[INTRO – Spoken over quiet kora and heartbeat drum] NANDI (soft but steady): You can lose a crown. You can lose a coin. But you never lose the flame once the mind’s been lit. That’s the real gift. ⸻ [VERSE 1 – (laid-back, sharp flow)] I seen kings with gold in their hands— But fear in their eyes ‘cause they ruled empty lands. Palaces tall, minds small. What’s a throne to a thinker who’s ready to brawl? They praise the gold, forget the griot. But I speak what the scrolls never let go. We carved truth in the bones of sand, Taught stars to students with no demand. Mali ain’t marble. It’s breath and ink. Legacy don’t die—it learns to think. This ain’t wealth that you weigh in tons. It’s the kind that teaches your unborn sons. ⸻ [HOOK – Call & Response (marked but sung by Nandi only)] What’s the legacy you build? (Knowledge is wealth.) What survives when the palace spills? (Knowledge is wealth.) What echoes after kings are gone? (Knowledge is wealth.) Say it loud—pass it on. (Knowledge is wealth.) ⸻ [VERSE 2 – (voice rising, more rhythm)] He gave gold ‘til the markets broke— But still, they called him wise when he finally spoke. Not of power. Not of war. But of schools with books and open doors. You want to build a wall? I’ll build a mind. You want a border? I want time. To teach. To train. To break the chain. To plant ideas like sugarcane. Timbuktu don’t rise from stone— It rises when a child finds home In a page, in a verse, in a thought that glows— In a name that no empire can overthrow. ⸻ [BRIDGE – (slows slightly, echo effect builds)] Not a chamber. Not a sword. But a classroom becomes the loudest war. Not a crown. Not a gold-plated shelf. But a griot that chants: “Knowledge is wealth.” ⸻ [FINAL HOOK – Full energy, percussion + string swell] What’s the legacy you build? (Knowledge is wealth.) What survives when the palace melts? (Knowledge is wealth.) What’s passed on when the gold is gone? (Knowledge is wealth.) Say it loud—pass it on. (Knowledge is wealth.) ⸻ [EPIC DECLARATION OUTRO – spoken like prophecy, music swells then drops out to silence] NANDI (spoken): They will forget the weight of his gold… …but they will never forget the weight of his words. This is the wealth that echoes. This is the fire that lasts. This is the Mali that never fades.
