About the song
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Words from the artist’s archive
Stamped but Still Standing lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Four hundred years echo loud in these streets Truth hidden in the margins, not the front-page sheets History ain’t a movie with one villain’s face It’s a maze full of chains spread across every place
Verse 1
They talk America like it birthed the whole idea of chains But ancient empires sold people like loose coins in games Kids born locked down before takin’ a breath of air Families split fast like bills tossed in a county fair Black elders say, “They stamped us deeper than they worked us,” Trauma coded in whispers, overseers always lurked us But textbooks skip Africa’s systems, Europe’s captured masses Only spotlight on the U.S. when the camera passes Yeah, slavery’s global, but here, the bruise stayed close Like a scar that still burns anytime someone gets too bold Our story ain’t simple, it’s pain mixed with surviving Hurt is universal, but here the wound’s still thriving
Pre-chorus
It’s messy, not a clean-cut tale Villains on every map, every kingdom, every sail But the irony hits, this land broke its chains fast Still the shadow of the system keeps walkin’ through the past
Chorus
Stamped but still standin’, we rise through the noise Carry old burdens with the strength of new voice They wrote us in nightmares, now we soundtrack their pride Raw truth in plain language, we learn while we ride
Verse 2
On the block, no one argues timelines, just the toll Black kids inherit wounds they never helped unfold Missin’ wealth, missin’ stories, missin’ routes to the top Start a race in borrowed shoes while others already jog White kids tired of ghosts getting blamed through their skin Both sides tryin’ to drop weight they didn’t place in the bin Once chains didn’t work, they switched ’em to paperwork lanes Systems built to keep whole hoods circlin’ the same drains Schools teach trauma like that’s all our people ever gave But I come from hustlers, welders, soldiers, brilliance that stayed Don’t paint my whole bloodline in grayscale pain Give me inventors, dreamers, not just shackles in frame
Bridge 1
Picture grandma sayin’, “Your great-granddad was born enslaved,” His photo now framed beside degrees that he paved Freedom ain’t perfect, but the climb proves we strong We inherit resilience just as much as the wrong
Verse 3
The irony’s wild, this same land that broke us apart Now leans on our rhythm, our courage, heartbeat and art From church pew echoes to stadium roars From front-line soldiers to cultural doors But pain moves quiet, ask kids tryna make sense “Do I inherit trauma or my family’s defense?” “Am I free ‘cause I’m free, or just not under watch?” Questions pass down like heirlooms kept in a locked box But today we choose truth, not the shame or the spin History ain’t a cage when your mind refuses to stay in
Chorus
Stamped but still standin’, we rise through the noise Carry old burdens with the strength of new voice They wrote us in nightmares, now we soundtrack their pride Raw truth in plain language, we learn while we ride
Bridge 2
This ain’t blame, this ain’t pity, this is clarity gained Hard lessons from the past pump fire in our veins We heal when we face it, not run from the fight Turn shadows into teachers that guide us toward the light
Chorus
Stamped but still standin’, we rise through the noise Carry old burdens with the strength of new voice They wrote us in nightmares, now we soundtrack their pride Raw truth in plain language, we learn while we ride
Chorus
Stamped but still standin’, we rise through the noise Carry old burdens with the strength of new voice Stamped but still standin’, yeah the truth amplified Learn deep while you vibe, let the past be our guide
Outro
No chains on my body, but the questions still stay I face them with courage, not carried away Stamped but not broken, this legacy’s mine Truth walkin’ beside me as we rewrite the timeline
Inside the recording
Four hundred years echo loud in these streets Truth hidden in the margins, not the front-page sheets
It’s messy, not a clean-cut tale Villains on every map, every kingdom, every sail
No chains on my body, but the questions still stay I face them with courage, not carried away
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.