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Absence of Leadership

by Marathon Man

supported by
Alex Dionisio
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auntieboyar
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1.
Message (Intro) 02:43
lyrics
I want to talk to y’all, before we start this record The reason for this, is to move forward This country is in a dark place, but it’s been there Since I was 7 years old, I remember, the first time, they called me nigger Just a kid, I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to say Now I look around, all I see, is disrespect They still treat us, like we, are less than human, 3/5s and all that All lives matter, that’s what they say, but to me, I never mattered My people, Black people, in this country, we built this country, and they treat us, like we’re less, like we’re nothing When we are excellence, we are magnificent, we are everything, they wish they could be You can storm the Capital, and get out on bail But when I’m walking down the street, they can take my life, for nothing Black Lives Matter, it’s not a saying, it’s not a meme, it’s the truth The absence of leadership in this country, has killed us
2.
Enter My Universe 02:50
lyrics
Enter my universe, it’s a different universe, it’s just like yours, but it’s mine Deep inside my mind, spaces moving through time Different faces, different features, signs So cold, hard to define Visual stimulation provided by lime American constructs colliding with time Verses define, the collective mind Travel through speed force, change the timeline Change what we’ve done, it’ll be fine Consequences don’t matter, I do it for mine The lost ones, the unborn child The virtuous asshole stuck in the clouds And those punk motherfuckers that wrangle the crowds All these dumb ass white boys talking loud We made it safe for them, damn everybody else They don’t matter, because the skin is a curse A weapon of war, waged from birth A step in the store, they pull up your shirt Step outside, wind blowing up the skirt No safe space, all we see is hurt Will I make it out alive or buried in dirt Next to America, the land of dirt With the rest of my people, covered in earth Drowning in mirth, for the white man’s world You ain’t never seen a nigga, make it with curls I ain’t never seen a white man take up the sword For a brotha, without a virtuous story told White saviors, that’s all they want to be No allies, modern day slavery That’s all they think of me, that’s all we are to them Entertainment, service, cultural chemistry Cultural literacy, is a lost art So they steal our art, call it discovery Christopher Columbus, on the Twitter feed Orange ass motherfuckers, feeling like they better than me Libertarians, foundations of white supremacy Feel the latency, behind the words they speak Until we get justice, our thoughts, are all we have that’s free So free your mind, escape their universe, travel through time If you find a mission, keep the hope alive If you have a vision, bring that shit to life Ain’t nothing given out, to our kind So you make your own moves, reclaim our time, with your mind What we have in this country is a failure to recognize the wrong we have done and the necessary steps to make it right. We are a lost society functioning under the The Absence of Leadership, Welcome to AmeriKKKa
3.
Reclaiming My Name 02:15
lyrics
Growing up, I had everything I wanted Every toy, power rangers, transformers White tiger zord, my dad called me Tommy Green or White Power Ranger, it didn’t matter to me I didn’t chase the dream, or the scholarship I didn’t see, the power, behind our leadership Teachers and textbooks, changing history Now it comes to me, forbidden chemistry Slave master namesake, because of ingenuity Respectability, over tragedy Founding fathers, murdered my people and live in infamy Referencing, this history Casts a shadow of treason against American identity The recipe, reject, responsibility Reject the truth, freedom is a luxury That’s what was said to me, from infancy Patriotism, nationalism Welcome to America, and racism Land of the free, the picture in the frame I was born, with a slave master’s name I feel the shame, voiceless again To speak against America, for change I know the truth, so how can I maintain I was born with anything but a slave master’s name Ben Thomas, the man behind the mask Jefferson’s slave, to be, put to the test To be put to rest, don’t speak up again I know the truth, so I’ll speak up again I’ll heat up again, before I’m left for dead We were left with nothing, we can’t get ahead The goal is bread, and a bed for our head It seems like nothing, but it’s better than dead Until all are one, we’re better off dead I said what I said, yeah I said what I said Reclaiming my name, for the rest of my days I’m no slave, so I mastered my name Ben Thomas, Marathon Man, they can’t take that from me
4.
War 03:54
lyrics
We’re at war Decepticons are kicking in the door Shots fired, in our sleep, in the streets, on our knees Say their names, Rest In Peace, in Power To be free, from tyranny For Equality, for empathy Transform the world, for eternity All the love of the universe, infinity Quest for the all spark, to redeem society Until all are one, there can be no victory No symphony, no symmetry Here comes the quickening, release the energy There can only be one, in this story I’ll take up the sword, flawless victory I’ll make up for flaws, rediscover our history While they make up the laws, to take our rights indefinitely They don’t want your voice, so you better speak up We don’t have a choice, it was born in our makeup So we make the most, wherever it takes us To the next level, eternal greatness The next episode coming for the wokeness The fakeness, of allyship Inclusion to exclusion, of actual progress They still don’t understand, the fundamental differences Between the white man’s burden and the suffragists Between the places we’ve been, and where we should’ve went 400 years of pain, a political argument And that’s on the left, we know about the right You ignored the truth, right in front of your eyes You couldn’t look away, the truth you couldn’t hide Now we gettin lynched, on the social feed Some call it distressing, but it seems like entertainment to me USA, we winning that Emmy Soldiers of the beast, fully equipped with a semi Automatic, they don’t a reason to spread it All across your chest, another closed casket We’re just names now, waiting to be called A few days away, all will be forgotten Onto the next thing, a new batman Just like the old one, what the fuck is happening Can’t you see, we dying in these streets Get the fuck up and start marching for me Shut the fuck up and start listening to me We were never in this game, we were never free We were never meant, to discover our identity The recipe, destroy the false society The patriarchy, ain’t done shit for me This country, that don’t, give a fuck about me In this industry, I bring reality To your speakers, so these, motherfuckers hear me So they hear us, they keep listening Cause I’m tired, of hoping for this shit to change Black president, but they still call us thugs That’s all we’ll ever be, until they open up Until they feel our pain, feel what it’s done to us Until they see a sign, from the universe They ain’t the only ones, to take it forward White flight over cultural insurance White flight, turned our culture to informants Looking down on us, from the suburbs In their eyes, we’re nothing more than servants Brothers and sisters, it’s time for revolution No holding back, time for restitution The solution, no more absolution The mission, for retribution Until all are one, that’s the union Step up, accept the calling It’s our time now, the world is watching
5.
Anyone Can Wear The Mask 03:19
lyrics
