night city hum, a single lamp buzzin' like a metronome
4 am on jefferson — breath fogs the cold concrete, i'm alone (yeah)
subway hisses, neon flickers, dreams scribbled on a napkin
i got a heartbeat kickin' low, watch the pressure make it happen
4 am on jefferson, breath fogs the cold concrete,
wallet thin, pocket lint, dreams thicker than the cold street heat.
wired, inspired, never wired down — i sprint, never sleep,
split lip from a december fight — gave my hunger something to eat.
mama left a voicemail: 'hold on, son,' i replay that line,
saved two bills in a jar for beats, counted change like it was time.
back-alley studio, busted cable, patched hope with duct tape rhymes,
concrete roses on the stoop — i water 'em with bus pass dimes.
lead: what you feelin' when the skyline cracks the dark?
response: i feel a spark — a small light with a giant heart.
lead: where you headin' when the cold tries to pull you back?
response: up — stitch by stitch i turn the ledger into rap.
rise and shine, it’s a new day, fear's on mute inside,
hear the drum in my chest — let the passion be my guide.
from the bottom to the top, watch me calibrate,
this life’s a canvas, and i’m destined to create. (yeah)
late nights, coffee stains, paper plans with crossed-out names,
label doors shut in my face — i turned that echo into flames.
found a scar on my knuckle from the first mic i grabbed and blamed,
now that same knuckle points the map, every bruise a landmark famed.
small wins: $200 saved, bought three hours, recorded one hook,
local dj spun it twice, neighborhood nodded when he took a look.
i learned the lingo of loss — rent past due, cold meals, hard books,
but every ledger that i closed opened a window in my outlook.
lead: you been knocked down — you good to stand?
response: stitches in my story, yeah i sew with my own hand.
what's the currency when hope's got no bank?
response: i trade scars for bars — deposit dreams in every thank.
rise and shine, it’s a new day, fear's on mute inside,
listen to the thump in my chest — let the passion be my guide.
from the gutter to the skyline, watch me navigate,
this life’s a canvas — paint the line, i claim my slate.
i used to see success like a summit you climb slow,
then i found a mirror in a cracked storefront window.
the critic i feared was the echo of my shadow's show,
so i took the eviction notice, turned it into confetti — now i throw.
burnt the 'denied' stamp out the door, glued 'launch' above the code,
flipped my 'no' into a chorus — now every closed door's a road.
the twist: my failure was the map that taught me where to go.
rise and shine, it’s a new day, fear's on mute inside,
from the bottom to the skyline... watch me elevate!
i'm destined to create,
and i'm going all the way!
