RYKER - Two Blocks (Official Audio)

Two blocks from my apartment, a temple older than the street. Every morning somebody is kneeling on the stone with two wooden blocks: a knock, a knock, a pause. One day I follow an old man in. He lights the incense and tells me the rules: say who you are, where you live, what you need. 「一次問一件。」 One at a time. He asks for his grandson's test. Three times yes. My turn. I ask if I should show my face. Two flat sides up: the gods laughed. Not no, not yes. I ask again. Laugh. The woman next to me asks for her sick mom: yes, yes, yes. This whole hall asks for someone else. The one asking for me is me. I draw a slip I can't read. The keeper talks for three minutes and I catch two words: 「免驚。」 Don't be scared. So I change the question. Thirty years ago my parents left this city with two bags. Did they ever kneel here and ask these blocks for me? One flat, one round. Yes. Again. Yes. Again. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. 跟著阿伯學擲筊,問神明「該不該露臉」只擲出笑筊;整座廟的人都在替別人問,只有他替自己問。最後他改問爸媽三十年前離開前有沒有來問過——連三個聖筊。RYKER 萊克第二張專輯《Southbound》第四首:筊杯落地+廟鐘開場,87 BPM,chill jazz-hop × chillstep × future garage,木魚當 hi-hat、廟鐘當 crash,英文為主。 RYKER 萊克|Masked rapper. No face, just the voice. 【人與 AI 共同創作 / Human × AI】 本作品由人與 AI 共同創作:TNL 負責企劃、角色設定、故事與每一步的挑選定稿;歌詞、演唱聲音與人物影像由 AI 工具協作生成。RYKER 為虛構角色。 This track was created by humans together with AI tools. RYKER is a fictional character. 【Lyrics 歌詞】 Two blocks from my apartment, a temple older than the street, red doors, a courtyard, incense you can taste before you see. Same stone floor each morning, somebody's kneeling, two wooden blocks, a knock, a knock, a pause, and the old man nods like someone talked. One day I follow him in. He hands me incense, lights the end, tells me: say who you are, where you live, what you need, and then 「一次問一件。」 One at a time. He kneels for his grandson's test. Blocks drop. One, two, three yes. He pats my shoulder, hands me the rest. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. Ask for somebody, they answer for sure. Ask for yourself, and they laugh, nothing more. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. 「換你。」 Knees on the stone, the blocks still warm from his hands, I say where I live, what I do, then the thing no one understands: should I show my face. Two blocks drop, two flat sides up. He told me that one: the gods laughed. Not no, not yes, not enough. I ask again, slower. Laugh. I ask if I should fly back. Laugh. The woman next to me asks for her sick mom: yes, yes, yes, like that. A kid in a uniform asks for his father's shop: one, two, three. This whole hall asks for someone else. The one asking for me is me. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. Ask for somebody, they answer for sure. Ask for yourself, and they laugh, nothing more. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. Before I go I ask for a slip. One flat, one round. I may draw. A number, a paper, four lines, and I can't read one at all. The keeper reads it twice, talks three minutes, most of it goes past. 「免驚。」 Don't be scared. Of what, he didn't say. Those two words last. I walk back to the stone. The woman's gone, the kid is gone, the blocks sit where I left them, like they knew I'd be back before long. Kneel. Say who I am, where I live. Then I change the question I ask. Thirty years ago my parents left this city with two bags. Did they ever kneel here, before the flight, and ask these blocks for me? Two blocks drop. One flat, one round. Yes. Again. Yes. Again. Three. I asked about my face all day, and all day the blocks just laughed. I asked about my parents once. Yes, yes, yes. Three times. That fast. Nothing for my face. Fine. That question was always mine to hold. But someone knelt right here and asked, thirty years before I showed. Same stone. Same two blocks. Same knock, knock. Thirty years in between. Whoever taught them how to kneel is south. The next question's not for me. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. Ask for somebody, they answer for sure. Ask for yourself, and they laugh, nothing more. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. Two blocks hit the floor, one more. Asked for my parents, they answered for sure. Three in a row, and I'm not asking for more. Two blocks on the floor. No more. #RYKER #EnglishRap #HipHop #MaskedRapper #AsianAmerican #TheNoNameLessRAP #TNL #AIMusic #VirtualArtist #OfficialAudio #TwoBlocks #Southbound #ChillJazz #Temple #Taipei YouTube →    / @thenonamelessrap