On the Rise

Young G on a rise

Kensal, Kensal, Kensal

Rise, Kensal

Young G on a rise, Kensal, Kensal

You dun know already

The journey

Young G on Kensal Rise

Aight, before the Rollie, before the Benz

Before 24, and before THEM

I was coming out of Brent

I am really really from the endz

So much so I really know Dynamic M

And most of the gangsters dem

I'm so North West 10

Can't forget Tubby T

God bless the dead

Mi nuh wan nuh bling bling

Mi nuh wan no pinky ring

Just gimme di microphone, I been a soundboy since then

These are tales from the hood

Keeping it real, I spent most of my teens shook

Coulda got jook for a look, for a look

Cah man'll change on you quicker than a Shang Tsung

Man'll blaze on you, badda bing, badda boom

Suh boom

These are tales from the hood

I know a lot a tings, but I gotta keep shtum

I heard a lot a tings, I could fill a whole book

Got secrets I gotta keep till I'm 6 foot

A far cry from Hollywood

Used to drive by Cricklewood

Took a right at the lights

Kilburn Station, Jubilee Line going to Kensal Rise

But decided to stop at a friend of mines

Them times she lived on Dyne

She approached me with tears in her eyes

She told me that so-and-so died

And I hugged her as she cried

But I felt nuttem inside 'cause he tried to rob me twice

Doing something snakey's why he probably lost his life

Bruddas used to try it doing fuckries outta spite

Man know I'm a star but didn't wanna let me shine

When the place you're from is dark they wanna see you dim your light

They've pulled guns on me, knives on me, lucky I'm alive

Man been hating on me since 1999

When really they rated me, I did sutten they admired

Saw what I was doing, but they didn't have the confidence to try it

Could've done it if they tried, but they didn't have the drive

Crabs in barrel and they don't wanna see you thrive

Badmind watching from the sides

Praying for your downfall, plotting on your demise

Then wanna start rap careers at 35?

Rolls eyes

Those are the kinds of guys I despise

They were fans in disguise

But now man's in the sky, they congratulate me

They had to respect the grind

Clean energy you, know the vibes

Shouts to Mike

Never got blinded by the lights

From the streets up to dizzy new heights

I am from a time before gangsters posed with toilet paper for likes

Before...

Young G on a Rise

One time was out the manor with —

One or two serious guys

But man was moving light

Looking back in hindsight, man weren't moving right

Loads of hangers-on who couldn't back if they tried

Up there we bucked up on the other side

But true I knew a few kept it cool and was polite

But could see it was going left cah something wasn't right

At the time the ting coulda been squashed, no one had died

Too much pride

My bredrin gotta offered a 1on1 but declined

Could tell by his body language he was shook to fight

Had everybody looking at him with a side eye

He was tryna save face, but that's how you lose stripes

He jumped man a couple weeks prior in a 1on1

Which is suttem he shouldn't've done

That's not how tings run

You know the rules dem iyah

But that's a serious war, I don't wanna stoke the fire

Lord strike me down if I'm a liar

I'm not involved, but from the zones and the road it's how it goes, it's never Kumbaya

Shit can still transpire, so vigilance required till the day man expire

If not, on God the consequences could be dire

If not on job, face is on a poster or a flyer

Them thingys go pop pop, turn my mum into a crier

Watch even the little ****, you heard David and Goliath

You saw Omar in The Wire

That's how you get wheeled away

Punctures in your body via shots through attire

Tread lighter, small circle, clique tighter

Show me the money like Cuba in Jerry Maguire

Another time was at a party in the manor

Bevvy in my hand, I don't drink, likely a Fanta

Outside could here a little altercation and a passa

And it was very apparent someone was getting bad up

It was one bagga noise that stood inside a mazza

See a man get bang in his face and hit the canvas

Then get drag up

All of this playing out under the sound of the ragga

Sizzla or Spragga

He held enough of bang, then sprang up

Both hand up

Shirt tattered

Tryna pattern

Held another bang, blood splattered

So happens me and him did have a little drama up in Acton

Another time in Acklam on some bully boy ting

Cah he didn't know me from Adam

Was a little intimidated if I keep it a hunna

Looking back on it, banter

At the time vexed, filled me with anger

Little fear, so to see that man scared, I weren't thinking "ha ha"

I was more thinking "ah ha"

Seeing how he acted when he met somebody badder

A friend of a friend which made it even madder

If you're bad, be bad for whoever, then it doesn't matter

Silver lining, duppy know who fi frighten

No truer than the latter

Famous saying of my old Jamaican grandma

Don't know if he was drinking, but he got hammered

That killy used to gwan like he was the baddest

Got embarrassed

Silly sausage got battered

If you ever see the way that man acted

Used to think that he was a savage

But when the bottle hit him, the illusion shattered