Takotsubo [English translation]

I learned to fight in the street, pikes, I flung hundreds of them

And when we went out as a crew, we brought down antennas

It was crappy at home, things weren’t so good but there was nothing to show off

I avenged myself outside with my brothers who were looking for the same consolation

In the mixed gang that we formed, each had a different background

So the weakest played hard when we ran into a brick wall, we didn’t like to be scared

Left my parents’ house, I only had two suitcases that were nearly empty

I robbed the shops, from now on, I’m alone, I have to stay alive

I slept on the stairs or at my homie’s, but that irritated me

And, in my songs, I played roles, I spoke about euros and expensive clothing

It’s too simple to be complicated, it’s too complicated to be simple

We supported each other with everything in the hoods, there were about five of us

In front of other people, we exaggerated the figures and each one’s exploits

We transformed smacks into nukes, just to leave them shocked

Fascinated by the real Gs, kilos of weed in the Jeep

Besides, at the cemetery of dreams, lay our hopes as rascals

No more space on the random access memory, stories of plasters

A kind of morbid boredom that made you wish for some drama

But then the feeling will disappear when the first person went missing

When I understood that I was a coward among those who embraced the street

A friend in trouble was taken, a rough-cut guy got him out for us **

My brother told me: “Fix your eyes on the price”, not a penny but we took it

At least, we’ll have attempted to, that’s it, welcome to the future

Try to prove that you’re real, become real by no longer trying

Yeah

Later, I’ll thank the traitors for revealing those who were real

Who would have thought that rap would save me?

I have to be there for my socially-disadvantaged ones, I’m concerned about all that as well

I’m no longer this I-don’t-care guy, I've known more than one suicides

An ambulance passes and on the beat, sirens are tuned up

They want to know if I still remember them

My blood’s freezing, always the same nightmare

I feel like I get on people’s nerves, they hate that I’m becoming successful

The truth hurts and it’s only to people that I enjoy lying to

Little Isma was born on the day when the thrushes were selling in bits

Touched, facing the sea, I inhaled the gust of ocean spray

Rap, it’s the art of crying out, the taste of the zeal of breaking rules

But the man from whom you borrow will leave his on the crime weapon

So I decline the gift, my spirit will cross over to the heavens

When suffering becomes endless, one of us will overthrow the leaders

With a laugh of saffron colour, none of these idiots will confront each other

It’s the soldiers that we’ll leave in front and they’re not the ones who’ll save them

Deep down, it’s true, up until Sevran, hardly weaned, we were hotheads

Apart from my family, I’m like destiny, I care for few things

I moved around too much to belong to one hood

I played a role in front of the bitches having my own idea in mind

I was terrified each time I had to fight

The vultures were lurking around as if I was taking a test

And in a nasty plan, a warning signal on the screen

It can cost you dearly if you get involved, like at the Molitor swimming pool

You nicely told me that you were in control but you’re still an alcoholic

It makes me sad, even when you smile at me looking melancholic

Seine Zoo, the young fennecs, the lion cubs and elephant calves

I’ve come of age but I’m still scared of my mother and of ghosts

I have to be there for my socially-disadvantaged ones, I’m concerned about all that as well

I’m no longer this I-don’t-care guy, I didn’t only experience a suicide

An ambulance passes and on the beat, sirens are tuned up

They want to know if I still remember them

My blood’s freezing, always the same nightmare

I feel like I’m a get on people’s nerves, they hate that I’m becoming successful

The truth hurts and it’s only to people that I enjoy lying to

The first relationship made you suffer so you’ll mess up the last one

But war, it’s like an escalation of the rules of hell

And we settled the scores with extinguishing blows at boarding school

When will the seconds of an endless night come to an end so that nothing will alternate

Never alone, so my rogues cry during the interval

The fear within, we kill it but don’t bury it well

Dear sir, we build ourselves on shaky foundation

In love, I screw up everything, forced to devastate anyone I feel threatened by

Don’t allow yourself to lose respect when a man’s hitting on you, miss

If I was okay in the head, I wouldn’t have made the choice to become an artiste

Sell them their damn insipid rap and the contract slips

Dude, I don’t see your buddies on the track list anymore

Seen how you suck, I’d be surprised if you’re shot

Independent like PNL, we want to be the first like Jul

In rap, it’s our suffering that we drop on you like hints

It’s like a hell of a revenge when I bleed the record companies dry

Wait, come on, what do they want ??, there? They think I’m going to respond or what?

• Artist:Nekfeu
• Album:Les étoiles vagabondes