FROM THE BLOCK TO THE PEOPLE [Intro – Male] Malik Alim Cepeda. From experience to education. From surviving to building. This is for everybody trying to become better. Barriles, piano, let it breathe! [Verse 1 – Male] Twenty-five years, I learned the weight of a name, how a crowd gives you a title but can't carry your pain. I had to look in the mirror, ask what matters to me, Am I building up a future or just guarding a legacy? Took my lessons to the classroom, put the knowledge to work, Nyack, Lehman, CUNY, Columbia—every lesson had worth. From the block to the books, from the books to the street, Now I use what I know to help the next one find their feet. I don't erase my past, I give the past a new role, Turn experience to guidance, put a purpose in the soul. [Hook – Both] From the block to the people, let the whole world know, Real strength is self-control, real success is how you grow. Family over fame, put your future in your hands, Build a home, lift a neighbor, help somebody make a stand. Step by step, we rise, let the rhythm carry through, No matter where you come from, there's a better you. From the block to the people, let the good work show, The greatest thing you build is the life you help to grow. [Verse 2 – Male] I know what pressure feels like, I know how tempers climb, but a second spent in wisdom can change the course of time. When the room gets heated, I don't have to play the part, I can listen, lower tension, let respect become the start. Working with the youth, give them choices they can see, Not a lecture from a stranger, but a path to dignity. One life is not a statistic, every person has a name, one decision can redirect an entire family game. Credible through experience, committed to the good, help a young mind see a future where they thought nobody could. [Hook – Both] From the block to the people, let the whole world know, Real strength is self-control, real success is how you grow. Family over fame, put your future in your hands, Build a home, lift a neighbor, help somebody make a stand. Step by step, we rise, let the rhythm carry through, No matter where you come from, there's a better you. [Verse 3 – Male] My son, I want a future where there's room for you to stand, My daughter in Hawai‘i, always held within my plans. My granddaughter in Brooklyn, may her dreams reach the sky, I can't be in every place, but I'll keep the connection alive. Money helps provide, but it can't purchase your embrace, it can't sit beside your child or put love into a face. So I work on being present, make the phone call, make the time, build a foundation with my actions, let my family see the climb. I can't reclaim each yesterday, but tomorrow's still in view, and the changes that I make can leave a better path for you. [Bridge – Female] No matter what you believe, we all know what it means, to rebuild a little hope and give our children better dreams. Let the past become a lesson, let compassion lead the way, what you practice in your living is the message every day. [Verse 4 – Male] A title isn't greatness, and a loud voice isn't wise, real leadership makes room for other people to rise. I don't need to win a conflict just to prove that I am strong, sometimes walking out with peace is how you know where you belong. Learn a skill, serve your people, keep your word and do your part, put integrity in business, put compassion in your heart. We can disagree on faith and still unite on what is right: keep our children safe and thriving, give our neighbors hope and light. [Final Hook – Both] From the block to the people, let the whole world know, Real strength is self-control, real success is how you grow. Family over fame, put your future in your hands, Build a home, lift a neighbor, help somebody make a stand. Paso a paso, seguimos, con respeto y dignidad, menos ruido, más trabajo, más oportunidades de verdad. From the block to the people, let the good work show, the greatest thing you build is the life you help to grow. [Outro – Male + Female] Your past is part of your story, not the owner of your name. You can turn experience into purpose, you can grow beyond the game. Family. Community. Knowledge. Peace. From surviving to building. From the block to the people.
