Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
(Everything’s fine)
– (He pai nga mea katoa)
Look
– Titiro
White fish on the coast of the Caribbean, my life is a film
– He ika mā i te takutai O Te Karipiana, he kiriata taku ora
Hero and villain, I’m playin’ both in the script
– He toa, he tangata kino, kei te tākaro au i roto i te tuhinga
Worthy of Spielberg or Christopher Nolan readin’
– He mea tika kia pānui A Spielberg, A Christopher Nolan rānei
The constant overachievin’, I know
– Ko te overachievin pūmau, e mōhio ana ahau
I ain’t as rich as them people with old money, but I didn’t know money
– Kāore au i te whai rawa, pērā i te hunga whai moni tawhito, engari kāore au i te mōhio ki te moni
They mock me online for speakin’ up on all of our issues
– E tawai ana rātou ki ahau i runga ipurangi mō te kōrero i runga i ā mātou take katoa
And bein’ vocal, the shit that I see on socials
– A, ko te reo, ko te mea e kitea ana e au i runga i ngā pāpori
But how can I stay silent when, when?
– Engari me pēhea taku noho puku ina, ina?
I’m out in Barbados, white people mistreatin’ locals
– Kei Barbados ahau, e tukino ana ngā tāngata mā i ngā tāngata o Te rohe
The villa in Jamaica, but it’s owned by the Chinese
– Ko Te whare i Jamaica, engari na Te Hainamana
Head to the right beach and they’re chargin’ us five each
– Haere ki te takutai matau, ā, e rima o tātou e whakaekea ana e rātou
They say, “The Caribbean paradise, like, why leave?”
– Ka mea ratou, ” Ko te pararaiha Karipiana, rite, he aha waiho?”
But how can I be silent when there’s blood on the pine trees?
– Engari me pehea taku noho puku ina he toto kei runga i nga rakau pine?
Most of us would sacrifice our soul for the right fees
– Ko te nuinga o tatou ka tuku i to tatou wairua mo nga utu tika
Before I find love, I’m just prayin’ I find peace
– I mua i taku kitenga i te aroha, kei te inoi noa ahau ka kitea e au te rangimarie
Before I find love, I’m just prayin’ I find peace
– I mua i taku kitenga i te aroha, kei te inoi noa ahau ka kitea e au te rangimarie
You know what I believe, I don’t know if I handled it well
– E mōhio ana koe ki taku whakapono, kāore au i te mōhio mēnā i pai taku whakahaere
It’s fuck Coca-Cola, did I stop drinkin’ Fanta as well?
– Ko fuck Coca-Cola, i mutu taku inu I te Fanta?
I could see the blood on the lyrics I write for myself
– Ka taea e au te kite i te toto i runga i ngā kupu ka tuhia e au mō au anō
I cried about slavery, then went to Dubai with my girl
– I tangi ahau mo te pononga, katahi ka haere ki Dubai me taku kotiro
Surely I ain’t part of the problem, I lied to myself
– He pono ehara au i te wāhanga o te raruraru, I teka ahau ki ahau anō
Jewels that my people die for are a sign of my wealth
– Ko ngā taonga e mate ai taku iwi he tohu o taku taonga
My work is a physical weight of my life and my health
– Ko taku mahi he taumaha tinana o toku ora me toku hauora
The last couple years, felt like I been inside on a shelf
– I ngā tau e rua kua hipa, i te āhua nei kei roto ahau i te papa
I just phoned Cench, and I said, “You inspired myself”
– I waea atu ahau ki A Cench, a ka mea ahau, “I whakaaweawe Koe i ahau”
I don’t feel a spot of jealousy inside of myself
– E kore ahau eel i te wahi o te hae i roto i ahau
But when I’m all alone, I won’t lie, I question myself
– Engari, ina noho mokemoke ahau, e kore ahau e teka, ka uiui ahau ki ahau
Am I self-destructive? Am I doin’ the best for myself?
– Ko ahau whaiaro-whakangaro? He pai rawa atu taku mahi ki ahau?
I know I love music, but I question the rest of myself
– E mohio ana ahau e aroha ana ahau ki te waiata, engari e uiui ana ahau ki te toenga o ahau
Like why don’t you post pictures or why don’t you drop music?
– He aha e kore ai e tuku pikitia, he aha rānei e kore ai e tuku waiata?
