Album Credits
Music Composition, Production and Sound Design by Abdullah Powell
Recording, Mixing and Mastering by Abdullah Powell
Rashad Vocals on Master Plan recorded/mixed by Rashad Thomas
Album photography by Abdullah Powell
Album Art Designed by Ill Poetic for Soundrzn Design
© 2018. All Rights Reserved
Abdullah Powell
Reaching Higher
Song Lyrics
DREAMIN
Written by Abdullah Powell
Chorus
It was all a dream
It was just a dream
Had to make it reality
Had to make it reality
Brother Abdul ain’t no one stopping me
And that’s my philosophy
It was all a dream
Had to make it reality
Verse
Lost In my mind and in my thoughts
Thinking about all our loved ones and those we lost
Thinking about all the heroes that paid the cost
Thinking about life lessons that I’ve been taught
In my mind I’m in the clouds
With the fam and the ancestors it’s all smiles
Hearing the best type of music the most beautifulest sound
In the presence of the Lord yeah we made Him proud
Now I’m back in the present
Mid 30’s with a family they such a blessin
At the same time raising them right is such a test and
Days are moving fast no time for 2nd guessin
No time for 2nd guessing Ain’t no time for no Resting
Til I go back to the essence
Got Days Ahead
Written by Abdullah Powell
Chorus 2x
I got days ahead
I got days ahead
InshaAllah I got days ahead
Insha Allah I got days ahead
Verse
A yo I got days a heads
Making wise moves like my elders said
Wife and kids copped a house with a shed
Cincinnat where I’m at the homestead
We making plans for our future
Solid foundation gotta be rooted
Solid foundation gotta make movement
Rock steady ya’ll, this real music
You never know if these might be the last days
So you better shine hard like sun rays
One day we might reach old age
Looking back at the generations that we raised
So put the time in with ya children
Keep grinding, Keep building
Save the babies, save the children
Fix society, fix the system
Chorus 2x
Time to Shine
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse 1
Waiting on my own arrival
Beats sitting on my hard drive Idle
Had to switch it up change the cycle
Had to level up, reach higher
Wit cha talent can’t be wastin
Can’t be sitting around waiting
I been humble been patient
Now it’s time for me to make a statement
Chorus
It’s ya time to shine
It’s ya time to shine
Don’t miss ya time to shine
Don’t miss ya time to shine
When it’s ya time to shine
It’s ya time to shine
Don’t miss ya time to shine
Don’t miss ya time to shine
Verse 2
Thought about selling beats
But most rappers really can’t represent me
this music right here is my artistry
It’s too important, it’s a part of me
Yo I aint tryin to blow, I just
Got something on my soul, and I
Wanna put it in the air, and
We’ll see where it goes from there
Chorus
Dear Mom
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse 1
I had to write a song for my momma
I’m sorry if I put you through some drama
I know it scarred you when I took shahada
You thought I was recruited by Osama Bin Laden
But all the times that we spent together aint forgotten
Therefore extremism it never really was an option
I changed my name but you can still call me Brandon
Hope that we can have love, peace and understandin
Chorus 2x
Dear mom I’m so happy for ya
You got a man and he’s down for ya
I love seeing you together
I hope your love lasts forever
Verse 2
Comin up ma you kept us in a stable home
Private education helped me stand on my own
Only child so I had everything I wanted
I was spoiled if I’m gonna be completely honest
And ma you made sure I stayed polished
And you always told me that I’d graduate from college
I’m grown now but I’m still your son Brandon
Hope that we can have love, peace, and understandin
Chorus 2x
Verse 3
I remember walking you down the aisle
When I think about it it makes me smile
I remember cruise ship vacation
With Aunt Helen before she past Ma it was amazin
I remember all of the holidays
And all the music that you played
Thankful to God that were still here standin
Thankful to God who made me your son Brandon
Chorus 2x
Leavin Tomorrow
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse 1
Ma I’ll be leaving tomorrow
And I may not be back for a while
I promise not to go too far
But I need to go out and explore
To see what the world has for me in store
To see if I can grow up and mature
I left when I was 18 years age
I like to reflect on those days
Down south university of Cincinnati
Graduated in 5 years glad I made you happy
Now your saying I should go back to Grad school
