“Shadows of the Block

(Hook – Melodic, Soulful)

I’ve been walking through the shadows of the block,

Tryna find a little peace where the guns don’t talk.

And every night I feel the darkness in my chest—

But I rise again, yeah, I rise again…

’Cause I can’t rest.

Living in a world that don’t forgive,

Fighting every day just to learn how to live.

But even when the fear keeps pullin’ me down,

I still hold my ground…

I still hold my ground.

(Verse 1 – Storytelling, emotional)

I grew up where the dreams fade fast in the cold,

Where a kid turns old long before he grows old.

Mama said “Baby, don’t lose your heart,”

But this world pulls you in, tears you apart.

I walked roads that could break your mind,

Chasin’ hope I could never find.

But somehow the fire never left my veins—

Even with the world tryin’ to chain my name.

(Hook – Melodic)

I’ve been walking through the shadows of the block,

Tryna find a little peace where the guns don’t talk.

And every night I feel the darkness in my chest—

But I rise again, yeah, I rise again…

’Cause I can’t rest.

(Verse 2 – More reflective, spiritual)

I seen brothers turn dust in the blink of an eye,

Heard mothers scream at the empty sky.

And I prayed for a sign, any sign at all,

Something to lift me if I started to fall.

But life ain’t gentle, life hits deep,

Cuts your soul when you try to sleep.

Still I walk with the echoes inside my head—

Lessons of the streets and the tears I shed.

(Bridge – Very “Gangsta’s Paradise” energy)

And I know…

even when the night grows cold,

there’s a fire in my soul

that the world can’t take.

And I know…

every scar I hold inside

is a reason I survived—

I won’t ever break.

(Final Hook – Bigger, uplifting)

I’ve been walking through the shadows of the block,

But I learned to hear the truth when the lies don’t stop.

And even when the night keeps pullin’ me down,

I still rise up…

yeah, I still rise up.

Back from the dark with my heart intact,

Carrying the weight but I won’t turn back.

’Cause even in the pain, I found my sound—

And I still hold my ground…

I still hold my ground.