Or why not do somethin’ but sittin’ and stressin’ yourself
– Ranei he aha e kore ai e mahi i tētahi mea engari e noho ana, e whakaoho ana i a koe anō
Ten years I been in the game and I won’t lie, it’s gettin’ difficult
– Tekau tau ahau i te kēmu, ā, kāore au e teka, ka uaua
This shit used to be spiritual
– He mea wairua tēnei mea
We don’t need no commentators, we could leave that to the sports
– Kāore e hiahiatia he kaiwhakatairanga, ka taea e mātou te waiho atu ki ngā hākinakina
Just listen to the music, why do you need somebody’s thoughts?
– Whakarongo noa ki te waiata, he aha koe i hiahia ai ki ngā whakaaro o tētahi?
And some of it’s constructive, but most of it is forced
– A ko ētahi o aua mea he mea hanga, engari ko te nuinga o aua mea he mea akiaki
And why we countin’ the numbers, how the music make you feel?
– A he aha tatou i tatau ai i ngā tau, he pēhea te āhua o te waiata ki a koe?
I’m just bein’ real
– He tino pono ahau
(Alright)
– (Pai)
Yeah, white fish on the coast of the Caribbean, my life is a film
– Ae, he ika mā i te takutai O Te Karipiana, he kiriata taku ora
Hero and villain, I’m playin’ both in the script
– He toa, he tangata kino, kei te tākaro au i roto i te tuhinga
Worthy of Oscar and Hollywood nominations
– He mea tika kia whakaingoatia A Oscar me Hollywood
I’m throwin’ money at women in different denominations and killin’ the conversation
– Kei te maka moni ahau ki ngā wāhine i roto i ngā rōpū rerekē, ā, kei te whakamate i te kōrerorero
All them people told me, “Keep grindin’, be patient”
– Ka mea mai te iwi katoa ki ahau, “Kia mau ki te huri, kia manawanui”
It’s weird bein’ famous, tryna navigate the spaces
– He mea whakamiharo te rongonui, tryna navigate the spaces
Feel like a celebrity, but you ain’t on the A-list
– Kia rite ki te rongonui, engari e kore koe i runga i te A-rārangi
And you never drop so you ain’t really on the playlist
– A e kore koe e maturuturu na e kore koe e tino i runga i te rārangipāpāho
But your fans love you, you can see it on their faces
– Engari e aroha ana o koutou kaiwhaiwhai ki a koe, ka taea e koe te kite i runga i o ratou mata
America feels so close that you can taste it
– E tino piri ana a amerika kia taea ai e koe te whakamātau
2017, was tryna make it to the ranges
– 2017, i tae atu a tryna ki ngā pae
2025, I’m tryna make it to the Granges
– 2025, ko tryna ahau kia tae ki Te Granges
How do I explain me and my soulmate are strangers, that we’ve already met
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama i ahau me taku hoa wairua he tangata kē, kua tūtaki kē mātou
And I’ve known her for ages?
– A kua mohio ahau ki a ia mo nga tau?
How do I explain, because I’m runnin’ out of pages?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama, nā te mea kei te rere atu au i ngā whārangi?
How do I explain South London and its dangers?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama i Te Tonga O Rānana me ōna mōrearea?
Can’t recall the last time that we was all together, but
– Kāore e taea te mahara ki te wā whakamutunga i noho tahi ai tātou katoa, engari
All I can remember, the Olympics was in Beijing
– Ko te Mea anake e maumahara ana ahau, ko Te Olympics i Beijing
Move to Dubai, that’s for the taxes that they takin’
– Neke Atu Ki Dubai, koinei mo nga taake e tangohia ana e ratou’
Or move to Qatar, feel the breeze on the beach
– Ranei neke ki Qatar, fe i te hau i runga i te takutai
But how can I explain to my kids that it’s fake wind?
– Engari me pēhea taku whakamārama ki aku tamariki he hau rūpahu?
Free, but I’m broke, have me feelin’ like I’m caged in
– He mea noa, engari kua kore ahau, kua rite ahau ki te mea kei te herea ahau
How do I explain two pounds got you eight wings?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama i te rua pauna i whiwhi ai koe i ngā parirau e waru?
How do I explain my opps lost, but we ain’t win?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama i te ngaro o aku opp, engari kāore mātou e wikitōria?
Girls I’m around had surgery on their hips
– Ngā kōtiro kei te taha ahau i te pokanga i runga i o rātau hope
How do I explain that I love her the way she is?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama e aroha ana ahau ki a ia i te ara e ia?
