**(Intro)**
(Roots rock reggae groove drops heavy, a thick rolling bassline and sharp horn stabs. The djembe blends into a steady, one-drop drum beat. Acoustic guitar scrapes the off-beat.)
Yeah…
A descendant of the great African empires... from Kush, Egypt, Ethiopia... Ghana, Songhai, Mali.
The son of Hannibal, Mansa Musa, Nkrumah, Samori Touré!
Hear the heartbeat?
That’s the rhythm of the soil.
That’s the pulse of the motherland.
Chant it to the world, Jah people… Listen!
**(Verse 1)**
I wake up to the sun kissing the savanna,
Gold light dancing on the dust of the plain.
I carry the stories of a thousand grandmothers,
In the marrow of my bones, in the seasonal rain.
My skin is the shade of the dark, rich earth,
Where the deep rivers run and the ancient trees grow.
No chain can diminish my spiritual worth,
A seed of the giants from the long time ago.
**(Chorus)**
I am a proud African, hear my soul sing!
Rooted in history, wide as the eagle's wing.
From the cradle of time to the future we rise,
With the fire of the prophets lit in my eyes.
No matter how far across the ocean I stand,
I carry the vibration of the holy land.
I am African… yeah, I am African.
**(Verse 2)**
Babylon spoke of our struggle, they spoke of the night,
But they missed the brilliance of our midday sun.
We are the architects of color and light,
A righteous race whose journey has just begun.
From the high mountain peaks to the bustling streets,
The pulse of liberation is beating so fast.
We march to the truth of the Nyabinghi beats,
Building a kingdom that forever will last.
**(Bridge)**
(The rhythm intensifies, heavy bass drop, minor keys on the organ)
My tongue speaks the power of a hundred tongues,
The breath of the continent fills up my lungs!
Oh, I am the rhythm, I am the ancient beat,
From the desert sands to the city street.
Unapologetic, bold, and spiritually free,
The glory of Zion is what you see inside of me!
**(Guitar & Horn Solo - Conscious, deep Roots Reggae style, echoing out)**
**(Chorus)**
I am a proud African, hear my soul sing!
Rooted in history, wide as the eagle's wing.
From the cradle of time to the future we rise,
With the fire of the prophets lit in my eyes.
No matter how far across the ocean I stand,
I carry the vibration of the holy land.
I am African… yeah, I am African.
**(Outro)**
(Rhythm slows to a heavy, hypnotic dub style, echoing delays on the vocals)
Yes, Jah people…
Lift up your head, black children.
Carry your culture like a royal crown.
From Kush to Mali, from the motherland to the ends of the earth.
Proud.
Unbroken.
African.
Selassie I.
(Heavy bass thuds, drum rimshot hits one last time into silence)