NUYORICAN Lyrics

Mateo baby

Daddy

El David

Nuyorico, Nuyorico

Hey

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoricqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

Many struggles ago

Africa landed on Puerto Rico

Shackled bodies held on to life

Through turbulent suffering

Guarding the light

The Ashé in their hearts and Ori

Midnight blue beautiful

Onyx magic

Suppressed, outlawed, but never destroyed

Africa wed Boriken

West Alkebulan lips shared sacred Oriki

Taught Ifá behind masks and porcelain dolls

Built Ilés in shadows

Crowning Iyawos in twilight misas

Risking life to preserve la cultura

Spread roots of la regla to beat down tenements

And section hate halls

In Boogie Down projects

In Spanish Harlem casitas

Somewhere along the way

It was forgotten

That Santa Barbara was a facade

It was forgotten that the statues with white faces

Were merely veils

Concealing true Black Magic from predatory eyes

It was forgotten that our antepasados

Danced with Gods

Soared with ancestor spirits

On cohoba vision trips

Before rosaries and crucifixion monologues

But even so

A balance was forged

And a small bandera

Was draped over la mesa blanca

Ensuring the light of Africa

Of Boriken

Never went out

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoricqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

New York

Where I walk with Eggun

The spirits of the dead

Where Rican, Taino

Africano antepasados, and Orisha watch over my head

I revel in sofrito blessed meals

Keeping tradiciones

And ancient customs alive

Rationing crumbs

Between a family of eight to survive

I love being Nuyorican

And no matter what the islanders might say that I am

I know I am defined by blood

Not language, image, beach, earth or sands

I was not born on the island

But trust, that acknowledgement

Validation and acceptance

From its nativos, are not things that I am seeking

My DNA, and heart already confirms me

And in this country where I grew up struggling

Blocking blows from hoods of snow

Rest assured

I grew up Rican

Pa' que tu lo sepa

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoricqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

Nuyorican families, be they close or distant

Remain united in the rhythm of their hearts

We share a soulful bond

Much deeper than our last names

We keep a place for that Rican camaraderie

Intangible raíces connect us all

Nomadic Ricans reunite on celebrated occasions

Where heartfelt songs coast the air

To the heartbeat of la pandereta, bomba or conga drums

The reverberated tambores

Lift on the edge spirits

A piece of African magic

That just makes everything mejor

Even wakes are celebrations of life

Food, sharing cuentos

And that black bat rum

Tres caminos intertwined

Into a savory sancocho

Stewed to perfection

Taíno, Alkebulan and Latin DNA

Dances in our sangre

To evolved rhythms of Salsa, Hip Hop

Reggaeton and House

Eternal Arawak imprints

In the bodies of a new breed

Born through rejection, struggle

And the grit of inner-city culture

Cultura electrica

Cultura Nuyoriqueño

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno

No soy natural de la isla

No me importa

Soy Boricua

Soy el Nuyoricqueno

Soy el Nuyoriqueno