Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
Que reflejan tu mirada
– He mea whakaata, he mea whakaata
La noche, tú y yo
– Ko te po, ko tú y yo
I got this fire burnin’ in me from within
– I tahuna e ahau tenei ahi i roto i ahau i roto i
Concentrated thoughts on who I used to be, I’m sheddin’ skin
– Ko te whakaaro nui ki te tangata i mua, kei te whakaheke ahau i te kiri
Every day, a new version of me, a third of me demented, cemented in pain
– I nga ra katoa, he putanga hou o ahau, he tuatoru o ahau i haurangi, i whakapakarihia i roto i te mamae
Juggling opposing kinds of fame
– Te whakatikatika i ngā momo rongonui
I don’t know how to make friends, I’m a lonely soul
– Kāore au i te mōhio me pēhea te hanga hoa, he wairua mokemoke ahau
I recollect this isolation, I was four years old
– E mahara ana ahau ki tēnei wehenga, e whā oku tau
Truth be told, I’ve been battling my soul
– Ka korerotia te pono, kua whawhai ahau ki toku wairua
Tryna navigate the real and fake
– Tryna whakatere i te tūturu me te rūpahu
Cynical about the judgement day
– He pōhēhē mō te rā whakatau
I did bad, slight progression last year and it fucked me up
– I kino taku mahi, he iti noa te ahunga whakamua i te tau kua hipa, ā, i kino ahau
Reincarnated on this earth for a hundred plus
– I whakahoutia i runga i tenei whenua mo te rau neke atu
Body after body, lesson after lesson, let’s take it back to Michigan in 1947
– Te tinana i muri i te tinana, te akoranga i muri i te akoranga, kia hoki mai ki Michigan i Te tau 1947
My father kicked me out the house ’cause I wouldn’t listen to him
– I panaia ahau e toku papa i te whare, no te mea kihai ahau i whakarongo ki a ia
I didn’t care about his influence, only loved what I was doing
– Kāore au i aro ki tōna pānga, i aroha noa ahau ki taku mahi
Gifted as a musician, I played guitar on the grand level
– He kaitito pūmanawa, i whakatangihia e au te kita i te taumata nui
The most talented where I’m from, but I had to rebel
– Ko te tino pūmanawa no hea ahau, engari me whakakeke ahau
And so I’m off in the sunset, searchin’ for my place in the world
– Na kei te haere ahau i te toenga o te rā, e rapu ana i taku wāhi i te ao
With my guitar up on my hip, that’s the story unfurled
– I te mea kei runga i taku huha taku kita, kua puta te kōrero
I found myself with a pocket full of money and a whole lot of respect
– I kitea e ahau he putea ki tonu i te moni me te nui o te whakaute
While the record business loved me
– Ahakoa i aroha mai te pakihi rekoata ki ahau
I was head of rhythm and blues
– Ko au te tumuaki o te rhythm and blues
The women that fell to they feet, so many to choose
– Ko nga wahine i hinga ki o ratou waewae, he tokomaha hei whiriwhiri
But I manipulated power as I lied to the masses
– Engari I whakahaerehia e au te mana i taku teka ki te tini
Died with my money, gluttony was too attractive, reincarnated
– I mate ki taku moni, he tino attrahua a gluttony, i whakatipuhia anō
Another life had placed me as a Black woman in the Chitlin’ Circuit
– I whakauruhia ahau e tētahi atu oranga hei wahine Pango ki Te Ara O Chitlin
Seductive vocalist as the promoter hit the curtains
– Ko te kaiwaiata whakatoi hei kaiwhakatairanga i patu i nga arai
My voice was angelic, straight from heaven, the crowd sobbed
– He anahera toku reo, tika mai i te rangi, ka tangi te mano
A musical genius what the articles emphasized
– He pūkenga puoro i whakapāhotia e ngā tuhinga
Had everything I wanted, but I couldn’t escape addiction
– I nga mea katoa i hiahia ahau, engari kaore I taea e au te mawhiti i te haurangi
Heroin needles had me in fetal position, restricted
