“FROM THE BLOCK TO TOKYO” — Zack Morales
(Starts: gritty West Coast gangsta rap / Switches hard into kawaii Japanese anime rap)
[Intro — Slow G-Funk Beat]
Yeah…
South side windows down…
Palm trees, liquor stores, police lights…
Another night in America.
[Verse 1 — American Gangsta Rap]
Posted on the corner where the sirens keep singin’,
Young boys grow fast where the OGs stay sinnin’.
Mama work late while the streets stay cold,
Everybody act tough ‘cause survival gets old.
Bassline slap from the trunk of the Regal,
Neighborhood tension feelin’ almost illegal.
Dice game crackin’ near the busted street light,
Helicopters circlin’ almost every damn night.
Homies pour liquor for the ones not livin’,
Dreams got smaller but the pride still driven.
Old heads say the world lost soul,
Now everybody fake with a camera and a role.
I keep ridin’ slow through the avenue smoke,
Hearin’ old Ice Cube while the blunt get rolled.
Concrete jungle with the anger and stress…
[Beat Suddenly Cuts]
Record scratch…
Silence…
“Wait… what the hell is happening?”
[HARD BEAT SWITCH — Hyper Kawaii Japanese Trap]
Bright synths — anime vocal chops — heavy 808s
[Japanese Rap Verse]
キラキラ Tokyo 夜に飛ぶ
(Kira kira Tokyo yoru ni tobu)
ネオンの愛が 胸に響く
(Neon no ai ga mune ni hibiku)
かわいいギャングが 踊る downtown
(Kawaii gyangu ga odoru downtown)
808 bassで 揺れる playground
“Senpai! Senpai!”
君が笑う
(Kimi ga warau)
黒い涙も 星に変わる
(Kuroi namida mo hoshi ni kawaru)
Shibuya lights!
心が burn
(Kokoro ga burn)
Anime dreams while the speakers turn!
[Japanese/English Chorus]
Kawaii nights, Tokyo dreams,
Bass too loud, blowin’ out the seams.
West side soul in a neon scene,
Life feel fake like a movie screen.
Yabai! Yabai!
We too fly,
Pink hearts glowin’ while the low rides slide.
From the hood to Japan we survive,
Two worlds clash when the bass collide.
[Final Outro]
One side pain…
One side fantasy…
American streets… Tokyo galaxy…
Zack Morales.
Neon forever.