Slow Jam for the Block

[Intro | G Rate]
[Warm Fingerpicked Acoustic Guitar, Gospel-Tinged Vocal Hum]
Yeah... this one's for my mother. She never had a slow jam of her own.

[Verse 1 | G Rate]
[Grounded, Clipped, Sincere]
Up before the sun, gone before I woke
Two jobs on her back but she never let it show
Cooked a dinner every night no matter how she felt
Ironed my shirt for school with the same hands that dealt
With bills and with worry, with a landlord and a prayer
Never took a day off, never had the time to spare
I used to think that's just what mothers do
Didn't understand the weight until I grew

[Hook | G Rate | Smooth]
[G Rate lead, Smooth harmony ad-libs underneath]
This a slow jam for my mother, for the years she never had
For the version of herself she gave up to be my mom and dad
She ain't ask for flowers, she just asked that we'd be fine
So I'm givin' her the credit, givin' her the shine

[Verse 2 | G Rate]
[Grounded, Reflective]
I remember Christmas mornings, she made it feel like more
Even when the numbers didn't add up at the store
She'd smile through the tired, hide it in her eyes
Told me "we'll be alright" and I believed the lies
'Cause that's the kind of love that carries a whole house
Quiet, unrecorded, never lookin' for the applause
Thirty years of double shifts, thirty years of "I'm fine"
Now it's my turn, Ma. Now it's your time

[Hook | G Rate | Smooth] repeat

[Bridge | Smooth | G Rate]
[Smooth steps in briefly, then G Rate]
[Smooth] I know a little bit about that too — my mother the same
[G Rate] That's the story of the block, that's the story, that's the name
[Both] Every mother on this block held it down alone
[G Rate] But mine's the reason I got a way to call this home

[Verse 3 | G Rate]
[Grounded, Building Toward Gratitude]
I bought her a house, but she still cook the same
Told her "sit down, Ma," she still act like it's a game
Fifty years of givin', hard to teach her how to rest
So I'm learnin' patience, tryna give her what is best
Every dollar that I make got her name written in it
Every stage I stand on, she the reason that I'm in it
This the least that I could do, this a rhyme, this a song
For a woman who was strong when strong took so long

[Hook | G Rate | Smooth, bigger] repeat

[Outro | G Rate | Smooth]
[Guitar Fades Slow, String Swell Lingers]
[G Rate] Rest now, Ma. I got it from here.
[Smooth] We got it from here.

2602/7500

[G Rate | Male Rap Lead | Hard Truth Witness | Grounded Sincerity, no aggression | Clipped but Tender Delivery] [Smooth | Male Melodic Voice | Tender Devotion | Warm Reverent Conviction | Sustained Vowels, Smooth Elastic Phrasing] [Intro | G Rate] [Warm Fingerpicked Acoustic Guitar, Gospel-Tinged Vocal Hum] Yeah... this one's for my mother. She never had a slow jam of her own. [Verse 1 | G Rate] [Grounded, Clipped, Sincere] Up before the sun, gone before I woke Two jobs on her back but she never let it show Cooked a dinner every night no matter how she felt Ironed my shirt for school with the same hands that dealt With bills and with worry, with a landlord and a prayer Never took a day off, never had the time to spare I used to think that's just what mothers do Didn't understand the weight until I grew [Hook | G Rate | Smooth] [G Rate lead, Smooth harmony ad-libs underneath] This a slow jam for my mother, for the years she never had For the version of herself she gave up to be my mom and dad She ain't ask for flowers, she just asked that we'd be fine So I'm givin' her the credit, givin' her the shine [Verse 2 | G Rate] [Grounded, Reflective] I remember Christmas mornings, she made it feel like more Even when the numbers didn't add up at the store She'd smile through the tired, hide it in her eyes Told me "we'll be alright" and I believed the lies 'Cause that's the kind of love that carries a whole house Quiet, unrecorded, never lookin' for the applause Thirty years of double shifts, thirty years of "I'm fine" Now it's my turn, Ma. Now it's your time [Hook | G Rate | Smooth] repeat [Bridge | Smooth | G Rate] [Smooth steps in briefly, then G Rate] [Smooth] I know a little bit about that too — my mother the same [G Rate] That's the story of the block, that's the story, that's the name [Both] Every mother on this block held it down alone [G Rate] But mine's the reason I got a way to call this home [Verse 3 | G Rate] [Grounded, Building Toward Gratitude] I bought her a house, but she still cook the same Told her "sit down, Ma," she still act like it's a game Fifty years of givin', hard to teach her how to rest So I'm learnin' patience, tryna give her what is best Every dollar that I make got her name written in it Every stage I stand on, she the reason that I'm in it This the least that I could do, this a rhyme, this a song For a woman who was strong when strong took so long [Hook | G Rate | Smooth, bigger] repeat [Outro | G Rate | Smooth] [Guitar Fades Slow, String Swell Lingers] [G Rate] Rest now, Ma. I got it from here. [Smooth] We got it from here.

0/500