In the big apple, scars embedded like tattoos   Ghetto love, protection from what's coming at you   Keeping our heads up, maintaining self esteem   And reminiscing on the Harlem Nights scene      We used to party all night   We used to hang out all night like it was all right   Hoping we all might make it through   Doin' what it takes to do to keep it true      I like to reminisce about that night we kissed   It was somewhere in Harlem   The nights were hot and bright, you could treat your honey right   'Coz Sylvia's would burn all night, yeah      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the nights in Harlem   Remember the times when we would dance all night long   Remember the nights in Harlem      Big sister had a group and they'd sit out on the stoop   And Lordy could they harmonize   My cousin Joe could blow just like the radio   And he used to drove them 'B' girls wild      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the nights in Harlem   Remember the times when we would dance all night long   Remember the nights in Harlem      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the nights in Harlem   Remember the times when we would dance all night long   Remember the nights in Harlem      Hey yeah   Oh yeah      Hey, yo, the blocks are hot, uptown, you know the spots   Night life where this playa's game is quite tight   One two five where my name's inscribed   Sparkin' trees, avoiding felonies, keepin' it love      Headed for them riches, straight to stardom   Can't forget the struggle, all Brooklyn to Harlem   Dapper Dan's, shows at the Apollo   Harlem days, summertime is my rhyme ya follow      And through the pain, we held on   With more to obtain, more to gain   Ya can't dwell on bad vibes and sad lives we encountered   Take care of self and family, that's what it amounts to      Inhale so you could feel this realness   In New York sound, down with more cats than Felix   Steal this? Yeah, some they may wanna   You can't duplicate the great, I make it warmer      Just like the Harlem world streets we all knew   We coming up this time, we all flow, we all glow   Each one's gotta shing, a better life   That's what each one's gotta find      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the nights in Harlem   Remember the times when we would dance all night long   Remember the nights in Harlem      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the nights in Harlem   Remember the times when we would dance all night long   Remember the nights in Harlem      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the nights in Harlem   Remember the times when we would dance all night long   Remember the nights in Harlem      Remember the times we struggled and still held on   Remember the times when we would dance all night long