How do I explain my feelings on having kids?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama i aku whakaaro mō te whai tamariki?
That it wasn’t what it was, but it is what it is
– Ehara i te mea he aha, engari he aha te mea
How do I explain my niggas are in the hood?
– Me pehea taku whakamarama i aku negro kei roto i te hood?
And they don’t ask for nothin’ even though they know they could
– A kaore ratou e tono mo tetahi mea ahakoa e mohio ana ratou ka taea e ratou
‘Cause they’d rather trap, rob, and get it on their own
– ‘No te mea e hiahia ana ratou ki te mahanga, rob, a ka whiwhi i te reira i runga i to ratou ake
How do I explain these messages on my phone?
– Me pehea taku whakamarama i enei karere i runga i taku waea?
I just got a call, my girl’s sittin’ in the car
– I waea mai ahau, kei te noho taku kotiro ki roto i te motokā
And it says “Serge” but Serge with us in the car
– A ka mea te reira ” Serge” engari Serge ki a tatou i roto i te motokā
I know I might sound like a villain from afar
– E mohio ana ahau ka rite pea ahau ki te tangata kino mai i tawhiti
How do I explain that my mechanic is a chick?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama he pēpi taku mīhini?
Or why she callin’ me when I don’t even own a whip because my licence is revoked?
– Ranei he aha ia i karanga ai ki ahau ina kore ahau e whai whiu no te mea kua whakakorea taku raihana?
I mean, how do I explain that I don’t want a hill ’cause my identity is pain?
– Ko te tikanga, me pēhea taku whakamārama kāore au e hiahia ana ki tētahi pukepuke nā te mea he mamae tōku tuakiri?
How do I explain, I mean, how do I explain?
– Me pēhea taku whakamārama, ko taku tikanga, me pēhea taku whakamārama?
I went and hit the streets because I didn’t want a boss
– I haere ahau ki te patu i nga huarahi no te mea kaore au i hiahia ki tetahi rangatira
I ended up a worker, I was barely gettin’ paid
– I mutu ahau hei kaimahi, kaore au i utua
For someone that was two years above me in my age
– Mo te tangata e rua tau i runga ake i ahau i roto i toku tau
I didn’t even find it strange, I mean, how do I explain?
– Kāore au i kite i te mea kē, ko te tikanga, me pēhea taku whakamārama?
Yeah
– Ae
Fifty-two miles from Marseilles, I’m in Miraval
– E rima tekau ma rua maero mai I Marseilles, kei Miraval ahau
Four years, seventeen days, I ain’t been around
– E wha nga tau, tekau ma whitu nga ra, kaore au i te taha
I can’t lie, it even shocks me that I’m still around
– Kaore e taea e au te teka, ka ohorere ahau kei te noho tonu ahau
I can’t lie, it even shocks me how I’m livin’ now
– Kāore e taea e au te teka, ka ohorere mai ki ahau te āhua o taku noho ināianei
Starin’ at this Rachel Jones painting, I’m sittin’ down
– E titiro ana ki tēnei pikitia A Rachel Jones, e noho ana ahau
The last thing I drew was a weapon, I’m livin’ wild
– Ko te mea whakamutunga I tāia e au he patu, kei te noho au i te mohoao
Turned twenty-seven, but I feel like I’m still a child
– E rua tekau mā whitu oku tau, engari e whakaaro ana ahau he tamaiti tonu ahau
In this house out in Central London I can barely afford
– I roto I tenei whare i Roto I Te Pokapū O Rānana e kore e taea e ahau te utu
Six months sober and I feel like I’m Dave again
– E ono marama te haurangi, ā, e whakaaro ana ahau ko Dave anō ahau
Drinkin’ all my pain and my sorrows away again
– E inu ana i aku mamae katoa, i aku mamae hoki
I got withdrawal symptoms, but they happen at ATMs
– Ka ahau tohu withdrawal, engari tupu ratou i ATMs
Next two years, I’ll be lookin’ at ATMs
– E rua tau I muri mai, ka titiro ahau Ki Ngā Atm
Who’s the best artist in the world? I’m sayin’ Tems
– Ko wai te kaitoi pai rawa atu o te ao? Kei te kī Ahau I Ngā Wā
Maybe James Blake or Jim, on the day, depends
– Pea James Blake Jim ranei, i runga i te ra, tei
Let’s see who quits now we ain’t gettin’ paid again, yeah
– Kia kite tatou ko wai e mutu inaianei e kore e whiwhi tatou ‘ utu ano, ae
I’m just here drinkin’ liquor by myself
– Kei konei ahau e inu ana i te wai
Is my music just becomin’ a depiction of my wealth?
