yeah — lights low, heart loud
from the curb to the clouds, no cap
listen
corner stoops, cold packs, busted nikes by the door
mama on the stove, rent note stuck to the drawer
subway screech, late-night teach, pen scraping on a receipt
ledger full of “almost,” pockets full of concrete
counted losses like lines on the palm, learned the lesson slow
paper-chase days, pay-day dreams in a photo i outgrow
from cracked sidewalks to neon chalk, i sketched my path in chalk
every bruise a blueprint — i read it when the nights talk
i spit multisyllables, syllable rumbles in my chest
heartbeat drumline, city hum, i pass every test
from stoop to studio, midnight mix to morning grind
turned the cold into code, now i’m toggling the shine
hands on the wheel, no breaks, we shiftin' gears (shiftin' gears)
momentum like a sermon, preaching through the fears
breath in — hold tight, the skyline's near
we push past the scrape, leave the doubt in the rear
rise up — watch me rise up (rise up)
turnin' dark to daylight (turn it to light)
from busted soles to new sneaks (from the stoop to the suite)
rise up — watch me rise up (rise up)
city lights, skyline suites, i trade stories for the view
gold chain, studio mic, late-night collab crew
neon signs, subway lines, beats bleed through the block
from change jars to charge cards, from corner clock to top
i got calloused ambition, polished premonition, no sleep
wrote my name on a napkin, now the marquee keeps the beat
used to count dimes on the record player, now i count shows
same rhythm in my chest — hustle’s pulse still knows
no cap, i remember the cold tastes of porch steps and chill
now it’s champagne dreams, but the hunger's the same thrill
i stack wins like chapters, rewrite scripts that tried to fold
turnin' ledger lines to headlines, my story cold-to-gold
grip tighter, breathe deeper, feel the bass build up (feel it)
we came from the bottom — now the rooftop's filled up
one step, two step, the chorus calls us home
from whispered plans to microphone domes
rise up — watch me rise up (watch me)
turnin' dark to daylight (turn it to light)
from busted soles to new sneaks (from the stoop to the suite)
rise up — watch me rise up (rise up)
sometimes my shadow felt heavier than the night
counted my doubts like dollar notes, tucked 'em out of sight
i whispered to the ceiling fan, asked if dreams could mend
told the mirror all my mistakes — said, "we start again."
then i flipped the script: pain became my currency
small wins compound — interest on my intensity
this anthem ain't just noise — it's proof, it's remedy
from whisper to war cry — that’s the payoff, remedy
rise up — watch me rise up (yeah!)
turnin' dark to daylight (turn it to light) (light)
from busted soles to new sneaks (new sneaks) — uh!
rise up — watch me rise up (watch me rise up)
rise up — watch me rise up
rise up (watch me rise up)
from the stoop to the suite, no cap
we here now.
