LINDEN

(Record scratch)
(Intro – Jazzy, low-fi beat with a vinyl crackle)
Yeah, check it. From the East Side, to the West Side, to the North… nah.
L-I-N-D-E-N. The Heart of the City.
(Beat drops, a smooth, head-nodding boom-bap rhythm)
(Verse 1)
Used to rock the faded Timbs, walkin’ past the old Save-A-Lot
Summers felt eternal, the concrete was so hot
Little league dreams on the baseball diamond field
But the real lessons, man, the streets revealed
We’d be smokin’ blunts behind Harvest Moon Lanes
Chasin’ away the sorrows, washin’ out the pains
The glow of the neon, the smell of the cigarettes
Made promises to each other, no room for regrets
The older cats would school us, on how to keep your cool
Linden was the classroom, the streets were the school
From the block parties jumpin’, to the corner store run
Every single memory felt like a rising sun
(Chorus)
This ain’t just a place, man, it’s a state of mind
The struggle’s a melody, a rhythm you’ll find
Throwin’ parties on the BackSide, speakers on the porch
Felt the love from the crew, a burnin’ inner torch
‘Cause the friends became family, the bond became tight
Linden raised us all, from the dark into the light
(Verse 2)
The corner of Cleveland and Weber, a landmark in time
The city’s heartbeat, a beautiful, complex rhyme
Used to hustle in the winter, shovelin’ neighbors’ snow
Just to make a couple dollars, put on a good show
First crush, first heartbreak, first time I saw the truth
From the corners of Linden, in the essence of youth
We would freestyle on the steps, passin’ the mic around
Every story had a purpose, every voice had a sound
Used to sneak out late at night, under the streetlamp’s glow
Just to hang with the crew, watch the world go slow
From the backyard cookouts, to the late-night talks we had
Every memory’s a blessing, never felt so glad
(Chorus)
This ain’t just a place, man, it’s a state of mind
The struggle’s a melody, a rhythm you’ll find
Throwin’ parties on the BackSide, speakers on the porch
Felt the love from the crew, a burnin’ inner torch
‘Cause the friends became family, the bond became tight
Linden raised us all, from the dark into the light
(Outro)
Yeah. From the North and the South, the East and the West.
Doesn’t matter where you’re from, it’s the love that you invest.
Linden made us who we are, no doubt about it, man.
From the block to the world, stickin’ to the plan.
Peace.
(Beat fades out)