But honestly Ma I think I’m cool
I got life experience and the paperwork
A strong will and I know to put God first
With all that I can figure it out
And my goal is still to make you proud
My goal is still to make you proud
My goal is still to make you smile
Verse 2
I think I need to turn to God
I think I need to turn to Allah
So I did and I know you thought you lost me
But when I pray it’s in my heart to believe
It’s in my heart
I took an internship at a youth center
Not a lot of pay but it’s really got potential
No health insurance
And it’s in the hood
And I know to you that means that it’s no good
But I see something that you can see
So Ma this time your gonna have to trust me
I see somethin
Now I’m full time City recognized
I can pay the bills while changin lives
Lord knows how long I’m gonna be here
I’m just trying to do the best with my career
Verse 3
Ma I’m grown now
I can hold my own now
Gotta let me go now
Gotta let me grow now
Give me time to show how
Promise I’ma make you proud
I met a sista and were thinking about getting married
I know Islam to you is still something that’s scary
I know you think I’m in a cult and can’t make decisions
I Know you wish I’d go back and just be a Christian
I’m still Christ like, still have insight
And I want to have a family and do it right
That was 9 years ago before the grand children
That was 9 years ago Ma it takes vision
When I left home I never knew where I’d go
But life is like water so I just let it flow
Hope you understand 2x
Boy to a man 2x
Hip Hop
Written by Abdullah Powell
First met you as a teen when I stopped hooping
look for the next phase in my life to move in
Chillin with my man E he used to play your music
In his pops van rollin while we listen to it
Nasty Nas, Gangstarr, Tribe Called Quest
Wu Tang, Blackstarr, Raekwon the Chef
After School with the bros thats what we was on
traveling to high street cousins, avalon
Coppin dog tags and Triple 5
Army Fatigue, looking real fly
Hitting up the open mics at the short stop
The hip hop expo was our yearly spot
Breakers artist, emcees, and the disc jocks
Seeing the elements together man I learned a lot
Listening to you had me thinking on a deeper level
There’s a lot more to learn than these schools will tell you
No more eating pork, no more white Jesus
Knowledge of self and righteous teachings
You became my mentor and I became your student
A Dedicated learner I started producing
College Dorm, Fruity Loops, and a turntable
1st tracks soundin wack feeling like I wasn’t able
or incapable but I stayed on the job
late nights early morns progressing in the art form
Taking breaks to go visit you at Top Cats
Animal crackers in the back with the boom bap
Had a lab in the basement of East McMillan
33 that was the number of the apartment building
Started meeting legends from the local scene
Holmskillet, Infinit and my man Kreid
Me and Inf started working on an LP
I did the production he was the MC
Visiting your birthplace up in NYC
Peace to Infinit & Percy Carey
Since then I’ve been giving back to the youth
Elementz is the way that I honor you
Just One Life
Written by Abdullah Powell
Son I really hate to preach to you
But I need these words to penetrate deep in you
Cause Every choice that you make
May lead you to a different fate
Wisdom necessitates
That you learn from your mistakes
Life is a long haul
So you need a steady pace
It’s even wiser what you learn from others
And you don’t need your eyes to see like Stevie wonder (3rd eye)
Ya gotta watch who you call your brother
Show me ya friends I’ll show you ya future
And all the knowledge it ain’t in computers
And life experience you can’t get from Google
And the best advice you can’t get from YouTube
So listen to these words closely
self proclaimed religious folks none of them aint holy
And that’s from any denomination
And don’t get caught up in any petty situation
Cause small things become big
You might find yourself doing a bid
Or even worse you end up dead
It happens all to often
Another young black man laying up in a coffin
For My Father
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse
Wish I could go back
shoot some hoops with dad
Man I used to hate it
but it made me who I am
Early teenage years
pushed me to be a man
Took me all this time
now I understand
Jump soles on my feet
running up the street
School played me on time
Pops made me my own team
Training everyday
I was at my best
That’s the reason why
I have confidence….know what I’m talking bout….
