Tails High — Velvet Prowl Dub (NSFW)

[Tempo: 72 BPM] [Key: D minor, Dorian and pentatonic color] [Mix: cavernous dub space, bass forward, vocals close and smoky] [Cast: V1 Ina Ras, V2 Len] [V1: smoky adult female alto, thick natural patois, sultry singjay, close mic] [V2: low female tenor, baritone undertone, warm husky grit, grounded and sensual] [Intro: hookah bubbles, alley rain, distant hand drums, bass slowly enters] [V1: spoken] Hear mi now... Kingston after dark. One shadow wear spots. One shadow wear stripes. Neither one a prey. Seen? [V2: low spoken] Then come hunt me. [One-drop enters] [Verse 1: V1, smoky and slow] Velvet alley wet from di midnight rain Catnip chronic curl round di windowpane Lavender tail draw slow through di smoke Green eyes catch mine and di whole room choke Mi walk like snow but mi blood run warm She move like thunder before di storm Two queen predator know where desire at Mi eye ask once, har eye seh yes Claw tip trace through di edge of mi dress She grin like trouble and mi know di rest [Pre-Chorus: V2, low and intimate] Come closer, leopardess, slow dat stride Let mi feel dat low-end under yuh hide No cage, no chain, no claim tonight Just spot meet stripe inna velvet light [Chorus: duet, heavyweight steppers] [Both] Tails high, heads high, prowl wid pride Spot and stripe moving side by side Bass down deep where di hot blood run Two wild cat and di night just begun [V1] Wine pon mi slow till di room turn red [V2] Teeth by yuh shoulder, breath by yuh head [Both] No prey tonight, just huntress heat Claw to claw pon di one-drop beat [Dub Break: bass, nyabinghi drums, spring reverb] (Prowl... prowl...) (Spot... stripe...) [Verse 2: V2, husky singjay] Old drum talk from di motherland ground Through Kingston wire to di speaker-box sound Shekere hiss and di fundeh keep time Mi tail lash once when har hip meet mine White fur shimmer under amber glow Lavender spots where mi dark claws go She press mi backward into di wall Then laugh real low when mi answer di call Every move answered, every breath in time Har paw pon mi waist, mine under har chin She whisper, "Tigress... let di trouble begin." [Pre-Chorus 2: V1, breath-close] Easy, mi love, nuh waste dat fire Hold mi right deh while di bass climb higher If yuh want dis cat, then come draw nigh [Chorus: duet, deeper steppers] [Both] Tails high, heads high, prowl wid pride Spot and stripe moving side by side Bass down deep where di hot blood run Two wild cat and di night just begun [V2] Ride dat pulse till di floorboard sweat [V1] Claws down slow, mek mi nah forget [Both] No prey tonight, just chosen heat Two queen body pon di one-drop beat [V1] Selector... [V2] Wheel it. [Two beats silence] [Verse 3: alternating lead] [V1] Mi bite har lip and har purr turn rough [V2] Mi pull har close like close nah enough [V1] Thigh to thigh and di tails entwine [V2] Every low note push har body to mine [V1] Hookah coal glow like a red little sun [V2] Sweat pon fur and we still nah done [V1] Har stripes disappear where di shadows fall [V2] Har spots flash bright when di siren call [Both] No king own dis lane, no hunter above No need fi tame what is given in love Two solitary cats choose one same track Once we step forward, neither look back [Breakdown: sub, hand drums, breath, mbira glints] [V1: whisper] Len... Feel dat? [V2: whisper] Every note. [V1] Then come nearer. [V2] Make me. (Mmm...) (Prrr...) [Bass Solo: long D notes, claw-plucked accents] [Bridge: duet, intimate ritual pulse] [V1] From jungle dark to Kingston stone [V2] We carry old fire in flesh and bone [V1] Mother drum under electric haze [V2] Moonlight caught in yuh lavender blaze [Both] No pride around us, no pack in sight Two lone big cats choosing one night Not conquered, not captured, not owned, not led Just hunger agreed and a warm shared bed [V1] Spot... [V2] Stripe... [V1] Claw... [V2] Bite... [Both] Bring back di bass and turn out di light. [Final Chorus: maximum low-end, duet] Tails high, heads high, prowl wid pride Spot and stripe moving side by side Bass so deep make di whole lane shake Every slow wine make di old walls wake Press me close, let di riddim speak Purr in mi ear when mi knees get weak Leopardess fire and tigress flame Two wild hearts inna one bass frame Tails high, heads high, smoke roll thick Claw mark light where di heartbeat kick Wet night air and a low drum roll Body on body but soul on soul No prey tonight, no chase to flee Yuh choose mi heat and mi choose fi thee Till dawn come pale through di Kingston sky Spot and stripe with dem tails held high [Final Dub: bass and drums only, vocal echoes] (Tails high...) (Heads high...) (Spot and stripe...) (Prowl wid pride...) [Outro: hookah bubbles, tape hiss, bass fading to one sustained D] [V2: low spoken] Still hunting? [V1: smiling whisper] Only if yuh keep running. [Soft purr] Prrr... [Dub siren] [Hard Stop] [End]