# Blood in the Rhythm **[Intro — spoken over filtered Spanish guitar]** Yeah... From the concrete where the hot nights breathe, Where the saints wear gold and the sinners got dreams. Guitar cryin' like it knows my name— We came from the bottom, now remember the name. **[Verse 1 — 16 bars]** I came up where the sirens sing harmony, Mama said the whole damn world ain't as hard as me, Heart on my sleeve, got the scars underneath, Had dreams in the drawer, kept the hunger in reach. No silver spoon, just a fork in the road, Had to carry my pride like a permanent load, Every loss put a little more fire in the soul, Now I'm walkin' through the flames like I'm already gold. From the corner-store lights to the rooftop view, Had a dollar and a dream, had a whole lot to prove, Old heads said, "Young blood, better watch how you move," 'Cause the city gives you rhythm then it takes your shoes. So I learned every step, every crack, every code, Every friend ain't a friend when the money unfolds, But the family stayed tight when the winter got cold, Now the guitar keep cryin' while I'm tellin' it bold. **[Hook — melodic / group vocals]** *Ohhh—dale, dale,* We came too far, ain't no turnin' away, Hands to the sky, let the whole block say— We still here, we still here today. *Ohhh—dale, dale,* From the dark of the night to the light of the day, Let that guitar cry while the drums all bang, We survived the fire—now remember the name. **[Verse 2 — denser flow]** I got a Bronx-state mind with a worldwide vision, Every bar cut clean like a surgeon incision, They were talkin' big money, I was makin' decisions, Tryna turn hard times into paid tuition. Listen— I learned mathematics from the rent being late, Learned patience from the food when we split up the plate, Learned loyalty ain't words that you casually state, It's who answers that phone when it's quarter to eight. When you're stuck, no luck, whole world say "wait," Bills piled up and the pressure gained weight, Still walked in the room like I owned that place, 'Cause a king ain't a king just because of his safe. It's the way that you stand when the plan goes wrong, Way you bring everybody that you love along, Way you turn those nights when the hope was gone Into sixteen bars everybody sings along. **[Hook]** *Ohhh—dale, dale,* We came too far, ain't no turnin' away, Hands to the sky, let the whole block say— We still here, we still here today. *Ohhh—dale, dale,* From the dark of the night to the light of the day, Let that guitar cry while the drums all bang, We survived the fire—now remember the name. **[Breakdown — drums drop / guitar + congas]** From the block to the boulevard... From the struggle to the stars... Every scar got a story, Every story made us who we are. So let it play... **[Verse 3 — aggressive final verse]** Now the kick hit hard and the congas roll, Spanish strings cut deep like they touching the soul, I was raised where the pressure either cracks or makes gold, So I took every "no" and made it part of the goal. Never begged for a seat—I was building the table, Had the weight on my back but I carried it stable, They were selling us dreams like the dream was a fable, Now the name on the door and the family's able. That's victory. Not the chains or the champagne glass, It's your mother saying, "Look how you changed our path," It's the friends that stayed when you ain't have cash, Still beside you when the whole damn parade done passed. So the guitar can cry, let the brass come strong, Let the whole crowd bounce when the bass comes on, We ain't celebrating money—we celebrating dawn, 'Cause we spent too many nights just surviving till morn. **[Final Hook — full instrumentation]** *Ohhh—dale, dale,* We came too far, ain't no turnin' away, Hands to the sky, let the whole block say— We still here, we still here today. *Ohhh—dale, dale,* From the dark of the night to the light of the day, Let that guitar cry while the drums all bang, We survived the fire—now remember the name. **[Outro — guitar alone]** Yeah... Some people inherit a kingdom. Some of us build one.
