(Intro)
Ahh-ahn…
Lifestyle be the rhythm — make we move
Love no be play-play — Dami on the mic
Oya now! (oya!)
(Verse 1)
When I dey hustle for the street under street light
You no gree wait — you waka go another life
You say my pocket dry, you wan find another place
I tell you ‘‘baby calm down, e go soon dey grace’’
But you run follow person wey no fit match my pace
Market noise, Lagos nights — I hold my faith
(Pre-Chorus)
Now life don teach you lesson,
You dey see my blessing
You hear my name for places,
Your body start dey shaking
(Chorus) (HOOK — make it stick)
E don late — baby, e don late (x2)
E don late — e don late (melodic tag)
O ti pé, omo, o ti pé — (O ti pé, o ti pé)
E don late — baby, e don late (call-and-response)
(Verse 2)
You said love no dey pay — you change your mind today
Now you looking at my shine like I glow for Lagos bay
You dey ask, “why you no call?” — baby, make you chill
Na the same hustle give me this appeal
From Ajah to Lekki, I grind, I grind, I build
Now my time don come, my story don fulfill
(Pre-Chorus)
Now life don teach you lesson,
You dey see my blessing
You hear my story rising,
Your heart begin confessing
(Chorus)
E don late — baby, e don late (x3)
E don late — e don late (rising tag)
O ti pé, omo, o ti pé — (call back)
E don late — baby, e don late
(Bridge)
If you stay then we for dey alright — ma binu, omo
But you choose another lane, you no see the light — ko si
Now you wan return — oya now! — but baby not tonight
My future don bright, and I don take flight — oya!
(Ad-lib Layer)
(Oya now!) (Ko si!) (Ma binu!)
(E don late, e don late) — (O ti pé)
(Final Chorus / Climax)
E don late — baby, e don late (stacked vocals)
E don late — e don late (tag repeats, rising)
O ti pé, omo, o ti pé — (Yoruba vocal stack)
E don late — baby, e don late (let it ride)
(Outro)
Too late… too late… (E don late)
Baby your chance expire — O ti pé
Too late… too late… (E don late x4)
My happiness don higher — oya now! — e don late
(Performance & Production Notes — for producer/artist)
Tempo: 120 BPM (fast, danceable Afrobeat feel)
Groove: heavy bass pocket, syncopated congas, shakers with swing on hi-hats, punctuated snare/clap on 2/4 for energy
Arrangement ideas: bright clean guitar chops on the offbeat, call-and-response horns for choruses, layered backing vocals in Yoruba on the hook, subtle amapiano logics in hi-hat swing
Vocal approach: confident male lead, call-and-response female/choir backing, ad-libs in Yoruba/Pidgin at ends of lines
Hook strategy: repeat “E don late” melodic tag (2–4 words) with rising harmony to create earworm
Texture: add percussive clav/keys, slap-bass accent in chorus, horn stabs for transitions, ambient market/street fx in verses for authenticity
Ad-libs: sprinkle “Oya now!”, “Ko si”, “Ma binu”, “O ti pé” as short vocal stabs between lines for color
