[Intro]
(Spoken) Midnight city, cracked pavement, heartbeat like a metronome — listen.
(Hook ad-lib: "Rise up!")
[Verse 1]
On the corner where the glow fades, I sold beats and small dreams,
Leather jacket from a thrift store, headphones stitched with seam, (yeah)
Three AM in a studio that smelled like takeout and regrets,
Coffee cup full of verses, tape decks playin' payback sets.
Old man on the stoop said, "Plant seeds, don't beg for sun,"
So I learned to craft my prayer while the world forgot my run.
Subway screamin' steel, bar after bar I mapped the map,
Turned a busted cassette into a full-house clap.
Punchline: I turned short bills and long nights into headlines,
Scarred hands, gold plans — now my shadow headlines.
[Pre-Chorus]
Tension buildin', breath held, count the knocks on your door,
Every echo got me closer to the sound I'm lookin' for.
Two steps from the edge, one step to decide,
Hold your breath, feel the lift, then ride.
[Chorus]
Rise up, claim the crown — make my mark out loud (rise up)
Rise up, claim the crown — make my mark out loud (say it!)
(Ad-lib tag: "I make my mark!")
[Verse 2]
Studio lights low, paper full of lines and a faded rhyme,
Mama called three times, I missed dinner, traded time for prime, (uh)
City lights glare, cold air, I learned to craft my prayer,
From busking under bridges to sold-out shows with lights in the air.
Mentor said, "Don't rush the climb, but never quit the climb quick,"
So I counted losses like lessons — sums that hit like a click.
Punchline: I turned late fees into lead sheets, now they read my script,
A kid with a backpack and a notebook, now my name's on the list.
[Pre-Chorus]
Heartbeat in my throat, watch the tempo rise and fold,
This is do-or-die, diamond-knot, forged in cold.
Two measures left, make 'em feel what I've known,
Lift the mic, breathe deep, own the throne.
[Chorus]
Rise up, claim the crown — make my mark out loud (rise up)
Rise up, claim the crown — make my mark out loud (let it out!)
(Ad-lib tag: "Break it down — uh")
[Bridge — The Cost]
I paid in missed phone calls, birthdays in hotel lobbies,
Friends faded on the line while I counted broken hobbies.
There’s a cost to the climb — lost time, unpaid rent,
I traded comfort for a calling, every cent a testament.
But pain shaped the cadence, sacrifice made the sound,
If I fall, I fall forward — on this ground I stand my ground.
[Outro — Triumph]
Now the lights reflect the long nights, the crowd knows each line,
Call-and-response, they scream the hook back — "Rise up! Claim the crown!"
We double the chorus, let it hang, let it echo out proud,
From a streetcorner whisper to a stadium shout, I made it loud.
[Final Chorus — Double]
Rise up, claim the crown — make my mark out loud (rise up, rise up)
Rise up, claim the crown — make my mark out loud (we made it loud)
(Ad-lib tag on last pass: "Yeah! — double it — say it with me — RISE UP!")
[Production Notes / Suggested Arrangement]
- Hook: Keep the chorus minimal and chantable;
