What You Give We Keep

[Intro – Naira hum / Kojo shadow] [flute breath • fire crackle • slow drum heartbeat] [Naira – 3-bar hum, rising then cut by breath:] hmm … mm-mm … hmm. [Kojo – half-beat early, low:] River never lie. [Naira – speak-sing, smiling:] Then come on in, child — bring ya heartbeat with ya. [drums tighten → shuffle locks] [Verse 1 – Invitation] [Naira – mf→f, snapping offbeat] Ash on de table, salt on de floor, light through de smoke shows what you came for. [Kojo – interrupt on beat:] Say it once — don’t again! [Naira – laugh into next bar:] Mm-hmm … you fast. [bass slide, flute echo] [Pre-Chant – The Tease] [Naira – sing-speak, hips in voice:] Give me truth or give me sweet, either way de circle eat. [Kojo – spoken growl:] Every feast need price. [Naira – whisper grin:] Then let’s slice. [one-bar pause → bass growl] [Bridge 1 – The Transaction] [music drops to heartbeat + flute] [Naira – low, steady:] Show me what you’re givin’. [Kojo – explosive:] GOOD. Keep still. [Naira – sing-speak rising:] Say ya name ’till it tremble sweet. [Kojo – chant f:] WHAT YOU GIVE — WE KEEP! [Naira – echo with soft laugh:] What you give … we keep. [drums return with ghost snare; energy builds] [drums erupt • tempo +4 BPM • full choir hum builds] [Naira – belting:] Smoke rise higher! River sing loud! [Kojo – booming counter:] CIRCLE TAKE WHAT’S VOWED! [Naira – runs phrase over his line:] Hear it beat in de belly o’ de drum! [Kojo – roar:] KEEP WHAT COME! KEEP WHAT COME! [choir joins in layered chant “ahh—ahh—ahh—ahh!”] [Naira – full cry:] WHAT YOU GIVE —! [Kojo – over her:] WE KEEP! [drums slam; moment of chaos; flute flare → half-time pulse] [Verse 2 – Temptation (after Threshold)] [hand-claps 2 & 5; percussion busier] [Naira – belt-through-smile:] Love ain’t clean but it shine like wine, sweet on de tongue and burn down fine. [Kojo – half-bar early, grinning:] Pour a drop for de ones behind! [Naira – laugh in beat:] Oh listen how he mind! [band rides pocket; flute riff answers] [Ritual – Climax] [f→ff; hand-drums tight; voices front] [Naira – command tone:] Circle turn! Burn de fear! [Kojo – counterbeat roar:] Beat de drum! Draw dem near! [Naira – belt with rasp:] What you give — we keep! [Kojo – half-bar late, growl:] WE KEEP! [Naira – breathy laugh mid-beat:] You feel that? Mmm yeah you do. [flute spiral • drum drop 1 bar → silence beat] [Collapse / Echo] [tempo returns to 96 BPM • only bass pulse and breathing] [Naira – gasped whisper:] What you give … [Kojo – low echo:] we keep. [choir hum returns like walls breathing] [flute descends slowly into silence] [Outro – The Warning] [pp; fire crackle • bass drone • wind through reeds] [Naira – whisper smile:] Go on now … if ya can find the door. [Kojo – low murmur behind her:] Door move when it hear ya name. [Naira – soft laugh, then hush:] Careful what ya whisper, hm? Sound travel far in de dark. [choir hum returns faintly; flute echoes her last note backward] [both voices distant, overlapping:] We keep … we keep … [everything fades, leaving only a single breath sound]