Shai Linne - Elder Statesman

The first single for Shai Linne’s next album, Lyrical Theology 3: Sociology. Streaming everywhere now: Produced by Braille Mixed by Wit Directed by Josh Wann Lyrics I recommend reciting Psalm 90 while visiting a graveyard It reminds me how limited my days are And yo I need that, the clock’s ticking It’s not fiction- the rot quickens as the plot thickens To be real with ya I kinda don’t know where to start Flying solo like Amelia- guess I’ll air my heart Mi familia no longer looks familiar My God is real, just ask Mahalia- I guess I’ll share my art It’s been a few years- I was on my Sade Not stressing what they all say- Still reppin’ Yahweh The GOAL is still the same- point you the Son- He’s Ruler And drops gems like a clumsy jeweler Since Still Jesus, the 7000 holding me down Industry expectations controlling me? How? I’m compelled to patience- the mind state of an elder statesman Who’s dwelled in basements and smelled the pavements Directing statements to a wretched nation lacking reverence Making declarations on behalf of heaven I didn’t understand why she left before- now I’m seeing Lauryn I had to make a choice- local church or keep on touring? Social media, watching God’s people warring I was laying in the cut like Neosporin Heed the warning: repent before compassion ends And Jesus Christ comes back like fashion trends This is Special Ed- believe and you got it made The reason I’m not a slave? The treason that God forgave On my knees to my God I prayed “Lord please make me more like Jesus”- then I got betrayed Caught in the quagmire, optimism backfired Got dragged by the impious and attacked by liars It was bugged to me and such a mystery How brothers couldn’t publicly in love disagree I was grieved by the shift, let it leak in the booth Became the enemy of many just speaking the truth Got canceled before cancellation was a thing And I’m still proclaiming the emancipation of the King As I reflect on the past, I groan much in hindsight I own what I highlight, I know I’m only finite And now more than ever, I feel alone when I write The last few years feels like the zone of the twilight I spoke on ethnicity with biblical equations And cats responded based on political persuasions Secular conservatism only fanned the hive And got Christians sounding like the oldest man alive I’ve seen my closest friends walk away from the faith The Lord knows my sins, it’s only by grace that I’m safe Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, please don’t let me go astray Left to myself I will fall today and throw it all away Without Jesus, I’m straight toxic- that’s Brittany Without Jesus I’m outta control- That’s Fifty With Jesus, I have abundance, that’s a litany Without Jesus, I have nothing, that’s Whitney On each page of Scripture- pearls for the wise Boundless facts to counteract the world and its lies Like your ultimate worth and happiness Is found in what you do, stuff that’s new or how much you accrue All that does is make your life an endless quest Until you get it and you realize it’s emptiness I got friends that are millionaires, some are depressed I’ve had convos with billionaires and wasn’t impressed Some people write songs for Christians to get bread I’m trying to write something to help you on your deathbed Like you’re a great sinner, Jesus a greater Savior Trust in His death and His resurrection and He will save ya Who can calculate the worth the Christ? First you might evaluate His perfect life and the purchase price Eternal life the gift for all who call His name Christ took all the blame, all the shame, all the stains Whether hall or fame or ball and chain we’re all the same Making faulty claims, we brawl and maim, causing pain Left to ourselves we’re headed straight to hell When we replace the word with the world, well- that’s when we take a L The fact is rappers be smothering their tunes With swag. That’s backwards, it’s gauze (gaws) to cover up the wounds Of insecurity and desire for affirmation Let Messiah fill your entire imagination When rooted in the soil you ain’t trippin over dudes A loyal few is better than a fickle multitude The finish line is so close, it would be absurd to leave Salvation is nearer now than when we first believed The words He weaves together in each verse agrees Sin’s the worst disease and can’t cured by surgeries But Christ serves reprieves when for the church He bleeds Search to perceive what Jesus taking our curse achieved Risen and exalted, the Lord is a warrior Ain’t nothing changed but the weather- Soli Deo Gloria!