– Kei te noho noa iho taku puoro hei whakaahua i taku taonga?
Never trust a girl whose lock screen’s a picture of herself, I had to learn that shit myself
– Kaua rawa e whakawhirinaki ki tētahi kotiro e whakaahua ana I a ia anō, me ako au i taua mea
Now I’m sittin’ by myself with no girl, like, shit, I really did this to myself
– Na, kei te noho au ki ahau, kahore he kotiro, penei, he mea, i tino mahia e au tenei ki ahau
Twenty-seven and I’m terrified of livin’ by myself ’cause there’s a kid inside myself I haven’t healed
– E rua tekau mā whitu, ā, e mataku ana ahau ki te ora i ahau anō nā te mea he tamaiti kei roto i ahau kāore au i ora
And me and him debate each other
– Na ka tautohetohe ahau me ia tetahi ki tetahi
I can’t love myself, I’m made from two people that hate each other
– Kāore e taea e au te aroha ki ahau anō, he mea hanga mai I ngā tāngata e rua e kino ana ki a rātou anō
My parents couldn’t even save each other, made each other unhappy
– Kāore i taea e myu mātua te whakaora i a rāua anō, i whakapouri i a rāua anō
Used to be excited by the block, but size doesn’t matter
– Whakamahia ki te kia oaoa i te poraka, engari e kore e rahi faufaa
You supplying it or not? Sling a shot, I could have really killed a giant with a rock
– Ka tukuna e koe, kaore ranei? He pupuhi, i taea e au te patu i tētahi tino tangata ki te toka
But that’s a life that I forgot, and my young boys are slidin’ over what?
– Engari he oranga tērā i warewaretia e au, ā, kei te hīkoi atu aku tamariki ki te aha?
I don’t know ’cause I ain’t spoke to him in time
– Kāore au i te mōhio, nā te mea kāore au i kōrero ki a ia i te wā tika
Been afraid of gettin’ older, scared of bein’ left behind
– I mataku ki te pakeke, i mataku ki te waiho ki muri
And then I—, tsk, and then I question, will I live my life in resent?
– Na ka ahau -, tsk, a ka ui ahau, ka ora ahau i toku ora i roto i te riri?
Is anybody ever gonna take my kindness for strength?
– Ka mau tonu te tangata ki taku atawhai mo te kaha?
I gave Tisha the world, it weren’t enough and then she went
– I hoatu e ahau Ki A Tisha te ao, kāore i ranea, kātahi ka haere ia
Everybody’s makin’ content, but nobody’s content
– Kei te hanga katoa i te ihirangi, engari kaore he ihirangi
Safe space, can I vent? It crept up
– He wāhi haumaru, ka taea e au te tuku? I piki ake
My girl cheated on me when I was next up
– I tinihanga taku kotiro ki ahau i ahau e whai ake nei
It made me want her even more, man, it’s messed up
– I nui ake ai taku hiahia ki a ia, e te tangata, kua kino
I still walk around the Vale with my chest out
– E haereere tonu ana ahau i te Raorao me taku uma i waho
I don’t wanna leave my house because I’m stressed out
– Kāore au e hiahia ana ki te wehe atu i tōku whare nā te mea e manukanuka ana ahau
You done me dirty and you didn’t even tell a lie
– I whakapoke koe i ahau ā kāore anō koe kia kōrero teka
It ain’t about what you said, it’s what you left out
– Ehara i te mea ko te mea i korerotia e koe, ko te mea i mahue i a koe
My whole life, I been feelin’ like I’m left out
– Ko taku oranga katoa, i te āhua nei kua mahue ahau
If you fuck another girl, she say you cheated on her
– Ki te fuck koe tetahi kotiro, ka mea ia tinihanga koe i runga i a ia
And if she fuck another man, she say she stepped out
– A ki te fuck ia tetahi atu tangata, ka mea ia ka haere ia i roto i
And if you askin’ ’bout Dave, they say, “The best out”
– A, ki te pātai koe Ki A Dave, ka mea rātau, “Ko te mea pai rawa atu”
Yeah, and I survived all these eras cah I barely made any, I’m just speakin’ how I feel
– Ae, a ora ahau enei wā katoa cah ahau uaua hanga tetahi, ahau tika korero ‘ peheael ahau
Yeah, fucked up, speakin’ how I feel
– Yeah, fucked ake, korero ‘ pehea fe ahau
Recordin’ the morning, I ain’t even had a meal
– Te tuhi i te ata, kāore anō au kia kai
I dropped Joni home and fell asleep behind the wheel
– I tukua e Ahau A Joni ki te kāinga a ka moe I muri i te wira
Drivin’ at a hundred an hour, I switched gears
– I te taraiwa i te rau haora, ka hurihia e au nga taputapu
I ain’t spoke to 169 in six years
– Kāore au i kōrero ki te 169 i roto i ngā tau e ono
Don’t even get me started on—, this shit’s weird
– Kaua rawa e tīmata i ahau, he mea whakamiharo tēnei mea
Call me what you want, but with music, I’m sincere
– Karanga mai ki ahau te mea e hiahia ana koe, engari ki te waiata, he pono ahau
You wanna know the reason it’s taken me four years?
