[Intro]
[low vocal register]
Started as a shorty
Backpack full of trouble
Heart full of glory
Chasing every hustle
[Verse 1]
Used to skip class, dice game in the stairwell
Lunch in my bag, but I’d rather make the fare swell
OG said, "Lil kid, you gon’ learn fast"
Either flip what you got or you end up last
Mama work late, two jobs, back aching
Fridge light on, cold air, shelf vacant
So I stepped outside, had to make something move
If the world won’t feed you, then you change up the rules
[Pre-Chorus]
Corner store, cameras spin, hoodie tight, eyes open
Sirens sing every night, that’s the sound of the omen
Enemies lurk in the dark, but I’m quick when they swing
One thought in my head, every day, same thing
[Chorus]
Cash is king
Put it on my name, let the choir sing (woah)
From the alleys where the trouble had me boxed in
To the top floor view, now we locked in
Cash is king
I was running from the cops, from the shots, from the sin
Now I run toward the bag, toward the win
Cash is king
[Verse 2]
I was thirteen, hand-me-down jeans, ripped seams
Pocket full of ones from the late-night schemes
Poliе ride slow, I can read that tint
So I cut through the yards, leave tracks in the mint
Homies throwing signs, some fell, some folded
Names on the wall, spray paint, hearts loaded
I ain’t tryna be a mural on a brick wall
So I flipped that grind from a pitfall to a big call
[Pre-Chorus]
Phone jump, playbook change, now it’s business
Paperwork neat, but the hunger still vicious
Enemies still talk, but I’m out of their ring
New plan, same code, in my soul one thing
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
[whispered vocals]
Duck low when the blue lights flash
Pray hard that the good days last
Count scars when the bad dreams swing
Outlaw brain, but I’m built for the ring
[normal voice]
Now they see me on a stage, not a mugshot frame
Same kid from the block, just a different game
Turned pain into checks, made the struggle all sing
Still remember being broke when I scream that line—
[Chorus]