Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
Admittance is the key to start the healin’ right
– Ko te whakauru te kī ki te tīmata i te healin’ right
But I didn’t wanna eat that humble pie, no, I
– Otiia kihai ahau i hiahia ki te kai i taua keke haehaa, kahore, ahau
Father God, forgive me
– E te matua, e te Atua, murua taku hara
It’s been a couple years, there may be more that I ain’t prayed
– Kua rua tau, tera pea he maha atu kaore au i inoi
Even longer I ain’t been to church, God, I’m ashamed
– Ahakoa te roa o taku haerenga ki te hahi, E Te Atua, e whakama ana ahau
Embarrassed of my ways, but still, I’m askin’ for Your grace
– I te whakama o aku ara, engari tonu, e ui ana ahau mo Tou aroha noa
Feel like I been led astray
– Kia rite ki te mea kua pohehe ahau
By the drinkin’ and the spirits I let take me when I ride
– Na te inu me nga wairua i tukua e ahau kia mau ki ahau ina eke ahau
And the ladies in the night
– Me nga wahine i te po
Most people, they got demons, I got angels that I fight
– Ko te nuinga o te iwi, he rewera ta ratou, he anahera taku e whawhai nei
Tryna save you from my plight
– Tryna whakaorangia koe i toku mate
I pray I make it to the light
– Ka inoi ahau kia tae atu ahau ki te marama
South London where we lie
– Te Raki O Rānana kei hea tātou e takoto ana
Abdullah died at sixteen, and I still feel that same rage
– I mate a Abdullah i te tekau mā ono, ā, e whakaaro tonu ana ahau he riri tonu
Cah we all gettin’ older and he still the same age
– Cah ka pakeke katoa tātou, ā, he ōrite tonu tōna pakeke
It’s his twenty-seventh birthday, in his pic, he’s fourteen
– Ko tōna rā whānau rua tekau mā whitu, i roto i tana pikitia, tekau mā whā ōna tau
Back when we would all dream
– I te wā e moemoea ana tātou katoa
There’s Stephanie, she lived at fourteen
– Kei Reira A Stephanie, i noho ia i te tekau mā whā
And he lived at number seventeen, and I was number twelve
– A noho ana ia i te tau tekau ma whitu, a ko ahau te tau tekau ma rua
When I used to think that if I’d skip church, I go to Hell
– I taku whakaaro i mua, ki te kore au e haere ki te hāhi, ka haere au ki te Reinga
So when they ask about grief and how it feels, I know it well
– Na, i a rātou e ui ana mō te pouri me te āhua o te pouri, e mōhio pai ana ahau
I missed his tenth anniversary in 2024
– I ngaro ahau i tana tekau tau i te tau 2024
I know the value of this picture, we ain’t gettin’ any more
– E mōhio ana ahau ki te uara o tēnei pikitia, kāore anō mātou kia whiwhi
Then I go, and I get angry, God, like, “Why’d you take him for?”
– Na ka haere ahau, a ka riri ahau, E Te Atua, penei, “He aha koe i tango ai i a ia?”
He was just a baby
– He pēpi noa iho ia
All these emotions that I’m feelin’, it’s the strength I pray for
– Ko ēnei āhuatanga katoa ein ana ahau, ko te kaha e inoi ana ahau
God, for anyone that’s with us that can vouch I pray for
– Te atua, mo te tangata e te ki a tatou e nehenehe e vouch inoi ahau mo
Pray that I feel less lonely in this house I prayed for
– Inoi kia iti ake taku mokemoke i roto i tenei whare i inoi ahau mo
I pray that
– Ka inoi ahau kia
Yeah
– Ae
With this cross that you bear on me
– Ki tenei ripeka e mau ana koe ki ahau
Can you look after my mum? She probably used her last prayer on me
– Ka taea e koe te tiaki i taku whaea? I whakamahia pea e ia tana inoi whakamutunga ki ahau
Can’t let the Devil in, there’s repentance in the Bible, God, remind my ex of this
– E kore e taea e tukua Te Rewera i roto i, i reira te ripeneta i roto i te Bibilia, Te Atua, whakamahara toku ex o tenei
Feel like we was meant for this, move mountains and boulders
– Kia rite ki ta matou i whakaaro ai mo tenei, neke i nga maunga me nga toka
We at them ages where our parents gettin’ older, may they never need a shoulder
– I a tātou i a rātou e pakeke haere ana, kāore pea rātou e hiahia ki tētahi pokohiwi
I done shit I can’t condone, real sermons on my own
– I mahi ahau i te mea e kore e taea e ahau te whakaae, kauhau tūturu i runga i toku ake
I’m in church, more worried ’bout the service on my phone
– Ahau i roto i te hahi, atu manukanuka ‘e pā ana ki te mahi i runga i toku waea
And on Judgement Day, are You gonna write it in my sins?
– A i te Rā O te Whakawa, ka tuhituhi koe i roto i aku hara?
Cah my nigga, he got cancer, and I’m lyin’ to his kids
– Cah taku nigga, ka mate ia i te mate pukupuku, a kei te teka ahau ki ana tamariki
God, I’m tryin’, but it hits me in my heart
– E te atua, e ngana ana ahau, engari ka pa ki ahau i roto i toku ngakau
I done lost so many niggas that’s been with me from the start
– He maha nga niggas i ngaro i ahau mai i te timatanga
Then I pray for quick change and I ain’t even try it fast
– Na ka inoi ahau mo te huringa tere a kaore au e ngana tere
All I ever did was ask, shattered glass, crucifixes on my chest
– Ko te mea anake I mahia e au ko te pātai, te karaihe pakaru, ngā ripeka i runga i toku uma
Pray to purchase a Patek, for my church, they cut a check
– Inoi ki te hoko I Te Patek, mo toku hahi, tapahia e ratou he taki
How am I tryna pray for Congo with these diamonds on my neck?
