Stomping Grounds is a tribute to my hometown of Winnipeg. The song is produced by Winnipeg producer S.One. The concept "Stomping Grounds" came before any of the lyrics were written because it was quickly inspired by the defined "stomping" bass note at the start of every bar throughout the song. In the lyrics, I talk about how I've moved (now more than) 14 times through out my life and the struggle I had trying to fit in always having to switch schools through out the city of Winnipeg. I also felt like I had to pay homage to some of the local Hip Hop acts before my time by shouting out classic Winnipeg rap groups Mood Ruff and more recently The Lytics. It's funny to think about it now, I emailed this song to Dow Jones and his reply was that it reminded him of one of his favorite rappers Pep Love and that it needed a bit more mixing and mastering. So we mixed and mastered the shit out of it. Dow Jones also told me he hates when people shout out Mood Ruff in a song, he said "this time wasn't so bad".
"From the bottom of the Red, to the top of the Golden Boy's head, I put on for my stomping grounds."
lyrics
I wanna hit up every venue in this city
eaten every itty bitty rapper on the menu
snacking, I might send you
packing, it depends who's rapping
if I happen to make this magic happen
you'll be clapping asking me to sign shit
while I'm on this rhyme tip
why is it, every time my mind slips
this hip hops behind it, keeping me reminded
I gotta give em goosebumps, some RL Stein shit
rewind it back
I might live in Transcona now but man
I moved 14 times around this town
that's 7 different schools that's seven different clicks full of fools
now I'm repping seven giants and we keep it cool
ground quakes when I stomp on it
get me on the intercom darn it
hear me loud and clear sonic sounds
as I rumble through the underground
from the bottom of the red
to the top of the golden boys head
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
I'm gonna do just what i said to the end
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
from the bottom of the red
to the top of the golden boys head
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
I'm gonna do just what I said
Winnipeg, how could you not be proud?!
you ask me if I do it for my city and I laugh
what you think I do it for? your foot up in my ass?
no respectable hip hop's put this city on the map
since Mood Ruff in 95' than The Lytics brought it back
props to those guys man, they do it big at every show
now I'm here to do the same learn my name if you don't know
Swing Adam climbing ranks, soon you'll see him at the top
and I'll be grinding at the rust till I ain't breathing and my body drops
cut the shit, I ain't here to be some entertaining half wit
this opening act is full blast bitch
so relax snitch, I'll tell a lazy rapper to his face
he's gotta practice more to keep up with this pace
I'm learning as I go, pulling weight through the snow
to my first show back in grade 8 coming late for school
cause this riff on my guitar had me feeling brand new
like I had nothing to do
so it's
from the bottom of the red
to the top of the golden boys head
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
I'm gonna do just what i said to the end
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
from the bottom of the red
to the top of the golden boys head
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
I'm gonna do just what I said
Winnipeg, how could you not be proud?!
When I said I moved 14 times I wasn't lying
this whole cities been my playground
where I been on this grind
it's a tough place to come up, nobody puts a thumb up
to the artists too reliant while they're trying on some dumb luck
it's just cause this cites got some haters
and these haters overwhelm em
their saying hip hop sucks but you tell em its a dream
than you kick back, write the next track
give this city something they ain't never seen
I love my city, don't get it twisted, I'm a Winnipegger
If you say otherwise, you probably get the middle finger
I'll piss on every hydrant on my block to let em know
write my name in the snow, dot the I's and go
when I get home, put the pen to the pad
write these rhymes with my city in mind until I crash
they're testing me I know it man, I really hope I pass
multiply, subtract, add Swing Adam
you can do the math
from the bottom of the red
to the top of the golden boys head
I put on for my Stompin Grounds
I'm gonna do just what i said to the end
I put on for my stomping grounds
from the bottom of the red
to the top of the golden boys head
I put on for my Stomping Grounds
I'm gonna do just what I said
Winnipeg, how could you not be proud?!
credits
from Mood Swings,
released February 21, 2014
Produced by S. One
