[Intro]
(We rise up) — yeah
Cracked sidewalk, stained hoodie, midnight train hum
This one’s for the grinders, the late-shift poets, the ones who come from none
[Verse 1]
Stained hoodie, busted laces, corner store clock at 2:14
Mama left a note on the fridge—her handwriting holding me to dream
Bus fare in my palm, cassette tape dreams in the tape deck
Studio foam taped to the wall, I spit truth, I collect the check
Sneakers scuffed from chasing daylight through back alleys and neon signs
Graphite scars on my knuckles, every line’s a lesson and a rhyme
Doubters at the diner, whisperin’ that I’m losin’ my mind
I flip those whispers into verses — turn the grit into my grind
[Pre-Chorus]
Heartbeat syncs to the subway, chest tight but the vision’s wide
Silent prayers in the static, I keep pushin’, never hide
[Chorus]
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
Light the corner, light the night, shout it loud until it sticks
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
[Verse 2]
Late-night receipts, rent due, lamplight on the kitchen sink
I write my name on demo tapes while the city’s on the brink
Gold chain dented from a shift, but my cadence stay pristine
Microphone confession, hum of the heater, sticky coffee steam
Paid my dues in small defeats, Monday to the break of dawn
Learned to turn a missed call into a line in a song
Stackin’ verses like firewood, ridin’ highs and low turns
Every setback a teacher, from the curb where the cold burns
[Pre-Chorus]
Concrete prayers, neon prayers, I memorize the route
Every alley held a chapter — I learned how to speak my doubt
[Chorus]
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
Crack the skyline with our voices, let the city feel the shift
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
[Bridge]
(Turning point) — I stood beneath the overpass and traded fear for fuel
Counted every scar like constellations, realized they mapped my rule
I’m not runnin' from the past; I put the past inside my tool kit
Now I build bridges with my breath — every bar, a blueprint
[Verse 3]
Phone lights blown on the pavement, last call, I answer with a verse
Bartered silence for courage, turned the curses into worth
Found my mirror in a diner window, face cracked but steady hands
Every late-night hustle taught me how to plant and how to stand
Neighbors clap when I step out, they recognize the climb
Kids point to the rooftop where I used to trade my time
Now I bring ’em into the booth, hand the mic to the next kid
Show ’em stained-hoodie gospel — how to fight, how to live
[Chorus — Final]
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
Shout it from the rooftops, from the subway to the lights
We rise up — we rise up (we rise)
[Outro]
(We rise) Keep the chant, keep the flame
Stained hoodie, cracked sidewalk, midnight train — still the same
Turn the pain into power, turn a whisper into a roar
We rise up — we rise up — now watch us open doors
(We rise)