Anyone can wear the mask, I’m proof of that Marathon Man, I didn’t get it, from a booster pack I got the touch, I got the power, I’ll use the power to take us forward in the aftermath After math, I had a stress attack I saw my people in chains, had to go after that Had to break em loose, freedom to choose Where we’re going, and where we, take it after that All the way around the world in a sleeping bag To uncover the secrets, of our dreaming past While believing that, we had a second chance To put our dreams first, and hold the demons back Can you see the facts, do you believe in class Do you believe that my people, were always meant to blast Off in space, with the mainstream flowing fast Can’t have it all, unless, we take it back So I take it back, stand up and take a stand For my people, together, all holding hands Until a new birth, a new refrain Until the universe, respects our claim Until we see ourselves, no shame Until all are one, we will never be the same Until that day, we’ll be screaming for change Unlock the door, take the picture out the frame Got my mask on, call me Miles Ben Thomas on the track, running wild This ain’t a trial, serve the heat with a smile If you ain’t feeling this, well, you in denial The world on fire, poison in a vial They don’t see the struggle, so we marching a mile Right to your front door with the heat and a smile We hide our numbers, super tight in single file But this ain’t raid, its not stick up Were here to open your eyes, before, they take us Cause they taking you next, stay tuned to the set What they do lowest, you best believe you gonna get You gonna get hit, you ain’t rich enough Only wealth survives, the truth is tough The proof’s in front, for your eyes to see The “living wage”, modern day slavery But anyone can wear the mask, I’m proof of that Marathon Man, I got it, I’m coming after that Put the mask on, let’s take it back Everything they took from us, we gotta have it back With tax, equal pay and Similac Every fucking thing, we need, to bring the magic back Rebel alliance, before the empire strikes back They got clones, ready to attack We don’t fall back, we don’t give up Never say die, is a must for us Trust us, we want the smoke in this tour bus Lung capacity, it is enormous So confront us, and take this ordinance Lyrical bombshells, coming, for the whole mess The whole set, every single one No seeds for the second coming Cause all my people, wearing the mask You don’t believe it, step up to the task I’ll swing fast, straight to the pack You don’t want, none of this check Nah, you don’t want this set
6.
Fantasy 03:38
lyrics
I sold my magic cards, I bought this beat I say I’m growing up, still spending money on fantasy It’s not a hobby, but I wouldn’t call it destiny I got the recipe, to infiltrate this industry Not for profit, not for celebrity To bring the truth, from, cognitive abscurity To set us free, every verse, an analogy Pay attention, to the soliloquy Quatrains and imagery, constructed over symphony In symmetry, arithmetic and chemistry Rhythmically, victory through harmony Until this industry, respects our own identity Society, respects our lives indefinitely Will we be free, to explore our own identity Explore our fantasies, eccentricities Accented, by fictional stability Do you see, the vision right in front of me The mission, creative, integrity What’s left of me, above the trees In the clouds, know what I’m saying now Way too gone, on that next level Mana got me throwed, Mary got me feeling bezel It’s Ben Thomas, the Marathon Man Reclaimed my name, and I’m back to run again Lost some confidence, off some bullshit Signed an NDA, with a crooked corporation So much changed, since I laced em up Just like, nothing’s changed, in our universe Pass reverse, release the pain reserve Hardest step to take is the first, in birth I was second, but, I always stand above the herd Existentialist form, to the absurd Camus to Herm, torn pages turned No empathy, within the windows of the world They’re covered in rain, we hurt, but do you feel the pain Framed to contain, what’s left to be gained Mother brain, retrained, futuristic refrain Retain the power you discovered, when chose your name Ben Thomas, Marathon, diving deep in the main Stream of consciousness, new dreams to attain I maintain, trauma left us feeling shame Enough is enough, it’s time for a change We need reparations, respect the claim Got a problem, we bring the pain Turn off the news, blaming riots again Everything you took from us, we live that pain The American dream, no one can attain The land of the free, another false claim Your denial for pride, the ultimate shame Stand up for mine, never be servants again
7.
'Til All Are One 03:08
lyrics
The wilderness, within my grip The viciousness, of your justice Justice, is it just this Do we ever get our day, or are you sick of it I need a slice of the pie, just a little bit I keep praying, you understand our differences The inference, that it stays like this Means I only got one way of getting out this bitch Walk away, leave it all behind For your survival, y’all won’t even stay inside How can I believe, that you’ve changed your mind You’ve changed inside, because I see the lies The stories you told to keep the dream alive While we huddle together just to exist in our time Just to get ticket, so we can play your game Even though we ain’t winning unless we bring the flames Bring the pain, light it up, damn the rain Every hurdle you curdled before I found my name Before I found myself, before I opened up To all the pain that’s in this world and meant for us Meant for us, because of who we are Because of what we do, because we follow the stars Shining bright, in the limelight But you still just a nigga so you ain’t living right I ain’t living right, this ain’t living life 3/5s of person, ain’t the end of the line I was born in 80s, it’s still not my time Not my place, to be anything but anodyne Not my right, just keep it all inside Until you can’t take it no more, and take your life Making life, was a dream of mine But I can’t bring a life in this world, just, to be a burden like mine I wanna hold em close, right by my side Keep them safe from the white world, all the time But even with a vest, it’s only a matter of time Before they see that you moving and they press rewind So I’m holding on, still waiting For my day in the sun before the light fades And we can be ourselves, we can see each other As one people who struggle just to take it further One more step, just one more Every step that we take, will lead us to the door Off the floor, to the promised land Where I can be with my people all holding hands Just take one step, that’s all you have to do, then another
8.
Leap of Faith (Outro) 02:11
lyrics
I remember growing up, didn’t see much Head always on a swivel, but I didn’t stay in touch No attachments, stayed to myself Dive deep into the realms of fiction and Star Wars So I trained myself, to have compassion, my duty to help I tried to do it straight, I always hit the mark But they wanted an asshole and I gave them my heart I stayed true to my heart, and I give it to you Through this music, I call my art It’s a jumpstart, a leap of faith But Spider-Man, showed me I could save the day I could make a change, I could make a dent In the walls that they create to keep us dying for rent Just a cent, that’s all we ever get Gave thirty five years, and I still ain’t got respect I can move the people, I can set the tone Like Optimus Prime, when they came for the throne I always take it up, forever progressing I need all the experience, so I can take it to another level Another sentence, before this record is over, listen to what I told ya, we need to get over No more slow stepping, it’s over, higher, faster and further Stand with me, stand with us, no peace, until we get justice They have taken from us, more than we could ever loot Put pride aside, feel the marching of the boots Our freedom in jeopardy, we depending on you Cause we can’t change the world by ourself, but we don’t another white savior, with his name on the shelf, that shit just don’t help And I don’t say that for self, I say it for all of us Until all are one, constant struggle in the universe And I’m tired of fighting, I fought 34 years, just so I could wrestle a titan Ben Thomas, the Marathon Man, I’ll never stop fighting for my people I’ll never stop fighting, the forces of evil I’ll never stop fighting, if I’m the last of my people I’ll die before I give up to evil, and that’s on my people, that’s for people We were always the chosen, we saving the world from evil, that’s my people

