[Intro]
Yeah — city lights, late night, feel that pulse
Beat low, heartbeat high, come on
90 on the dash, steady — let’s ride
[Verse 1]
Midnight in the booth, cigarette smoke and a cheap mic
Clock ticks, city flicks — neon scriptin' my life
Missed calls from Mama, rent due, fridge light low
But I lace up my lines, alleyway rehearsals in the cold
Beat kickin', heart tickin', script written in grit
Paper stacks, busted snacks, but I never quit
Street smells, taxi bells, rhyme books in my coat
I memorize the hunger, let the hunger write the note
Internal rhymes, syncopated times — my cadence snaps
I stitch my past to the present with lyrical maps
[Pre-Chorus]
I whisper to the skyline, I swear I'm comin' on
A pivot, a promise — watch me rise like dawn
From late-night scars to morning songs
This breath is the bridge, and I take it strong
[Chorus]
I rise like city dawn, turn my scars to gold
I own the skyline, watch my story unfold
From alleyway practice to the stage with chrome lights
I stake my name in the stars, I wrestle with the night
I rise like city dawn, turn my scars to gold
I own the skyline, watch my story unfold
[Verse 2]
Demo crashed at three, lost files and cold sweats
Producer ghosted, booked a show with no checks
Found a corner cafe, wrote bars on a napkin
Saw my reflection in the window — proof I was happenin'
Night bus sermons, neighbors curse but I learn it
Every bruise, every burn — I flip it, I earn it
Internal hooks, double-time looks — the rhythm's tight
Speak in alleyway metaphors, illuminate the spite
Concrete mentors, rusted fences, dreams on layaway
But I stack syllables, stack pay, turn gray to payday
[Pre-Chorus]
I whisper to the skyline, I swear I'm comin' on
A pivot, a promise — watch me rise like dawn
Late calls, cheap walls, still I sing the songs
This breath is the bridge, and I take it strong
[Chorus]
I rise like city dawn, turn my scars to gold
I own the skyline, watch my story unfold
From alleyway practice to the stage with chrome lights
I stake my name in the stars, I wrestle with the night
I rise like city dawn, turn my scars to gold
I own the skyline, watch my story unfold
[Bridge — Narrative Turn]
They cut the power on my first big break — heart froze
Label said 'not yet' while the pavement turned to prose
I slept on a friend's floor, demos gone, pride thin
Woke up with a brand new hunger and a vow within
Found a kid on the stoop hummin' my old hook
Told him, "Keep that fire," and I finally took
The loss taught me sharper — the silence taught me sound
What fell apart became the map to higher ground
[Final Chorus — Variation + Rap Half-Verse]
I rise like city dawn, turn my scars to gold (rise — uh)
I own the skyline, watch my story unfold (watch it unfold)
From alleyway practice to the stage with chrome lights
I stake my name in the stars, I wrestle with the night
(Rap Half-Verse — ad-libbed, punchy)
Scars fold into ledger lines, tally up the wins
Late-night sins turned to hymns, new chapter begins
Cityd
