[Intro]
Grind harder, grind harder — yeah, from the cold radiator nights
Momma proud, put the pain in the charger, keep the city lights
No cap, no barter — we stitched our names on busted sneaks
Anthem for the kids with empty plates and louder dreams
[Pre-Chorus]
Pin the nights like Polaroids — corner room, ceiling cracked
Every “you won’t” turned to fuel, now the ledger’s stacked
Mama called me Lil’ K when I couldn’t find my shoes
Said, “Boy, keep your chest warm — someday they’ll see your news”
[Chorus 1 — Promise]
Grind harder, yeah, I grind harder (harder!)
Momma proud, put the pain back in the charger (charge it!)
From cracked tiles to bright lights, we move farther
Yeah, I grind harder — tag the sky with my charter
(Ad-libs: grind, grind — ha!)
[Verse 1]
They swore I wouldn’t make it — froze in the hallway cold
Six years old, dad dipped, left a note and a hole
Momma worked two shifts, steam on her apron's fold
Tucked my hoodie tighter, beat-up sneaks, soles gone bold
One-bed apartment, radiator clanked like a clock
Roaches in the corner, hope folded in a shoebox
We split the last piece of bread — hunger wrote the plot
I scribbled rhymes on receipts, mom prayed on the cot
Told my day-ones, “Locked in,” signed under the streetlamp glow
Kobiro held the pact — we learned how legends grow
No pity in the mirror, just a furnace in my throat
Turned every bruise into a verse and every verse into a note
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Late nights, pen bleeds truth, heartbeat synced to the drum
Room smelled like instant noodles, ambition smelling the crumbs
Momma hummed Gospel low while bills stacked on the sink
Said, “Boy, keep your head up — you’re closer than you think”
[Chorus 2 — Contrast / Consequence]
Grind harder, yeah, I grind harder (harder!)
When fake friends hit my line, I grind harder (charge it!)
They front like they knew me — now they call when I prosper
I keep my circle tight, keep the lessons in the roster
(Ad-libs: keep goin’, yeah)
[Verse 2]
Love him like blood — Kobiro cold like November rain
He danced with snakes, played the cards despite the pain
Used to split one plate, breath steaming in the lane
Now tinted windows hide the scars, but we still own the name
No blame — we took what came; carved lanes with callused hands
Late nights, studio glow, I mapped dreams on coffee cans
Neighbors banging pipes, but I stayed writing plans
Every scar I spit turned to gold when the bandstand lands
No envy, just respect when a brother takes his run
He paved his lane, I paved mine — two rises under one sun
Momma prays upstairs, candle flicker on her palm
She asked the Lord for time — I brought the stage as calm
[Bridge — Turning Point; guitar + 808 drop]
(808 pulse slow — guitar picks, intimate)
One winter night, radiator froze, I almost packed the pen
Kobiro called in a whisper, said, “Boy, remember when?”
I looked at Momma’s voice mail — she said, “We still got you, son”
That’s the pivot, that’s the proof — the losing days undone
No more