about

This album is about facing injustice, head on, wherever it is found. My whole life I have hidden myself, in fear of the consequences I would face for being me. I witnessed my brother, an outspoken, caring, loyal Black child, face all the consequences of a grown man. I saw the way he was treated, punished, and cast aside. I knew I had to be the “exceptional negro” to survive my environment. I had to be better, more cordial, smarter; I had to excel at all functions of life to maintain my freedom. This is not a new awakening, this is not a revelation from a social media thread. This is 34 years of the Black experience in this country. I was very privileged myself; grew up in a great household, with loving parents who told me to chase my dreams. This society attacked my family, not always directly, and in some cases not intentionally, but my brother was taken from us….25 to…This is not to absolve personal responsibility, but to reveal the role our society played in this and every tragedy. Every broken family. Every mother that stopped taking family pictures after her son was sent to prison for what may be the rest of her life. For all the pain left in the wake of every action. This country was founded over the extermination of my ancestors. The heart of this country beats by the blood of my ancestors. This country survived World Wars and Depression by my forefathers, with the blood of my ancestors, but only for my forefathers. I learned this at a very young age, and struggle every day to overcome their expectations. For my survival. At this point in my life, I’m tired of holding back; I’m set to release my whole being through these records. I’ve got receipts for every facet of our society, and they’ve come due. I wear another mask now; it’s something I haven’t put on in a while. Marathon Man is back!

- Ben Thomas

credits

released April 6, 2021

Artwork by Lauren Best
Produced by Bureau of Better Beats (Tracks 1,8)
Produced by Kyu Tracks (Tracks 2-7)

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Marathon Man Columbus, Ohio

The Book of Marathon will be released in 2021. Five albums exploring the world we live through the lens of the Marathon Man.

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