[Intro] Drums in my chest Dust on my gold Teeth full of rage Heart never fold (yah) [Verse 1] Came up where the clay stay red Rain hit zinc like it’s countin’ my breath Grandma pray loud while the sky burn black Said “boy, keep faith when the world swing back” Bare feet run on the hot road, tire fire Eyes on the wire, we climb higher Turn that pain to a war dance, whole block jump Every scar on my skin sound like a bass thump [Chorus] I’m a lion in the smoke, hear the ground shake Every step that I take make the sky break (rah) From the mud to the throne, we don’t migrate We just rise, we just rise, we just vibrate Lion in the smoke, make the dark fade Let the whole jungle roar when my name played (hey) From the drum to the bone, it’s a blood wave We just rise, we just rise, we just vibrate [Verse 2] Mask on face but the eyes stay bright War paint drip in the middle of the night Brothers in a circle, we stomp, we shout Turn fear to a storm when the doubts come out Hunger in the belly, that’s fuel, not shame Every little L just sharpen my aim If you want my spot, better bleed for it ’Cause the dirt I came from still speak on it (yeah) [Chorus] I’m a lion in the smoke, hear the ground shake Every step that I take make the sky break (rah) From the mud to the throne, we don’t migrate We just rise, we just rise, we just vibrate Lion in the smoke, make the dark fade Let the whole jungle roar when my name played (hey) From the drum to the bone, it’s a blood wave We just rise, we just rise, we just vibrate [Bridge] Hands to the sky, feet in the red sand If you feel that fire, that’s the homeland Call on the names carved deep in the stone Every shout that we throw shake the unknown (woah) [Chorus] I’m a lion in the smoke, hear the ground shake Every step that I take make the sky break (rah) From the mud to the throne, we don’t migrate We just rise, we just rise, we just vibrate Lion in the smoke, make the dark fade Let the whole jungle roar when my name played (hey) From the drum to the bone, it’s a blood wave We just rise, we just rise, we just vibrate

rap, Symphonic trap-metal hybrid: huge distorted 808 glides and skittering drill hats under down-tuned, aggressive strings. Male vocals shift from rapid-fire triplet rap to screamed hook; stacked gang shouts on choruses. African rhythmic DNA in the percussion, with layered chants, call-and-response, and tom patterns that stomp like a war dance. Glitchy orchestral chops stutter between phrases, with sudden dropouts and half-time slams to make the hook explode., male vocals, metal, drill, violin

Lion in the Smoke