– Heroin ngira i ahau i roto i te tūranga fetal, rāhuitia
Turned on my family, I went wherever cameras be
– I tahuri ahau ki toku whānau, i haere ahau ki nga wahi katoa e noho ai nga kāmera
Cocaine, no private planes for my insanity
– Cocaine, kahore rererangi tūmataiti mo toku haurangi
Self-indulged, discipline never been my sentiments
– Ko te whakatikatika, ko te whakatikatika, ehara i te mea ko aku whakaaro
I needed drugs, to me, an 8-ball was like penicillin
– I hiahiatia e au he tarukino, ki ahau, he 8-pōro te rite ki te penicillin
Fuck love, my happiness was in that brown sugar
– Fuck aroha, ko toku oaoa i roto i taua huka parauri
Sex and melodies gave me hope when nobody’s lookin’
– Ko te moepuku me ngā waiata i homai ki ahau te tūmanako i te wā kāore he tangata e titiro ana
My first assistant was a small town scholar
– Ko taku kaiawhina tuatahi he tohunga ki te taone iti
Never did a Quaalude ’til I got myself around her
– Kāre I mahi I Tētahi Quaalude ‘ til i got myself around her
My daddy looked the other way, he saw sin in me
– I titiro atu taku papa ki tētahi atu huarahi, i kite ia i te hara i roto i ahau
I died with syringes pinched in me, reincarnated
– I mate ahau I te werohanga i werohia ki roto i ahau, i whakahoutia
My present life is Kendrick Lamar
– Ko Kendrick Lamar tōku oranga o Nāianei
A rapper looking at the lyrics to keep you in awe
– He kaiwaiata rap e titiro ana ki nga kupu hei pupuri i a koe i roto i te wehi
The only factor I respected was raisin’ the bar
– Ko te take anake i whakaute ahau ko te whakaara i te pae
My instincts sent material straight to the charts, huh
– I tukuna e My instincts ngā rauemi ki ngā tūtohi, huh
My father kicked me out the house, I finally forgive him
– I panaia ahau e toku papa i te whare, i te mutunga ka murua e ahau
I’m old enough to understand the way I was livin’
– He pakeke rawa ahau ki te mārama ki te āhua o taku noho
Ego and pride had me looking at him with resentment
– Ego me te whakapehapeha i ahau titiro ki a ia ki te riri
I close my eyes, hoping that I don’t come off contentious
– Ka kati oku kanohi, e tumanako ana kia kaua ahau e puta mai i te tautohetohe
I’m yelling, “Father, did I finally get it right?” Everything I did was selfless
– E karanga ana ahau, ” E Pa, i tika taku mahi? “Ko nga mea katoa i mahia e au he kore whaiaro
I spoke freely, when the people needed me, I helped them
– I kōrero noa ahau, i te wā e hiahiatia ana ahau e te iwi, I āwhina ahau i a rātou
I didn’t gloat, even told ’em, “No,” when the vultures came
– Kāore au i whakamanamana, i kī atu anō ki a rātou, “Kāore,” i te taenga mai o ngā manu
Took control of my fleshly body when the money changed
– I whakahaere i taku tinana kikokiko i te wā i huri ai te moni
Son, you do well, but your heart is closed
– E tama, he pai tau mahi, engari kua kati tou ngakau
I can tell residue that linger from your past creates a cell
– Ka taea e ahau te korero toenga e noho i tou mua hanga he pūtau
Father, I’m not perfect, I got urges, but I hold them down
– E te matua, ehara ahau i te tino pai, he hiahia taku, engari kei te pupuri ahau i a ratou
But your pride has to die,” okay, Father, show me how
– Engari me mate to whakapehapeha, ” aue, E Pa, whakaaturia mai ki ahau me pehea
Tell me every deed that you done and what you do it for
– Korerotia mai ki ahau nga mahi katoa i mahia e koe me nga mea e mahia ana e koe
I kept one hundred institutions paid
– Kotahi rau ngā whare i utua e au
Okay, tell me more
– Tell me more
I put one hundred hoods on one stage
– I whakatakotoria e au he rau nga potae ki runga i te atamira kotahi
Okay, tell me more
– Tell me more
I’m tryna push peace in L.A.