– Me pehea taku inoi mo Congo me enei taimana i runga i toku kaki?
There’s a father and there’s a son
– He papa he tama
Pray that I can show him how to love a woman through his mum
– Inoi kia taea e ahau te whakaatu ki a ia pehea ki te aroha i te wahine i roto i tona whaea
Because I never got the chance, and I just want the best
– No te mea kaore au i whai waahi, a ka hiahia noa ahau ki te pai
For my three little nieces that I carry on my chest
– Mo aku mokopuna tokotoru e mau ana I toku uma
I’m prayin’ for my managers, I’m prayin’ for their wives
– E inoi ana ahau mō aku kaiwhakahaere, e inoi ana ahau mō ā rātou wāhine
‘Cause God knows that they’re the ones that sacrifice their lives
– ‘No Te Mea E mohio Ana Te Atua ko ratou te hunga e patunga ana i to ratou ora
I would’ve said their names, but God, you know who I mean
– Ka mea ahau i o ratou ingoa, Engari E te Atua, e mohio ana koe ko wai taku tikanga
I’m prayin’ for my brothers, God, protect us on the streets
– E inoi ana ahau mo oku teina, E te Atua, tiakina matou i runga i nga huarahi
I had the steak at Carbone and didn’t pray before I eat
– I ahau te pihikete i Carbone a kihai i inoi i mua i te kai ahau
It’s like I call You when I need You, and I don’t, we don’t speak
– He rite ki taku karanga Ki a Koe ina hiahia Ahau ki a koe, a kaore au, kaore matou e korero
Ground rules for my niggas found schools back at Lambeth Town Hall
– Ngā ture taketake mō aku negro i kitea he kura i Te Whare Taone O Lambeth
I helped him pray, but didn’t know that it was on my downfall
– I āwhina ahau i a ia ki te inoi, engari kāore au i te mōhio kei te hinga ahau
So when I’m ice cold
– Na, ina he makariri ahau
When no blood is in my veins, numbers on my days
– Ki te kore he toto i roto i oku uaua, he tau i oku ra
Will I say I love this life of rain?
– Ka mea ahau e aroha ana ahau ki tenei ora o te ua?
I’m just prayin’ that my purpose can justify my pain
– Kei te inoi noa ahau kia taea e taku kaupapa te whakatika i taku mamae
I’m just prayin’ that my purpose can justify my pain
– Kei te inoi noa ahau kia taea e taku kaupapa te whakatika i taku mamae
My mum used to creep in my room and put oil and a cross on my head
– I haere mai taku whaea ki roto i taku ruma ka whakanoho hinu me te ripeka ki runga i toku mahunga
Anoint me and probably read a verse like Psalm 23
– Whakawahi i ahau ā ka pānui pea i tētahi irava pēnei i te Salamo 23
“The Lord is my shepherd”, and maybe Matthew 4
– “Ko Te Ariki toku hepara”, a Pea Mataio 4
“The word is my weapon tonight”
– “Ko te kupu taku patu i tēnei pō”
If I can’t pray for peace, then I just pray we win the war
– Ki te kore e taea e au te inoi mo te rangimarie, ka inoi noa ahau kia wikitoria tatou i te pakanga
It’s been twenty-six years, I don’t know what I’m fightin’ for
– E rua tekau mā ono tau, kāore au i te mōhio he aha taku whawhai
Well, maybe it’s a place to fill your everlastin’ light
– Well, pea te reira i te wahi ki te whakaki i to koutou marama everlastin’
In a world where kids that die get a second chance at life
– I roto i te ao e whiwhi ai ngā tamariki e mate ana i tētahi whai wāhitanga tuarua ki te ora
Christ, I don’t know what to say to You
– E te karaiti, e kore ahau e mohio ki te mea ki A Koutou
I pray to You, forgive me for the days I had a reason to
– Inoi ahau ki a Koutou, murua ahau mo nga ra i ahau he take ki te
And I ain’t had faith in You
– A kaore au i whakapono ki A Koe
You did it for the sake of me and how I’ve forsaken You
– I mahia e koe mō te whakaaro ki ahau, me te āhua o taku whakarere i A Koe
I prayed for new shoes and I used them to walk away from You
– I inoi ahau mō ngā hu hou ā i whakamahia e au hei haere atu i A Koe
Made it out with drugs, swapped the pen for the needles
– Hanga i te reira i roto i ki te raau taero, whakawhiti i te pene mo nga ngira
And I just found a different way to poison my people
– Na ka kitea e ahau he ara rerekē ki te paitini toku iwi
You could say it’s testimony that I’m tellin’ them my story
– Ka taea e koe te kī he whakaaturanga kei te kōrero au ki a rātou i taku kōrero
But how we sellin’ them the Devil, still givin’ God the glory?
– Engari me pehea e hokona ai e tatou te Rewera ki a ratou, e hoatu tonu ana ki te Atua te kororia?
Can I pray?
– Ka taea e au te inoi?
Take care of me
– Tiaki i ahau
Can I, can I go on top of the drums?
– Ka taea e au, ka taea e au te eke ki runga ake i te puoro?
On top of those ones? Oh, what, them?
– I runga ake i aua mea? Aue, he aha, ratou?
Yeah, yeah, it’s the
– Ae, ae, ko te
Take care of me
– Tiaki i ahau
Take care of me
– Tiaki i ahau
