Lance Lim feature: two rap poems with guest Jujube

13412222_10153501277362587_945511993374929036_oLance Lim is a poet and writer who offers truth and magic to Thursdays Writing Collective. He also is a graphic designer, sound and performance artist, and the founder of Faith in the DTES: a media project that explores the idea of faith, transcendence, and hope in the DTES. The work is a collaboration of artists, performers who live in the DTES Vancouver.

Here are two rap poems: the first a collaboration with artist Jujube Jacinto, which includes audio; and the second a solo text piece. Enjoy! Think! Explore!

 

 

East Van, by Jujube Jacinto and Lance Lim.

I grew up on the rough side
Handcuffed from behind from my own crime
East Van is a tough life to survive

I grew up on the east side
Handcuffed from behind from my own crime
East Van is a tough life to survive
Am I dead or alive?

Sometime soon, yo I gotta get out the black hole of abuse
A misguided generation of youth, where inside I’m broken too
Listen, we gotta start with no fists son, no more of those drugs runs
No wars, no closed doors, no more remorse

I’m sick and tired of waiting for food and shelter
The endless lineup, my cheques on welfare
It’s check day, we try to save
But it’s all gone since yesterday

Living the dream
I went from a coke feign to a Filipina queen
As a child, I lived in a jungle scene
Finding ways to breathe, I conceive

However, life will get better, I gotta value village sweater
Nothing on the plate but fake leather, time to write the politicians a letter

I grew up on the rough side
Handcuffed from behind from my own crime
East Van is a tough life to survive

I grew up on the east side
Handcuffed from behind from my own crime
East Van is a tough life to survive
Am I dead or alive?

The east side,
there’s no time to cry when you’re trying to stay alive
My daily drill of popping pills, it shoots to kill like fentanyl
Yup, I gotta pay my bills, no food, no frills
No life, no thrills
It’s time to write my will

Hey John, I’m broke
Can you loan some money and smokes?
I don’t want to give up the dirty deed
Just to feed my family
Now leave me the f**k alone, mister

I wanna leave this scene
They only care when we disappear off the streets
Off the sheet, no receipts
We become a statistic

I grew up on the rough side
Handcuffed from behind from my own crime
East Van is a tough life to survive

I grew up on the east side
Handcuffed from behind from my own crime
East Van is a tough life to survive

 

 

 

V6A, by Lance Lim

V6A it’s in my system
Why don’t you just listen..
Instead of dissing
we’re just like normal hometown folk
not a poverty joke, who’s high on crack or smoking dope…

For your sensations of categorization
you call it an organization but you know
it’s really hating, hating on us..
Like we verses them, And I verses you

I can’t understand why V6A
you’re branding us fools

(Hook)
V6A you say it’s all inclusive
but I’m not stupid, creative, and not abusive

Come on then and choose us…
V6A I’m not here to carry your load
Just because you’re afraid of a postal code…

V6A I stand ready to be

The thing you love most, how it really should be.

So V6A – yeah the postal code, time to

Be ready willing and able all truth be told
I didn’t ask to join your job hunting club
that’s been Gentrified, petrified and all of the above…
You say I don’t qualify once I’m processed
but hey its just easier and it costs less.
Through a scanner your optical hammer
I’d opt out but I come as a digital jammer

Now V6A properties may triple in value
Myself, I own nothing but V6A I have you
You’re on my letters, on my headers,
In my emails and it only gets better…

Gentrified, petrified and all of the above

Send urgently to you sir with love.

Because

(Repeat Hook)

V6A When I think of you as myself
No prejudice here, I’m going stealth
I continue to thrive, survive at best
V6A I’ll lay you to rest
Living on edge, back to my reality,
The DTES…it is what it will be..

© Thursdays Writing Collective 2022