lil mike

Lyrics

[Intro - lo-fi haze, smooth R&B keys, distant turntable scratches, deep 808 rumble, male vocal ad-libs]
Yeah, yeah
Mm, Mike
This one for my brother
Brayon too
I held it down, I held it down

[Verse 1 - warm singing over krunk R&B trap, loud snares and hi-hats, mega bass pulsing, heartfelt Male vocal tone]
You was gone for eleven long years, but I never let go
Sent that money every time, let you know you still home
When the nights got cold, I kept your name in my prayers
Even with the distance, bro, I was still right there

I know time can change a man, but it can’t change blood
Same last name, same pain, same love
Mike, that’s my brother, ain’t no question, ain’t no maybe
If the world turned its back, I was still gon’ save you, baby

[Pre-Chorus - building harmonies, snare rolls, turntable swells, bass rising]
And I don’t need no crown, I just need you to know
I was holdin’ you down while the whole world let go
Through the wire, through the storm, through the darkest nights
I kept your light alive, I kept your name in my life

[Chorus - explosive, anthemic R&B hook, hard snare hits, heavy bass, layered vocals]
I love you, bro, I’m always gon’ hold you down
Even when you gone, I was still around
Eleven years strong, I was ridin’ with your name
Sent that love and that money, never asked for fame

And I took care of Brayon like he was my own
Had to make sure he was good when you couldn’t come home
Mike, that’s my brother, yeah, that bond too real
Ain’t no prison, ain’t no distance, that love don’t heal

[Verse 2 - smoother groove, lo-fi texture, crisp hi-hats, emotional male vocal with subtle grit]
Brayon in the crib, I was teachin’ him right
Tryna give him some peace in a world full of fights
Every school day, every birthday, every tear that he cried
I was standin’ in the gap, I was right by his side

I ain’t doin’ it for applause, I ain’t doin’ it for a look
That’s family in my heart, everything else shook
I know you missed a lot, and that weight probably hurt
But I kept the family standin’ when the ground got worse

Now you back and I’m grateful, let the healing begin
We can’t change what was lost, but we can build again
Bro, I love you for life, that’s a promise, not talk
From the bottom of my soul, yeah, that’s how I walk

[Bridge - stripped-back keys, echoing snares, turntable scratches, vulnerable layered vocals]
If you ever felt alone, know you wasn’t by yourself
I was carryin’ that load, puttin’ love on the shelf
For every year you was away, I was there in the rain
Holdin’ on to your name, holdin’ on to the pain

[Rap Verse - long, intense, rhythmic delivery with loud snare snaps, booming bass, smooth turntable cuts]
Yeah, listen
Eleven years, I was sendin’ that bread, no hesitation
Every month, every check, that was love in rotation
Didn’t care what they said, I was built for the mission
If my brother couldn’t move, then I moved with conviction

I seen the silence get loud, I seen the struggle get deep
But I stayed on the line, never lost no sleep
’Cause blood don’t fold, and love don’t bluff
When the world get cold, family supposed to show up

I was there for Brayon, youngin’ needed a guide
Had to be the strong one, had to swallow my pride
Took him in like my son, gave him hope, gave him game
Told him stand on his word, told him carry your name

Mike, you know I’m your brother to the core of my bones
You was locked away, but you never was alone
I was holdin’ that fort, I was holdin’ that line
Every dollar, every prayer, every ounce of my time

Now we back in the light, let the pain fade slow
Let the bass hit hard, let the whole world know
Ain’t no jail, ain’t no years, break this family tie
I’ma hold you down forever till the day I die

[Outro - soft R&B fade, lo-fi vinyl