Yo, I wake up in the mornin', sun ain't always shinin' bright

Yo, I wake up in the mornin', sun ain't always shinin' bright Another day to hustle, fightin' shadows in the fading light Streets talkin' whispers, sirens singin' through the darkest hours Tryna find my peace, amongst these concrete, forgotten flowers See the struggle in my mama's eyes, the pain that she done carried A young black man just tryna stand, while hopes get buried They tell us "pull yourself up," but the ladder's always broken Still I write these verses, every single word I've spoken Is a testament to strength, a story from the soul's deep core From project windows, to knockin' on opportunity's closed door. (Pre-Chorus) Felt the cold steel of despair, the emptiness inside But even through the tears, somethin' kept my spirit wide Open to the blessings, small as they may seem to be A breath in my lungs, a chance to truly just be free. (Chorus - *Deep, resonant voice, almost a spoken word delivery with the beat*) Yeah, I'm **THANKFUL**, for the air that I breathe **THANKFUL**, for the dreams that I weave **THANKFUL**, for the lessons the struggle conceive **THANKFUL**, for another day to believe. I'm **THANKFUL**, for the rise and the fall **THANKFUL**, standin' strong through it all **THANKFUL**, hearin' freedom's call **THANKFUL**, before my final curtain call. (Verse 2) They tried to box us in, put labels on our very name Said we'd never make it out, destined for the violence game But I saw kings and queens, survivors in the broken glass Each step a revolution, makin' history in the mass From the block where shadows loom, to the mic gripped in my hand Spittin' truth to power, tryna wake up every man And woman, child, to their worth, their inner royalty Break the chains of poverty, mental slavery Remember hustlin' just for food, now I'm hustlin' for a cause To uplift my people, breakin' all these unjust laws. (Pre-Chorus) Been through fire, been through rain, felt the venom of the snake But every scar's a story, every fall for goodness sake Just taught me how to rise again, with wisdom in my stride Got my spirit as my compass, nowhere left for me to hide. (Chorus - *More intense, with ad-libs like "Yeah, that's right!" or "Uh huh!"*) I'm **THANKFUL**, for the air that I breathe **THANKFUL**, for the dreams that I weave **THANKFUL**, for the lessons the struggle conceive **THANKFUL**, for another day to believe. I'm **THANKFUL**, for the rise and the fall **THANKFUL**, standin' strong through it all **THANKFUL**, hearin' freedom's call **THANKFUL**, before my final curtain call. (Bridge) Some days I wonder, is there peace beyond this life? Will my message echo on, cuttin' through the pain and strife? Hope they remember me not just for the words I spit But the heart behind the message, every single ounce of grit. For every tear that fell, for every soul that bled I pray for better days ahead, keepin' wisdom in my head. (Outro - *Beat fades slowly, a soulful female vocal sample drifts in, Tupac-esque sigh*) Yeah... Thankful. For life, for love, for the struggle... We here... still here. Makaveli's spirit... always. **THANKFUL.**