Chorus 4x
This is my song
For my father
Post Chorus 2x
Just let the music play
Hundreds of shots a day
Working real hard
Ain’t gone sit the bench no more
Reaching Higher
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse 1
I believe that there’s more to me
Written in my destiny
It’s in my DNA
It’s in my soul I say
There’s something so deep in me
Something inspiring
And as I live my life
I’m discoverin my light
Chorus 2x
Reaching to see
what’s inside me
Higher we reach
closer to dreams
Verse 2
Everyday of my life
Keep my head to the skies
My life ain’t no accident
I ain’t here by accident
Everyday that I rise
Gotta open my eyes
To discover my destiny
Gonna be the best I can be
Chorus 2x
Grind Everyday
Written by Abdullah Powell
Chorus 2x
It’s a grind everyday
Trying to keep those bills paid
While we in salaat we pray
Lord guide us to the straight way
Verse
If it ain’t God we ain’t afraid
Yeah that’s the new phrase
passin through life with straight A’s
Cause I made the right plays
Like when I got me a raise
Had to stack it up and save
Need my chips like Frito lay
I keep it safe like triple A
Cause I want ain’t gotta have it
Gotta pay attention to ya spending habits
Can’t be the one that’s always asking
Got ya hand out trying to cash in
it’s ya Brotha telling you facts
And you know I laced the track
Turn the bass up in the back
Stack it up don’t relapse
Chorus 2x
Weathering Storms
Written by Abdullah Powell
Chorus 2x
Still moving strong
Weathering storms
Still moving strong
Weatherin storms
The beat goes on
On and On
The beat goes on
Weather your storms
Sun and the rain Joy and the pain
One in the same
Gotta maintain Your mind frame
In This life were living There’s constant change
And transitions but stick to ya mission
Don’t let it break you down demolition
Ain’t no quitting somebody’s watching you
Looking up trying to follow you
It’s bigger than yourself were interconnected
Societal health global perspective
So keep moving on fighting through it all
And every test that comes ask God to make you strong
Fight through the anger
Fight through the frustration
Fight when your feeling tired
fight when you have no patience
Fight through the cancer
fight through the diabetes
fight through the depression
fight when you’re feeling empty
Chorus 2x
Mrs. Jones
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse 1
Dear Mrs. Jones I appreciate you
And that’s truly an understatement
And that feeling is mutually felt
I always knew from your mural painting
A special bond from the Lord Most High
Thinking about it makes me teary eyed
Your my favorite person on this earth
Grandma I aint gonna lie
You taught me about love and stability
How to smile and keep going through adversities
When life brings me down I come and visit you
And when I leave to go back I feel renewed
Gran, your always in my heart
You make the most beautiful art
I can’t believe we came this far
We made you a great Grandma
I always prayed that you’d meet my kids
So they could have your homemade biscuits
Chorus
Mrs. Jones
We got a thing going on
Mrs. Jones
Verse 2
School days I wouldn’t mind being sick
Cause Ma would take me over Gran’s and she’d babysit
Chillin in your living room watching cartoons,
You’d hook me up grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup
I have a routine everytime I come and visit
Give you a hug and then it’s time to hit the kitchen
Apple pies smellin great love your pound cake
Nothin was store bought it was always homemade
And that’s the reason why I have certain taste
Cause eating out can’t compare to Grandma’s hot plates
And there’s love in the food that you cook
the type of love that you’d never get out of a cook book
Your such a blessing to the whole family
And now the eldest living in our family tree
I pray for peace all the way to the end
I pray to be in paradise with all of our kin
I pray our best days still lie ahead
Gran I love you and that’s enough said
Master Plan
Written by Rashad Thomas & Abdullah Powell
Rashad Chorus
The stars have aligned.. All the planets.
Won’t take a second for granted.
From heaven to earth we have
Landed. The Master plan. 2x
Rashad Verse
Brainstormed with love.
Planned in advance.
Intelligent design.
Made from our image.
This road will be tough,
it’s hard to adjust us.
Just know who to trust,
All we got is us.
A black man and his family.
They want us apart.
Away from each other.
I’m not breaking your heart.
Won’t fall to statistics.
Ain’t no disregard,
cuz it’s in the cards.
I’m healing the scars.
Abdullah Verse
What could be better than seeing your newborn child
what could be better than seeing your newborn smile
What could be better than starring at your child in the eyes
She stares back at you making you feel paralyzed
What could be heavier than holdin your newborn up
Feeling the weight of knowing she gotta grow up
What could be realer than knowing your girl is not a man
there’s some things about her that you’ll never understand
What could be realer than being up in the labor room
Holdin ya wife’s hand helper her push through
What could be tougher than wifey as she carry’s the burden
Ain’t nothing in this life bruh and that’s for certain
You could swim the ocean the deepest sea
climb the highest mountains reach the highest peak
It won’t compare to wifey when she conceives
Please believe, true indeed
Rashad Chorus 2x
Steady Cruisin
Written by Abdullah Powell
Chorus
Steady Cruisin
Lovin You and
What Ya Doin
Steady Cruisin
Steady Cruisin
Lovin you and
All in this moment
I just wanna ride with my love
Verse
Sun is rising
Perfect timing
Lets go riding
Hop inside and
Doesn’t matter
Where we’re going
Cruise Controllin
Forward Motion
Music’s playin
Earth Wind’s greatest
Phone on silent
I’m with my lady
I am yours and you are mines
This ride is for all our lives my love
Chorus
All I Need is You
Written by Abdullah Powell
Verse
Thankful to God For all these years
Can’t believe the times I’ve been lost with my wife here
Lost my hair inherited a full beard
Lookin in the mirror sometimes I feel weird
But that’s life constant change
Things get rearranged but some things stay the same
Like my love for you girl it still remains
Look at these beautiful seeds we get to raise
We giving praise
Chorus 2x
All I really need is you
We can be together for a lifetime
All I really need is you
I’m so fortunate so proud to say
Post Chorus 2x
Look at these beautiful seeds we get raise
To The Most High we giving praise
abdullah powell 