The Aztext - The Sacred Document

The Aztext dropped their second album, The Sacred Document, in 2007. That was approximately more than a few years ago, which is crazy to contemplate. Now that I am digging into all the work I need to do this summer, I wanted to put some beers back and bump a Green Mountain classic I haven’t heard in many years.

Let’s be clear, there were a lot of movements going on in Vermont at this moment in time. The Loyalists had already dropped two great albums, VT Union was blowing up, Burnt MD was blowing up, Eye Oh You still owned downtown Burlington, JynxINC and High Flow were both working hard, and Voice was looking like the next big thing.

Still, when The Sacred Document dropped, The Aztext absolutely raised the bar. This was a professional piece of work, and not only that, they brought along national-level guest features and held their own against the rappers they worked with. This is a track by track re-assessment from an old, old man.

The Aztext are working on their fifth full length EP

Since 2005, Vermont based duo The Aztext have been a dependable go-to for classic, head-nodding boombap. With influences like Rakim and Big Daddy Kane, their up-tempo energy, lyrical word play and storytelling have made them a favorite in underground hip hop communities globally.

All four of The Aztext full length EPs have earned them top spots on ‘best of’ lists both locally and beyond, with 2007’s The Sacred Document maintain cult status still receiving 100s of streams and downloads every month.

The Aztext have collaborated on tracks with platinum producers !llmind & Shuko, as well as underground legends One Be Lo, Mac Lethal, Craig G, Wordsworth and others.

Currently, The Aztext are working on their fifth full length EP.

The Aztext and Mac Lethal | Our Kingdom with Lyrics

“Our Kingdom” feat. Mac Lethal

PRO
I sit atop a mountain of old classics / it’s so tragic
Most have turned ghosts / through political caskets
I inhabit, a world who’s habits savagely slash
Any passion you have, in half, and ask for it back
In the form of a track / or any talent you have
Being managed by Prozac to hold back your sad
Ridalyn for happy / making (emotional) inches of valleys
They listen and harass me / send prescriptions in to catch me
I’m cache / on a mountain, sitting so high
Big L with red eye sight just strolled by
I Watch MTV as camouflage,
And make my way to the surface / with Nike’s and Bandanas on
Another tag along / with a catchy dance and battle song
Hoping my influence soon catches on
Grab a magic wand / tell the zombies, ’turn and pass my passage on’
’til my voice becomes a hand / moving plastic Pawns
now that my castles strong / due to moderns sorcery
I hand unique thoughts to all those who supported me
Some left disgusted / when their taste changed enormously
Other’s started yelling for a war against conformity
I led the charge / by writing verses honestly,
“I watch cartoons. You’re gun shit ain’t a part of me”
which inspired other individual artistry
and I was crowned king, for killing mediocrity
it’s us, the kings.

Learic:
I’m just an earthling but ever since that birth thing
The words I bring have got fans thirsting for this verse king
First ring of the bell put these kids in a spell
Do it well like LL or that dude who had a Story to Tell
Battles get gory as hell, vendors with glory to sell
Beneath the surface, that’s where all the rawest warriors dwell
There’s more to explore at the core of my shell
Got you feelin’ like Cinderell at a quarter to twelve
(Pray tell) What would compel you to gamble with loaded dice?
Leave your whole camp in shambles by planting explosive mics
Clear the rubble, this troublesome trio does harm
Three Fugitives blame it all on a man with one arm
Towerin’ over a crowd in a courtyard
This poor bard performs for bored guards who work hard to absorb art
My best concepts stay hidden like report cards with all F’s
Take a wrong step and end up where the doors are
Be on the lookout for three written verses
That pose more of a threat than Egyptian curses
The slot machine reads three sixes, you need stitches
They can’t believe I’m still here like Keith Richards
A little dose of old school might save ya
Aztext and Mac Leth, the latest Kool-Aid flavor
Add Dub and E-Train and we reign supreme
An amazing team accurate as laser beams
You could say it’s us, the kings

Peace of Mind - produced by Dub Sonata | Lyrics

Pro:
i drive myself crazy, always thinking, and well lately
i can’t seem find a life raft / to help save me /
i sit in safety / in the area that helped raise me
supposed to be here, so I can chase dreams ///
Instead, I go to work cause it pays me
at my desk restless / watching time wasting /
As every second pass / I lose second chance
so I bought myself a watch with no second hands –>
sit in solitude with critical thoughts /
It’s miserable / to realize the kid in you’s lost –>
the little day to day shit that pisses you off –>
taken / over your body like a physical force ///
I tried meditation / but the silenced sirened
suicidal thoughts and now my head is racin –>
I clean once a week but now and then forget the basement –>
so i’m downstairs trapped with the mess I’m makin
gaspin for respiration / panic in isolation
hyperventilating fighting for each breath I take in
human nature is amazing faced with expiration
my chest is breaking sole searching for explanations
‘Brian’ - hold up / my girl just showed up /
noticed the the mess around me said / ‘lets throw away this old stuff’
I said ‘go nuts’ / and together we packed up trash bags and tossed’em for long months
Years later, my mind’s free and sober
far from Froze up, everything’s kosher
attitude laissez faire, like, like ‘so what?’
All day peaceful and that’s that… i’m grown up

P E A C E of Mind
peace of mind’s all i want to find when i start writing
P E A C E of Mind
peace of mind’s all i want to find so i stop hiding

LEARIC:
I’m feeling tense, I wanna let my mind roam around
I’ve been home a while, feeling like an only child
My family’s ten minutes away but I ain’t goin’ out
I’ve been gettin’ way too blunted but yo I’m older now
Gotta control myself, save up every cent to
Ensure I’m not a rent check away from a homeless shelter
My spending habits are worse than the music of Lenny Kravitz
I’m also selfless, down to my last penny, you can have it
I could use some magic ‘cause on the news it’s tragic
My Dad just lost his job, and yo that dude’s a maverick
We’re in a time of crisis
Where poverty’s widespread like China’s rice is
I wanna roll a nice spliff
But that would go against everything that I’m planning for
I love my girl, last thing I wanna see is a slamming door
This life is serious, our choices affect lives
Although a sense of humor keeps you balanced at stress time
I read books to gain perspective and stay effective
You learn just as much from life, ayo I stand corrected
We keep this band protected ‘cause if it gets infected
That prevents us from ever releasing another record
And that’d be wasting my father and mother’s efforts
Not to mention my older brother, answering all my questions
Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s left the building
Sent into a tailspin, but he ain’t forget his children
That’s my final motto
For those who feel like their mind’s as hollow as a wino’s bottle
Here’s a line to follow
Will power and self-control will help your soul
And regain that peace of mind that you thought you’d lost years ago