[Intro – atmospheric whispers]
(Soft vinyl crackle)
[REVERB-DEEP]
[WHISPER-L] Eyes open…
[WHISPER-R] Grass low…
[SFX: distant siren fade]
(Haunted synth swell → slow fade into beat)
⸻
Hook – Drake (melodic, moody)
(Filtered chords → clean 808 drop)
Drake:
I stay lit, but I still stay close to the edge,
(Background Drake harmonies: mmm, yeah…)
’Cause I don’t know what they hide behind the words they said.
(Soft trap hat shuffle)
Too many smiling in my face, praying I fall instead,
But I’m alive, wide awake — I see the lies in their heads.
(808 slide, ambient pad lifts)
Yeah, I keep the grass cut low, keep the snakes exposed…
Can’t let ’em catch me when my eyes half-closed.
(Whisper harmony: no-no-no…)
They say they want the best for me — but I already know,
Half of ’em only show love when your light runs low.
⸻
Verse 1 — Kendrick Lamar
(Beat tightens → percussion enters gradually)
Yeah, the paranoia polished — got it shining like a grill,
I ain’t looking over shoulders, man, I’m reading people’s will.
See the envy in their posture, see the venom in the grin,
Even “family” move funny when your losses start to thin.
(Hi-hat triplets rising)
I’ve been walking through the city with a preacher’s intuition,
They praying I fold early like bad cards in a kitchen.
“Bro, I’m proud of you,” said with eyes too still —
That’s the kind of tone that makes survival a skill.
(Bass thickens)
I’m lit but I’m lucid — balance razor on the tension,
Even angels keep a blade when the devil wants attention.
Grass cut low — and a cold head rises,
Wild how the ones closest hold the biggest surprises.
⸻
Pre-Hook – Kendrick (layered vocals)
Stay sharp… stay distant…
(Single clap)
Not everyone who dap you wanna see your name lifted.
⸻
Hook – Drake (bigger harmonies)
(Choir pad widened, 808 punching clean)
I stay lit, but I still stay close to the edge,
(Drake harmony stack: yeah-yeah, ooh-ooh)
’Cause I don’t know what they hide behind the words they said.
Too many smiling in my face, praying I fall instead,
But I’m alive, wide awake — I see the lies in their heads.
Grass cut low, keep the snakes exposed…
Can’t let ’em catch me when my eyes half-closed.
They say they want the best for me — but I already know,
Love look real different when your light runs low.
⸻
Verse 2 — J. Cole
(Beat strips to bass + rimshots → slowly rebuilds)
Look, I been moving like a prophet through a crowd of body doubles,
Everybody claiming loyalty but loving when you struggle.
They tracking all your wins like they checking market trades,
But when you lose, they disappear — no voice, no aid.
(Synth stabs shadowing syllables)
I keep a notebook full of warnings, every line a little omen,
Some folks only show support when your pockets stay swollen.
“Cole, I believe in you,” said with hands crossed tight —
That’s the kind of handshake that don’t ever feel right.
(Vocal hum harmonies)
So I stay lit, but I’m clear — intuition on blast,
Every fake friend’s a statue, hidden cracks in the cast…
ReapEternal
