(Verse 1)
Late-night cypher on the corner bench, ashtray sparks, spit a truth in the dark,
Subway flicker, neon drip, we hustle hard beneath the city mark.
Mama's kitchen, Sunday rice, counting bills and counting prayers, hands rough but wise,
Tired palms, midnight plans, dream maps sketched on napkins under streetlight skies.
Kick drum heartbeat — tsk, clap — pulse in my chest, syncopated steps,
Rhymes like river runs, mulatto sun, broken homes but hopeful breaths.
I trade stress for rhythm, debt for a dream scheme, late flights to bright themes,
Street lights / late-night flights — chase the scene, pocket full of hopeful seams.
(Chorus)
Rise up, shine — Afro time
Rise up, shine — Afro time
Rise up, shine — Afro time
(Verse 2)
Back pocket mixtape, verse stitched with mama's lullaby lines,
Concrete garden, seedlings climb, we plant gold in cracked sidewalks, find signs.
Handshake deals, subway steals, we barter hope with the beats that heal,
Late call, empty stove, run to the cypher where the crew keeps it real.
Multisyllable flow: double-time, stumble-free, I craft my soundtrack to survive,
Boom-clap horns stab the night, trumpet truth where the tired thrive.
Echoes of our laughter in alleyways, coin jars and corner plays,
We flip the script — scrapped scripts to hits — streetlight scenes to headline days.
(Pre-Chorus)
(Short, percussive)
Tch, tch — step on the downbeat, push, push, breathe (push)
Chk, chk — heartbeat sync, roll, roll, weave (roll)
(Chorus)
Rise up, shine — Afro time
Rise up, shine — Afro time
Rise up, shine — Afro time
(Bridge) [call-and-response]
Lead: Hands up — feel the drum
Response: (Hands up)
Lead: Say our name — make it hummed
Response: (We say it)
Lead: Less words, more pulse — clap, clap, clap
Response: (Clap, clap, clap)
(Verse 3 — Breakdown, sparser syllables, punchlines)
Mama said: ‘‘Count days by blessings, not by losses’’ — I count nights by verses,
Corner bench to center stage, we flip curses into rehearses.
Kick, snare, hi-hat — tick-tock — city clocks, we beat the time,
Late-night cypher to morning flight — rhythm, hustle, rhyme.
(Final Chorus — layered, call-and-response ad-libs)
Rise up, shine — Afro time (Rise up)
Rise up, shine — Afro time (Shine on)
Rise up, shine — Afro time (We rise)
(Outro)
This is for the tired hands, the midnight plans, the subway lights that guide,
For mama’s kitchen faith, for every seed we planted in the side-street night.
Forever vibrant, punch the sky — we rise, we shine, we grind, we climb.
Afro time, hip-hop spine — this anthem keeps our heartbeat in time.
[Production Notes]
BPM: 98–102 (aim 100 BPM). Layered percussion (congas, shakers, kick/808), syncopated horn stabs, call-and-response ad-libs, sparse bridge texture. Use vocal chops on the hook, light reverb on the bridge, tight snare pocket for rap delivery.