– Ko tryna ahau e akiaki ana i Te rangimarie i L. A.
But you love war
– Engari e aroha ana koe ki te pakanga
No, I don’t
– Kāore, kāore au
Oh, yes, you do
– Aue, ae, e mahi ana koe
Okay, then tell me the truth
– Tena, korerotia mai te pono ki ahau
Every individual is only a version of you
– Ko ia tangata he putanga noa iho o koe
How can they forgive when there’s no forgiveness in your heart?
– Me pehea e taea ai e ratou te muru i te wa kaore he murunga i roto i to ngakau?
I could tell you where I’m going
– Ka taea e au te korero ki a koe kei hea ahau e haere ana
I could tell you who you are
– Ka taea e au te korero ki a koe ko wai koe
You fell out of Heaven ’cause you was anxious
– I hinga koe i Te Rangi ‘no te mea i manukanuka koe
Didn’t like authority, only searched to be heinous
– Kāore i pai ki te mana, i rapu noa kia kino
Isaiah fourteen was the only thing that was prevalent
– Ko īhāia tekau mā whā anake te mea i horapa
My greatest music director was you
– Ko koe taku kaiwhakahaere waiata nui rawa atu
It was colors, it was pinks, it was reds, it was blues
– He tae, he mawhero, he whero, he puru
It was harmony and motion
– Ko te harmony me te motion
I sent you down to earth ’cause you was broken
– I tonoa koe e ahau ki raro ki te whenua ‘ no te mea i pakaru koe
Rehabilitation, not psychosis
– Te whakaora, ehara i te hinengaro
But now we here now
– Engari inaianei kei konei tatou inaianei
Centuries you manipulated man with music
– He rau tau i whakahaerehia e koe te tangata ki te waiata
Embodied you as superstars to see how you moving
– I whakaahuatia koe hei whetū nui kia kite ai koe i tō nekehanga
You came a long way from garnishing evilish views
– I haere mai koe i te huarahi roa mai i te whakapaipai i nga tirohanga kino
And all I ever wanted from you was love and approval
– A ko te mea anake I hiahia ai ahau ki a koe ko te aroha me te whakaaetanga
I learned a lot, no more putting these people in fear
– He nui aku mea i ako ai, kaore I nui ake te wehi o enei tangata
The more that word is diminished, the more it’s not real
– Ko te nui ake o te heke o taua kupu, ko te nui ake o te kore e tūturu
The more light that I can capture, the more I can feel
– Ko te nui ake o te marama ka taea e au te hopu, ko te nui ake o taku whakaaro
I’m using words for inspiration as an idea
– Kei te whakamahi ahau i nga kupu mo te faaururaa hei whakaaro
So can you promise that you won’t take your gifts for granted?
– Na ka taea e koe te oati e kore e tangohia e koe tou mau horo’araa no te homai?
I promise that I’ll use my gifts to bring understanding
– Ka oati ahau ka whakamahia e au aku taonga hei kawe i te māramatanga
For every man, woman and child, how much can you vow?
– Mo ia tangata, wahine me te tamaiti, e hia nga mea ka taea e koe te oati?
I vow my life just to live one in harmony now
– Ka oati ahau ki toku ora kia ora ai ahau i roto i te rangimarie inaianei
You crushed a lot of people keeping their thoughts in captivity
– I tukitukia e koe te tini o te iwi i pupuri i o ratou whakaaro i te whakarau
And I’m ashamed that I ever created that enemy
– A e whakama ana ahau I hanga e ahau taua hoariri
Then let’s rejoice where we at
– Na kia hari tatou ki te wahi i a tatou
I rewrote the devil’s story just to take our power back, ‘carnated
– I tuhituhi anō ahau i te kōrero a te rewera kia whakahokia mai ai tō mātou mana, ‘ carnated
