Concrete Ceiling

[Intro]
Yeah
I remember that
Mm
[Verse 1]
Used to stash a twenty in my busted Nike sole
Ate noodles every Sunday, shared a blanket in the cold
Mama in the doorway, eyes red, phone glow
Name on a blacklist, said I never would go
Now I’m in the backseat, city crawling past slow
Paint on my hoodie from a show they don’t know
Friends in the front talk loud, all jokes
But I keep one ear on the hate and the smoke
[Chorus]
I broke through the concrete ceiling (ceiling)
Still got scars, still got feelings (yeah)
They tried to write me off, write me out
Now they gotta say my name out loud
I broke through the concrete ceiling (ceiling)
Heart still heavy but I’m healing (I’m healing)
If you ever doubted me back then
Say it with your chest, not a pen
[Verse 2]
Teacher said, “Pick safe, art don’t pay”
Now she play my clips on a slow Friday
Cousin doing time, sent a text, “I’m proud”
Typed it on a screen, but I still said it out loud
Same block, same cracks, same rusted rail
Only thing changed is I refuse to fail
Got a key to the door they said was sealed
Turned my own pain to a shield
[Chorus]
I broke through the concrete ceiling (ceiling)
Still got scars, still got feelings (yeah)
They tried to write me off, write me out
Now they gotta say my name out loud
I broke through the concrete ceiling (ceiling)
Heart still heavy but I’m healing (I’m healing)
If you ever doubted me back then
Say it with your chest, not a pen

rap, Minimal eerie trap beat with deep 808s and skittering hi-hats, male vocals. Verses tight and punchy, lots of space between bars; hook explodes with stacked ad-libs and octave doubles. Dark, front-of-mix vocal with subtle delay throws, bass hitting late in the bar for a menacing swing.