[Intro]
(Spoken) Yeah—turn the lights down, feel the city breathe.
(Ad-lib) Uh, uh, come on!
[Verse 1]
23rd at midnight, subway screech, sticky light
Worn Jordans on the wire, mixtape in a shoe box tight
Mama on the line—saying ‘‘pay the bills, be right’’
Demo in the drawer, dreams loud through the quiet night
First show, three heads, one mic, one prayer
Empty seats, paper汗, we still showed up there (yeah)
Ramen-stained notebooks, double shifts, no sleep
We learned to plant our hope where the city don't sleep
Missed the bus, missed the check, still found a way to write
Every small loss turned lessons into light
(Ad-lib: Keep pushin’, keep pushin’)
[Pre-Chorus]
Heartbeat met the pavement, rhythm met the rhyme (uh)
Late nights, bright fights, folding time into lines
We hustle in the gutters, polish gold from grime
Say the name, claim the lane, this is how we climb
(Ad-lib: Say it—)
[Chorus]
We rise, we fly—neon in our eyes (we rise)
City heart, stakes high, we roll the dice (roll it)
Stoop to skyline, climb bold, shine bright (shine)
This is our time—light up the night (light up)
(Ad-lib: Yeah! Come on!)
[Verse 2]
Used to hustle on the corner where the corner kept receipts
Now we sign our names on stages, echo in the streets (that’s right)
Flipped the script, from skipped rent to headline shows
From whispered doubts to packed rooms where the spotlight glows
Chains broke on payday, but still we earned our scars
Catalog of near-misses turned into the bars
Concrete canvases with paint chipped like our past
We write on brick, fast raps, make the moments last
From payphones and paychecks to paydays and praise
We scored small wins that turned into our blaze
(Ad-lib: Uh—let’s go)
[Bridge]
(Stripped) Hold the beat down low—let the voice cut clear
Remember the nights when nothing felt near
Now take that pain, lace it with purpose, let it steer
Our names light the skyline—echoes everyone hears
(Ad-lib: That’s us, that’s us)
[Breakdown]
(Spoken over sparse kick) One mic, one dream, one city that never quits.
(Soft singing/hook) We breathe, we bleed, then we build it up from this.
(Ad-lib: Whoa—yeah)
[Verse 3]
Concrete heroes, tin-can trophies, late-night studio runs
We learned to turn defeat into hooks and tongue-tied guns
Microphone confessionals, every verse a gate key
From closed doors to open tours, now the line's for free
Remember the landlord knocking, remember the parked car flats
Remember the night we laughed at the doubt in the back
Victory tasted like late fries and studio light
Now it’s champagne toasts under marquee nights
(Ad-lib: Cheers, cheers)
[Pre-Chorus]
Heartbeat met the pavement, rhythm met the rhyme (we met it)
Late nights turned to highlights, money to time
We hustle, we gather, we grind through the climb
Say the name, live the claim, the skyline is mine
(Ad-lib: Say it loud—)
[Chorus — Final Variation]
We rise, we fly—neon in our eyes (we rise)
City heart, now our names on the sign (on the sign)
Stoop to skyline, own every line
