Merit Over Mouth

[Verse 1]
Talk big, that’s a borrowed crown
You ain’t king till you hold me down
Word heavy when the storm rolls in
Can you carry what you say, or you fold again
You post quotes, but your rent late
Love talk, but you spread hate
You want trust like a first name
You ain’t earned half of that surname
I seen pride turn a brick wall thin
One push, and the truth comes in
You want “day one” on your phone list
But you vanished on the cold shifts
[Chorus]
You can’t protect others with pride
That armor crack from the inside
Trust of others only comes with merit
You gotta live the weight of every word you declare, kid
You can’t hold me safe with a speech
Show me work, not a reach
Trust of others only comes with merit
If you don’t bleed for it, you don’t get to wear it (yeah)
[Verse 2]
You said “call me if you ever break”
Then sent “seen” on my worst day
All cap, like a headline
Real ones show in the flatline
You flex “I would ride for you”
Cool story, but you never flew
You want credit like a black card
But you never had to swipe hard
I need proof, not a promise
I need hands up when it’s honest
You want faith? Pay the tariff
Ten years straight, that’s merit (uh)
[Chorus]
You can’t protect others with pride
That armor crack from the inside
Trust of others only comes with merit
You gotta live the weight of every word you declare, kid
You can’t hold me safe with a speech
Show me work, not a reach
Trust of others only comes with merit
If you don’t bleed for it, you don’t get to wear it (wear it)

rap, Hard-hitting boom-bap with gritty drums and warm vinyl crackle, male vocals in an urgent mid-register. Verses stay tight and percussive, voice up front with subtle tape delay on the last words. Hook widens with doubled vocals, low octave under a shouted lead, and a deep, looping bassline that locks to the kick. Occasional chopped vocal stabs punctuate the ends of lines for extra bounce.