– E hiahia ana koe ki te mohio ki te take i tangohia ai ahau e wha tau?
It’s not ’cause I’m surrounded by yes-men and sycophants
– Ehara i te mea ‘no te mea e karapotia ana ahau e nga tangata ae me nga kaiwhaiwhai
It’s ’cause I’m with producers and people that give a damn
– Ko te take kei te taha ahau o ngā kaiwhakanao me ngā tāngata e tuku ana i te kino
It’s me who’s gotta carry the pressure, I live with that
– Ko au te tangata e mau ana i te pēhanga, e noho ana ahau ki tērā
All I thought about was the song we could give the fans when I was out there gettin’ stood up by artists I’m bigger than
– Ko taku whakaaro anake ko te waiata ka taea e mātou te hoatu ki ngā kaiwhaiwhai i a au i reira e whakatika ana I ngā kaitoi he nui ake ahau i
I don’t want no girls around when my nieces, they visit man
– E kore ahau e hiahia ana kahore kotiro a tawhio noa, no te toku nieces, toro ratou te tangata
They might see the way that I’m livin’, I figured that
– Kia kite ratou i te ara e ahau ora’, whakaaro ahau e
I wanna be a good man, but I wanna be myself too
– E hiahia ana ahau kia noho hei tangata pai, engari e hiahia ana hoki ahau kia noho hei tangata pai
And I don’t think that I can do both, so I can’t let her too close
– A kaore au e whakaaro ka taea e au te mahi i nga mea e rua, na reira kaore e taea e au te tuku i a ia kia tata rawa
It hurts, but I’m still movin’, feel like it’s me versus me and I’m still losin’
– He mamae, engari kei te neke tonu ahau, me te mea ko au ki ahau, kei te ngaro tonu ahau
Yo, my boy, it’s Josiah, what you sayin’
– Ko Koe, e Taku tama, Ko Hohia, ko tāu e kī nei
You know I’ma have to check you on your fuckin’ birthday, my boy
– E mōhio ana koe me tirotiro koe e au i tō rā whānau, e taku tamaiti
More life, my guy
– He ora ake, e taku tangata
Man soon out, don’t even watch that
– Tangata hohoro i roto i, e kore e ara mataara e
What you sayin’, though, bro?
– He aha tau e mea nei, e bro?
I know you got space on one of them eight-minute, nine-minute tracks to give man a shoutout
– E mohio ana ahau kei a koe he wāhi i runga i tētahi o rātau e waru meneti, e iwa meneti ngā waiata hei whakaoho i te tangata
Tell the people’dem my story
– Korerotia ki te iwi taku kōrero
Dem man already know what I was on, the mandem know, man
– E mohio ana a dem man ki taku i mahi ai, e mohio ana te mandem, e te tangata
C’mon, bro, I know you got me
– C’mon, bro, e mohio ana ahau kua whiwhi koe i ahau
Aight, lastly, my sis’, Tamah
– Aight, whakamutunga, toku sis’, Tamah
I beg you check in with her, please, make sure she’s blessed
– Ka inoi ahau kia tirohia e koe ki a ia, tena koa, kia manaakitia ia
While I’m gone, make sure she’s safe
– I a au e haere ana, kia haumaru ia
Ayy, soon home, my boy, love
– Ayy, hohoro te kāinga, toku tamaiti, aroha
