[Intro]
Light it up — neon, 808, skrrt
Staccato hats, vocal chop cut — yeah
(Adlib: Woah! Light it!)
[Verse 1]
Corner store on Fourth with the busted glass sign,
I learned to count coins under the sodium light — long nights, short lines.
Coach Reyes said, "Keep that spark, don’t trade your light for the shine,"
I folded dreams into my jacket, left the rest on that cracked stoop line.
Broken chain on my wrist, a memory of colder days—
Paper ticket in my pocket, subway hum and alleyway plays.
Short breath, long steps — push past the red of the stoplight, grind slow,
Two AM, hood up, breath fog, watch the neon seamlines glow. (Adlib: Yeah)
[Pre-Chorus]
Heartbeat chasin' snares, steady — hold the line,
Synth stab rides the hook, we carve time. (Adlib: Uh)
[Chorus]
Neon blaze on 4th Street tonight (808 slides, vocal chop motif)
Embers in my chest — we catch light (staccato hi-hat triplets)
808s carve the midnight line (808 slide + sub drop)
Slide the night, watch us ignite — we shine (adlib: Skrrt, woah)
[Verse 2]
Count the scars like stamps in my passport, passport to the climb,
Rooftop view, busted taillights, skyline stitched in rhyme.
She called me from the corner—"Baby, your name on the marquee,"
I laughed, said, "Wait till they know, wait till the city sings me free."
Haters folded like paper, slant rhymes and slippin' tongues,
Cash drips from a dream, midnight deals and songs unsung.
A mentor’s whisper in the booth: "Make the pain constructive, not a shrine,"
So I hollowed out the hurt and filled it with this hard-earned line. (Adlib: Yeah-yeah)
[Bridge]
Sometimes I’m scared I’ll burn alone — the truth comes like a blade.
(Adlib: Mmm)
[Stripped Pre-Chorus]
Quiet kicks, just a lone vocal chop — breathe in, breathe out.
Riding lighter now — feel the hush before the shout. (Adlib: Hold)
[Chorus — Full]
Neon blaze on 4th Street tonight (808 slides, sub growl)
Embers in my chest — we catch light (staccato hi-hat triplets)
808s carve the midnight line (synth stab hits, vocal chop returns)
Slide the night, watch us ignite — we shine (adlib: Skrrt! Woah!)
[Outro]
Light it up, let the neon keep the story told,
808s slide out slow, hi-hats fade, cold gold.
Trap flame, not just heat — it’s the path that we made,
Neon blaze on 4th — our truth in the shade. (Adlib: Yeah — light it up)
[Production Cues]
- Core motif: short vocal chop on the word "neon" tied to chorus melody.
- Drums: heavy 808 with slide transitions into chorus; staccato hi-hat triplets throughout verses.
- Texture: sparse piano keys in pre-chorus, stacked synth stabs for punch on chorus.
- Adlibs: "Skrrt", "Yeah", "Woah" punctuate transitions and the final chorus.
- Mixing note: push sub-bass on chorus, keep vocals slightly behind the beat for attitude.
