Verse 1]
Yo, I was thirteen and struck a match to light up a joint i had hidden in the back
Feelin’ grown, feelin’ numb, but I was under attack
Mama cryin’, school lyin’, said I had potential
But I was zoned out, bones out, mental like a rental
Then came the pills — blue bars, oxy in the drawer
Poppin’ Percs just to function, I ain’t feelin’ anymore
Fake smiles in the mirror, heart cold, eyes blank
Every friend a new dealer, every hug another shank
Morgan was the light, man, she laughed through the dark
We was ridin’ through the night when the devil left his mark
Then she died, metal twisted, blood smeared on the dash
And the town looked at us like we lit up the crash
[Hook]
They all see a fiend, they don’t see the fight
They don’t see the work when I’m up every night
Tryna be the best, chef flames in my chest
While I’m burnin’ down the hurt I ain’t never confessed
I been climbin’ from the bottom but they stuck on my knees
I’m buildin’ a better me — but nobody sees
[Verse 2]
Now it’s whispers when I walk, guilt stuck in my spine
“Wasn’t that the kid with Morgan?” — yeah, that line
Can’t go nowhere, can’t breathe, paranoia in my sheets
Every eye a knife, every rumor another beat
Started crushin’ Adderall, mixed it with the white
Cocaine like a savior when the pain gettin’ tight
Shut down the world, closed curtains on my soul
Friends turned shadows, heart turned cold
Wasn’t tryna party — I was tryna forget
That night, that crash, that stupid silhouette
Of a future we had — turned to chalk on a street
And my name on their tongue like I handed her the seat
[Hook]
They all see a fiend, they don’t see the fight
They don’t see the work when I’m up every night
Tryna be the best, chef flames in my chest
While I’m burnin’ down the hurt I ain’t never confessed
I been climbin’ from the bottom but they stuck on my knees
I’m buildin’ a better me — but nobody sees
[Verse 3]
Now it’s sixteen-hour shifts, knives dance in my grip
I’m sautéin’ my trauma, but they call it a script
Say I’m lost in addiction, I’m just lost in the heat
Tryna flavor my purpose, but they saltin’ defeat
People left, doors closed, thought I sold my soul
But I was buildin’ a temple from the pieces they stole
I don’t want their pity, I want peace in my skin
But they judge me by the needle they thought I put in
Truth is — I been clean, but the rumors ain’t
They want a villain not a victim who just won’t faint
So I drown in my craft, no applause, no crowd
Just a boy in a kitchen screamin’ quiet but loud
[Hook – Final]
They all see a fiend, they don’t see the fight
They don’t see the work when I’m up every night
Tryna be the best, chef flames in my chest
While I’m burnin’ down the hurt I ain’t never confessed
I been climbin’ from the bottom but they stuck on my knees
I’m buildin’ a better me — but nobody sees
kanzo
