Dave & Kano Chapter 16: Lyrics explained as they drop music video
27 November 2025, 12:44
Dave linked up with Kano for his new album ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’, dropping the cinematic music video to ‘Chapter 16’. Following on from his hits ‘Location’ and ‘Raindance’. Here are the full lyrics to ‘Chapter 16’.
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Dave is one of the G.O.A.T.S of new wave UK Rap, paving the way with his tracks ‘Location’ all the way to his newest drop ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’ featuring Kano, Jim Legxacy and Tems.
His track ‘Chapter 16’ is an open conversation between the young rapper and one of his main inspirations, Kano.
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While the ‘Freaky Friday’ rapper has been releasing music since 2016, he has already risen to fame and has some of the most highly anticipated drops in the UK.
The song tackles the ins and outs of fame and making music.
But what is the deeper meaning of the song, so you don’t miss any of the hidden metaphors?
Here are the full lyrics.
Full lyrics to Dave & Kano ‘Chapter 16’ from new album ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’
Wagyu on the 52nd floor just to take the p**s
And somehow we've had to deal with higher stakes than this
You're the reason that I take the risk
Had me on your tour team, I studied you since I was 14
I wanna know, what life was like in your teens
We shared dreams, and even when we shared screens
I couldn't get no face time, I got questions like
How'd you do it?
Do you have regrets?
Like, what's your life like?
See mine is like the sun setting, pray the moon shine, it's the prohibition
No ignition, ran for two parties, it's the coalition
Rum and Red Bull
Like Max Verstappen, but the race is different, taste is different
It's adult dancers in my poll position
Young'uns dying like they saved the game and could reload the mission
Wearing jewellery, heard they plotting on me when I walk my ends
It's South London, something you can't teach
Streatham Common sense
Eating healthy cah we trust our guts more than we trust our friends
Many frauds, lotta man fake, lotta imitators
Innovators, take that s**t to heart like defibrillators
Pap, pap, pap
Mothers shed tears and don't sleep for days, weep for days
And killers celebrate with I.D parades
Then you got this scene I face
And this pressure I inherited from you, it sounds funny, but it's true
I loved you on the big screen, but bro I want you back
Cause what acting gained with you, we done lost in rap
You got a lot of years ahead of you
Some years will worsen you and some will better you
If it's not positive drop it, the street's residue
But keep a piece of yourself when you're selling you
This game ain't for the throne and Kings are checkable
It's to be a better you, envy's inevitable
And please take pics with your friends, cause I'm telling you this
Industry attention will sever crews, and a sip turns to an addiction of the jealous juice
Till they diss you again like you ain't fed 'em food
But if you whip Cullinan's 'front of desperate youts
You christen a Benz then the devils due
Dems the rules
You made it, lay in it, this bed ain't new
But let's keep it true
You know you're reckless with Patek's and jewels
Flexers do what flexers do
And steppers do what steppers do, beef
Looking over your shoulder every time you turn keys
'Bout turn the other cheek, must a man be the bigger man
I know he strap the fire, but that's the mass of giants
These B.S'ing
Take it on the chin, you're an Aston buyer, and I'm biased
But my generation got the classic writers
Your gen, it's mostly your pen, you're the rap Messiah
You and Simbi
Go grab the accolades that they would never give me
But that's another story, I ain't goated for the glory
Couple trophies in my storage, poor me
Ivor Novello don't rate a man, so be it
I was in '03 on the mic getting lordy
You think you would have flourished in my era at 140
It's great to break jollof with you, swap knowledge
But sorry I didn't make no time back at Troxy
I watched your soundcheck that day I saw promise
Then I came to your O2 show, I saw polish
But during all the pyrotechnics I was pondering like
Do you have family politics and problems
Can you ever see you when you're just someone's wallet
Have you ever smelt when a cousinship turns rotten
Tell me, do you ever hear from your brother and start sobbing
Tell me, have you ever touched a million and felt offish
Tell me, have you ever tasted victory and didn't want it
Those five senses will make sense to true bosses
I got a sixth sense for knowing who's truly from it
Bond Street donny, I know what the same cloth is
I know what the game offers
Raise boffin, bake off in, the sunshine till I lay in coffin, legacy
Would they remember me Dave?
Well, I guess we don't know
That's why we wake up, go get it by ourselves
And I'd love to tell you yes, but bro I question that myself
Health, wealth, happiness, all somebody really needs
And some water I could give to my seed
Heart cold like Courchevel
Core Chanel tortoise shell
Glasses that I bought this girl
Toured the world
Love, I can't seem to find it
This the s**t I do for women, I don't even like 'em
Bro I need some guidance
Aight bro, I ain't no, relationship advisor
But all of this defence won't make you striker
God loves a trier
David loves a lyre
But even a harp's half a heart, so how could cupid fire
Aye where she from this time, do your ting bro
Every time I see you - new ting bro
Cuz you don't date, you Duolingo
Aye, big bro, I don't know where you got that info, but that wasn't me
I need that in record and in writing
But still, I love the game it's enticing
I moved out West and it's nice, and these days what you driving
Your lifestyle bougie, lifestyle bougie, I used to push a silver Porsche with two seats
Now the Max Cosi baby seats in the SUV
You know I've been Naij and I never had egusi
So blood, what was you eating
Fried plantain
You ain't had the pepper soup G and it's plantain but trust me, that's all Gucci
Listen, I was in Jamaica having cow foot soup
In the middle of Greenwich like I'm a real ghetto yout
Touched uptown Monday and my killy's garn shoot
I don't f**k with the ganja still l'm billing up a z**t
Got I'm feeling like, I must
Really have, eyes in the back of my
Head, Range Rover television
The interior Red
Fell asleep in the whip becah it feel like a bed
I just wanna give thanks for this life that we
Mic check one, two, free school dinners
Now we sacked off the Saxa for sea-salt living
I'm go-funding to bring back peaceful villains
Cah all these 38 years - that's evil sentence
Like I don't love you no more
Dave, I used to be married to the game
I'm a husband - no more
All these SM7B's ain't for us like before
Mike Billy Jeaned on that, they just discuss couple wars
And they short change us
Paper chasing the is all good till it's the divorce papers
Newspapers, court papers, they all ride my wheels
They gon' talk about your won'ts till divide your wills
That's how family feels
Growing up so fast
26 feeling like our lives on timers
Lines in the face, she getting fillers to hide it
And h**s lying 'bout their age like Nigerian strikers
Sorry, waiter, can I get this food in containers
Had to move it was dangerous
Seen beautiful places
Bro used to have braces, now it's my driver that's on a retainer
But that's just testament to God and his favour
And bro, I wanted a favour
Let's see each other more, catch up and make beats
Cah the fans they miss you, I know the fans they miss me
Let's make a track about this dinner and the stamp you gave me
And base it on the book of Samuel - call it Chapter 16, if you're down
So who's gonna get this one, then?
That's cool
So what's her name?
Nah I'm just f***ing with you just do your thing man, but trust me don't overthink it
It is what it is, if it's gonna be something, it's gonna be something
But I know you, I know what you're like - you're thinking 5, 10 years down the line
Day at a time
Dave feat. Kano - Chapter 16
