Shadows on the Block

gritty, rap, dusty vinyl samples, old-school 2000s us rap, boom-bap beat, male vocals

[Chorus]
Shadows on the block, they swallow the light
Dreams crushed under the weight of the night
Chains on the mind, can't run, can't fight
A product of the streets, fate sealed tight

[Verse 2]
Graffiti prayers sprayed on the project walls
A hymn to the fallen, ignored by us all
Dice hit the pavement, futures on a roll
Snake eyes, now they got a price on your soul
Sirens sing lullabies, steel bars hug tight
Cops cuff dreams, ain't no goodnight
Youth turn OGs before they hit eighteen
Destiny a trap, life's a crime scene

[Bridge]
Coulda been a poet, coulda been a king
But the block's choir only taught me to sing
Hymns of the hustle, the anthem of despair
A melody of struggle in polluted air

[Verse]
Cracked sidewalks, dreams leaking in the gutter
Hope gets mugged by the block's cold stutter
Hustlers on the stoop, dice games, blunt smoke
Kids skip school, futures burned like a bad joke

Graffiti on the walls, stories of the fallen
Sirens wail nightly, city wolves stay callin'
Shadows whisper secrets, deals done in dark alleys
Every day’s a gamble, life’s dice roll tally

[Chorus]
Broken corners, fate bends, streets twist
Another name scratched off the neighborhood list
Toxic winds blow, destinies get lost
Where the price of survival don’t cover the cost

[Verse 2]
Gunshots ring out, lullabies of the block
Time frozen on wrists that tick but don’t tock
Mama prays in the kitchen, but the stove’s empty
Pops ghosted, left his sins as the only legacy

Corner store dreams, lottery tickets for a change
But the odds stacked higher than the local food chain
Even church bells sound cracked and defeated
Where hope’s just a word, and faith feels cheated

[Chorus]
Broken corners, fate bends, streets twist
Another name scratched off the neighborhood list
Toxic winds blow, destinies get lost
Where the price of survival don’t cover the cost

2389/7500

[Verse 1] Cracks in the pavement, stories in the stone Where the corner stores serve dreams on a cone Bodega bag, but the weight ain't chips Baggy jeans sag, hiding pain in the rips Streetlights flicker like hopes on low fuel Life ain't fair, nah, it's cold, cruel Mama workin' doubles, Daddy in the wind Cycle starts fresh, it don't ever end [Chorus] Shadows on the block, they swallow the light Dreams crushed under the weight of the night Chains on the mind, can't run, can't fight A product of the streets, fate sealed tight [Chorus] Shadows on the block, they swallow the light Dreams crushed under the weight of the night Chains on the mind, can't run, can't fight A product of the streets, fate sealed tight [Verse 2] Graffiti prayers sprayed on the project walls A hymn to the fallen, ignored by us all Dice hit the pavement, futures on a roll Snake eyes, now they got a price on your soul Sirens sing lullabies, steel bars hug tight Cops cuff dreams, ain't no goodnight Youth turn OGs before they hit eighteen Destiny a trap, life's a crime scene [Bridge] Coulda been a poet, coulda been a king But the block's choir only taught me to sing Hymns of the hustle, the anthem of despair A melody of struggle in polluted air [Verse] Cracked sidewalks, dreams leaking in the gutter Hope gets mugged by the block's cold stutter Hustlers on the stoop, dice games, blunt smoke Kids skip school, futures burned like a bad joke Graffiti on the walls, stories of the fallen Sirens wail nightly, city wolves stay callin' Shadows whisper secrets, deals done in dark alleys Every day’s a gamble, life’s dice roll tally [Chorus] Broken corners, fate bends, streets twist Another name scratched off the neighborhood list Toxic winds blow, destinies get lost Where the price of survival don’t cover the cost [Verse 2] Gunshots ring out, lullabies of the block Time frozen on wrists that tick but don’t tock Mama prays in the kitchen, but the stove’s empty Pops ghosted, left his sins as the only legacy Corner store dreams, lottery tickets for a change But the odds stacked higher than the local food chain Even church bells sound cracked and defeated Where hope’s just a word, and faith feels cheated [Chorus] Broken corners, fate bends, streets twist Another name scratched off the neighborhood list Toxic winds blow, destinies get lost Where the price of survival don’t cover the cost

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