seem to let go of the things I can’t control So I’m holding on to shit, shit that don’t exist And I keep playin myself, I can’t blame nobody else nothing left to say, either change or remain the same Sabotage, Destruction
Photographer: Cedric “Ced” Webber @Ced_web
Ode to the Petty
I’m tired of being the bigger person But I know God is the bigger person every day. Slowly losing the will, not reacting to shit they say All these petty subliminals don’t help you grow Don’t change your situation (no, no) Keep testing me day after day Oh you need to learn the hard way
Walking around on fire will burn more than just me So ode to the petty, please stop trying me This ain’t a threat, this is your only warning. So ode to the petty, stop trying me This kindness is running dry, so think about what you say Cause If I tell my truth, there’d be nothing left of you at the end of day I’ll continue to pray these reactions away Each attempt to bring me down shows me your miserable anyway Focus on your purpose, focus on yo pay All that talking and you still ain’t got nothin say Focus on your purpose, focus on yo pay All that talking and you still ain’t got nothin to say Walking around on fire will burn more than just me So ode to the petty, please stop trying me This ain’t a threat, this is your only warning. So ode to the petty, stop trying me Petty, Ode to the petty, petty
Photographer: Riza Clave Weriza.co @weriza.co
Us V.S. Them We were taught at young you would love and respect us Above all, you would protect us Funny how reality ain’t real Instead of honest conversation, you lead with manipulation Without hesitation You slowly take our choices away Can ya be honest from your core Let “I love you” mean more More than words, but real-life verbs The world is hard enough You ain’t gotta make it harder on us These systems ain’t built in our favor Do us both a favor, step up or step down Don’t bring us down Now we understand, you raised to survive But you don’t have break soul that’s trying to give you life Don’t take away my decisions hiding from truths Living a double life, stealing pieces at the root All you had to do was bury the game, Instead you caused all this pain When you had so much to gain And at the end of the day All you had to be was be 100, let us choose if we want to play
Photographer: Sterling “Gold� Miller @_sterlinggoldphoto
Note Self Note toto Self I’m so sick of feeling this sick around all the things that you do I’m beyond exhausted with the power I keep giving you Over and over again, I keep pushing send Calling while crying becoming a trend Feeling like I’m about to break cause I refused to bend When did anxiety become a language that I speak? I’ve been talking to love with so much negativity We deserve better, we’ve been through too much together Fuck a timeline that’s too much pressure. Quality should have always been the measure I’m so disappointed in who’ve become Questioning and over thinking until I am numb Letting depression consume me, Never letting love have a chance to chose me Oh I’m so done Oh I’m done Note to self I’m so sorry I’ve been throwing your chances to heal away Note to self Please forgive me I’ve been allowing all my triggers to stay Note to self You deserved all that love you gave away Yourself respect is gotta be stronger than your feelings .
Photographer: Bethany Williams @Bethanykadephoto
Keep You I ain’t afraid to sit and eat all alone Cause I built the fuckin’ table I sit on While I appreciate some of what you bring It ain’t enough for me to just put with anything And I’ve drinking my tea, minding my own You ain’t put in enough work to reach my thrown And your actions tell me that you ain’t grown And my time ain’t got time like that no mo, no more I don’t wanna know I don’t need to ask Cause I know you, know you You just gonna lie If the truth is best Cause you… You don’t value me Respect my loyalty And you, you never deserved me cause… Babygirl is some pressure, but I’m humble too. Talkin’ to myself like damn, he ain’t no good for you His potential ain’t worth what you been through Let it him go and keep you Babygirl is some pressure, but I’m humble too. Talkin’ to myself like damn, he ain’t no good for you His potential ain’t worth what you been through Let it him go and keep you
Photographer: Jeremy Lawson @hoodlumjeremy
The Decision Two hearts, one beat That’s the sacrifice I made Foolish of me to believe It was worth the price I paid
I still feel the feelings when you told me she was too.. Caught me up in your lies Unwilling to own your truth And so I pulled the trigger, the blood is on my hands. And I take responsibility, despite what my hurt says. And I know it was my decision, despite the role others played, But I’m struggling to forgive us Because the stains won’t wash away hey hey hey.. I pray this pain goes away hey hey hey We both lost either way With my heart pulled apart, I forgot how to breathe Tears rushed down my cheek, then I fell to my knees We all have to lay down in the beds that we made Please know I made this decision because I was afraid and so I pulled the trigger, the blood is on my hands. And I put the blame on me, despite what my hurt says. And I know it was my decision, despite the role others played, but I’m struggling to forgive us cause the stains won’t wash away hey hey hey.. I pray this pain goes away hey hey hey We both lost either way
Photographer: Sterling “Gold� Miller @_sterlinggoldphoto
March on
She wish she was free, she’s finally getting her mind right He wish he knew better, but 20/20’s hindsight Now where will they meet if they don’t ever get right Now, What’s it gonna be if we don’t ever get right I don’t know where I am going, but I can’t go back to that The person I’m becoming is worth more to me that I lost her once before and pieces they ain’t coming back So if you see me walk past, I’m letting go of my past.. Letting go of my past. Forward we march.Forward we march. “bye bye bye” You can’t keep playin with fire and not expect to burn You can’t ignore the lessons and if your goal is to learn You can’t wear your crown high if you trippin You don’t fall into the reaction and skip intention Babygirl march on….
Photographer: Jeremy Lawson @hoodlumjeremy
Produced by Brisa Lauren Lyrics Written by Brisa Lauren Makeup by Brisa Lauren Hair by Brisa Lauren & Brooke Haggler Production Assistant DauchĂŠ Bates Design by Ashley Matthews with DYNASTYMEDIA.CO