[Intro]
Yeah — 90 on the meter, heartbeat like a drum
From cracked sidewalks to rooftop suns
Hands up — we loud, we seen, we born to run
Rise up strong
[Verse 1]
Cracked sidewalk memories, pocket lint and cold coins
Subway doors slam, city breathin’ like it’s choirs and noise
Mama’s laugh on voicemail, broken watch frozen time
I learned to chess moves quick, trade pain for the rhyme
Count my losses as lessons, clipped wings turned to lessons
Every alley got a story, every scar got a session
Neon flicker on the stoop, graffiti names in spray paint
Used to dream past the tenement — now I’m doin’ what I say
Concrete taught me balance, nights taught me light
One streetlight confession turned into a fight song at midnight
Pocket full of small wins, wallet heavy with scars
I flip them like pages — memoirs turned into bars
[Pre-Chorus]
From the corner to the skyline, feel the pulse and the drum
Hands to the clouds — we move as one
[Chorus]
Rise up stronger — lift the city high (rise up!)
From ash to towers — watch us touch the sky (rise up!)
No fear, no chains — heartbeat steady, chest tight
Stand with me — together we ignite (rise up!)
[Verse 2]
They threw stones, I built a garden where the rubble sat
Turned a busted mailbox into a letter to the map
Remember winter on the bench, breath fogging like a ghost
Now summers on a rooftop, skyline toasts what I chose
Punchlines packed like a pocket, internal rhymes like a clock tick
Count seconds as blessings — turned ticks into profit
Old friends on the block, new names on the marquee
I’m speaking for the quiet, singing for the street’s heartbeat
Chains were heavy, now they hang on stories I wear
Crown’s light but honest — weight balanced with care
From subway graffiti to the sound of open doors
I walk with the city’s pulse running deep in my pores
[Pre-Chorus — Tag]
Echo in the stairwell — can you hear the rise?
We built from the basement, now we own the sky
[Chorus]
Rise up stronger — lift the city high (rise up!)
From ash to towers — watch us touch the sky (rise up!)
No fear, no chains — heartbeat steady, chest tight
Stand with me — together we ignite (rise up!)
[Bridge — Surprise Cadence]
Fast lane, base train, heartbeat snares and brass
I sprint through setbacks, patch the past like glass
Clock hands spin but I’m steady, steady like a metronome
Lessons in my pockets, every loss a stepping stone
Call-and-response in the dark — “Who’s gonna rise?”
Answer from the rooftops — “We. All. The. Rise.”
[Chorus — Final, with Ad-libs]
Rise up stronger — lift the city high (rise up! — come on)
From ash to towers — watch us touch the sky (touch the sky)
No fear, no chains — heartbeat steady, chest tight (heartbeat)
Stand with me — together we ignite (stand with me)
[Outro]
Rooftop sunset, skyline silhouette — we claim tonight
From the basement to the billboard — we rise up, we rise right
Keep the beat in your chest, keep the light in your step
This is our city, our anthem — rise up, never for
