[Intro]
(Spoken) 2AM, corner of Seventh and Vine — listen.
City hum, radiator hiss, yeah — uh
I light the skyline, ignite the night — come on
Ad-libs: (yeah) (uh) (light it up)
[Verse 1]
Cracked sidewalk, Timberlands scuff the cold
Neon laundromat glow, dreams on hold
Coffee-stained hoodie, ticket stub from '09
Mama said “keep pushin’” with a tired line
Late-night freestyles on a busted Metro bus
Promises folded like receipts in my trust
A busted phone, a text that never came
Left me with a hunger, left me with a name
Internal rhymes, syncopated steps, heart beat like a drum
Graffiti on the studio door: “One day, son” — that's where I come from
Short bars, quick breath, keep the cadence tight
Turning broken promises into midnight light
Ad-libs: (whoa) (yeah) (let’s go)
[Pre-Chorus]
City lights like constellations, I read my map in the cracks
Every loss is an atlas, every scar a soundtrack
[Chorus — Hook]
I light the skyline, ignite the night
Scarred hands, gold grind, we own the fight
Feel the flame, don’t hide — shine
I light the skyline, ignite the night
Ad-libs: (light it) (ignite) (shine)
[Verse 2]
Vinyls and mixtapes, burned labels, cold stacks
Corner cyphers at midnight where we sharpened facts
Doubters in the doorway, they counted me out loud
I turned those whispers into thunder for the crowd
Gas-station cipher, breath fog on the glass
Counted every mile like chapters in my past
Studio 4B with a busted mic and hope
Two microphones, one beat, a prayer and a rope
Short punches, double time, internal rhyme snap
I stitched a future from a half-broken map
Now every spotlight reads the text we wrote in sweat
Now every echo calls me to not forget
Ad-libs: (feel that) (watch me) (rise)
[Chorus — Hook (Variation)]
I light the skyline, ignite the night — now watch me fly
Scarred hands, gold grind — we multiply
Feel the flame, don’t hide — rise
I light the skyline, ignite the night — watch me rise
Ad-libs: (watch me) (rise up) (let’s go)
[Bridge — Quiet / Introspective]
(Soft) Sometimes I miss the quiet, the kitchen light at dawn
A lullaby of dishes, a prayer to keep me strong
I fold my worries like paper planes, send them over the roofs
Hopes on the skyline, stitched into my truth
Pause — heartbeat — inhale
Ad-libs: (shh) (breathe)
[Build]
Whisper to roar, small sparks to wildfire
Count out the losses — stack up the tries higher
Snap back into rhythm, snap back into drive
This is more than survival — this is how we come alive
Ad-libs: (come alive) (snap) (fire)
[Final Chorus — Triumphant]
I light the skyline, ignite the night — we set it alight
Scarred hands, gold grind — keep the vision in sight
Feel the flame, don’t hide — claim your shine
I light the skyline, ignite the night — this moment’s mine
Layered ad-libs: (light it up) (ignite) (shine) (whoo)
[Outro — Performance Tag]
Rhythmic chant: Light the skyline — light the skyline — light the skyline (x3)
Keep rising, keep shining — keep the city bright
Vocal tag: (yeah) Lyra — but this
