Yeah
No classroom taught me this
Concrete lessons
Still here
Still me
I learned more from the curb than a book on a shelf
How to read somebody's eyes, how to handle myself
Saw a good man fall for a pocket of change
Saw a cold heart smile while it played its game
Sirens in the distance, arguments upstairs
Mama counting coins like a quiet little prayer
Old heads on the corner said, "Watch who you trust"
'Cause gold turns to nothing when loyalty rusts
I learned every handshake ain't coming with love
Every man talking tough ain't as hard as he does
Some brothers got money but got nothing inside
Some had holes in their shoes but would give you a ride
That's the code that I carried when the nights got rough
You don't need to turn cold just because life is tough
I got scars, I got stories, I got dirt on my name
But the dirt on my shoes never entered my veins
Street taught me how to stand
How to lose, how to build again
Saw the worst, still I choose my way
I won't let this world take my soul away
Street taught me wrong from right
How to keep one flame through the coldest night
Concrete under me, sky above
Still got truth, still got love
I seen friends turn strange when the money came quick
Same smile, new watch, whole attitude switched
I seen people chase status till they lost their name
Then blame everybody else when they hated the game
So I stopped keeping score by the cars that we drive
Or the clothes on our backs just to prove we're alive
Real wealth was the brother who showed when I fell
Who didn't ask what I had, just said, "You doing well?"
That's something no bank account ever could buy
No chain on your neck gonna look you in the eye
When the room gets empty and the music gets low
Who you are with yourself, that's the truth that you know
I ain't perfect, never claimed that my hands were clean
Made mistakes, took wrong turns, know exactly what I mean
But becoming what I hated? Nah, that ain't growth
I'd rather walk with less and still live by my oath
Street taught me how to stand
How to lose, how to build again
Saw the worst, still I choose my way
I won't let this world take my soul away
Street taught me wrong from right
How to keep one flame through the coldest night
Concrete under me, sky above
Still got truth, still got love
No
I ain't saying the streets made me wise
They just showed me what people can become
And every morning I wake up
I make the same choice
Don't become bitter
Don't become fake
Don't become them
Now the wrinkles tell stories that the photos never caught
Every loss left a lesson, every lesson left a thought
I don't hate those who changed, everybody got a road
Some are carrying a weight that they never really showed
So I keep a little mercy in a world full of blame
Keep my word when nobody remembers my name
Say hello to the stranger, give respect to the old
'Cause a warm human heart is worth more than the gold
Yeah, the street made me careful, but it didn't make me cruel
Made me question every answer, every so-called rule
I can smell something fake from a mile down the block
But I still leave the door to my humanity unlocked
That's my victory
Not the money or fame
Not a crowd screaming loudly when they calling my name
After everything I've witnessed, every scar, every fall
I can look in the mirror and still recognize myself
Street taught me how to stand
How to lose, how to build again
Saw the worst, still I choose my way
I won't let this world take my soul away
Street taught me wrong from right
How to keep one flame through the coldest night
Concrete under me, sky above
Still got truth
Still got love
The street can teach you how to survive
But you decide
What kind of man survives
Yeah
DJ Shu Mahha
- Lyricist
DJ Shu Mahha
- Composer
DJ Shu Mahha
- Producer
DJ Shu Mahha
- Sampled Artist
DJ Shu Mahha
Listen to Still Me by DJ Shu Mahha
Streaming / Download
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Still Me
DJ Shu Mahha
**"Still Me"** is a vintage-inspired Boom Bap Hip Hop track about the life lessons learned not in classrooms or textbooks, but through real experiences on the streets.
The track features the artist behind the already released **"Future Dust",Mad World,"** recorded during his younger years in collaboration with the female artist featured on the previously released **"Voyage Over Regret (Soul Breeze Mix)."**
And if you look closely, you'll notice that the cover artwork was shot in the same location.
The scene takes place just before dusk, shortly after a heavy downpour. Neon lights contrast beautifully with the deep blue of the remaining evening sky, while raindrops scattered across the wet asphalt catch the light and shimmer. Past and present - and the stories behind these different songs - quietly connect in the same place.
Sonically, the track is built around the warmth of vintage analog tape machines and classic tube consoles, blending dusty sample textures, subtle wow and flutter, gentle tape compression, and rich analog harmonics. Digital harshness is deliberately softened, creating a warm, human, record-like sound reminiscent of hip-hop's golden era.
The lyrics explore learning how to read people, dealing with betrayal and failure, understanding a person's worth beyond money or status, and recognizing the meaning of true friendship when life gets difficult.
But the message of the song is not that surviving the streets means becoming cold.
It is about experiencing the harsh realities of life without allowing your heart to become hardened.
Knowing betrayal without completely losing your ability to trust.
Valuing your word, respecting others, and holding on to human warmth above money and fame.
After countless scars, mistakes, and losses, you can still look into the mirror and recognize the person looking back at you.
That is the true **victory** at the heart of this song.
The streets can teach you how to survive.
**But you decide what kind of person survives.**
After everything -
**Still Me.**
