SIXTEEN — ahhh mboke ah MaMi (Afrobeat Version)
Spoken Intro (no beat – just pad & breath)
(male, low)
I no come here to accuse…
I come here to remember.
(female whisper, distant)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
(male)
Na truth be this…
mhhh… na wa oh…
Verse 1 (beat enters soft)
Dem born me from pikin wey never see road,
Sixteen years old, fear for eye, love for soul.
She still dey learn how life dey go,
But dem put another life for her hand, make she hold.
mhhh… na wa oh…
She no get strength but she still try,
No sleep for night, tears for eye.
She hold me like say if she blink I go fade,
Like say world dey wait make mistake be made.
(female echo, soft)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
Pre-Chorus (beat pulls back)
Love get mouth but power get mic,
When big man talk, small voice no get right.
Dem no ask the girl wetin she feel,
One hard word change destiny for real.
mhhh… na wa oh…
Chorus (Afrobeat hook – repeatable)
Dem take me… (take me)
From my mama wey still be pikin herself.
Dem take me… (ahhh)
From the only body wey know my breath.
She be sixteen… (sixteen…)
Still dey fight make she survive.
I waka commot…
Before she sabi how to let go of life.
(female backing, call & response)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
mhhh… na wa oh…
Verse 2 (beat fuller)
My papa talk say, “Na me know wetin good,”
But nobody open mama chest make dem look.
Nobody ask how night go sound,
When baby cry gone and silence loud.
(female echo)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
Dem raise me tough, dem raise me hard,
I stand today but the scar still scar.
Strength no be cure for wetin you miss,
Some hole for chest no dey ever fix.
mhhh… na wa oh…
Pre-Chorus 2
Two life cut with one bold call,
One lose child, one lose all.
Boy turn man before him time,
Carry question wey no get line.
Chorus (full, emotional)
Dem take me… (take me)
From my mama wey still be pikin herself.
Dem take me… (ahhh)
From love wey no even get chance to help.
She be sixteen… (sixteen…)
Still dey find who she be.
I waka commot…
Before she learn how to grieve properly.
(female choir style)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
mhhh… na wa oh…
Bridge (beat drops – spoken + echo)
(male)
Mama… if this sound reach you ear—
(female, clearer now)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
(male)
Make you know say no be your fault.
You no wicked. You no fail.
You be just small girl for big world strong.
(female, overlapping)
mhhh… na wa oh…
Final Chorus (anthem style)
I survive… (I survive)
But survival get price to pay.
I survive… (ahhh)
But some pieces still dey stray.
You be sixteen… (sixteen…)
Dem take your pikin go.
I be pikin…
And forgiveness still dey slow.
(female ad-libs, fading)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
mhhh… na wa oh…
Outro (beat fades)
(female whisper)
ahhh mboke ah MaMi…
(male)
Still dey stand…
Still dey heal…
