From Food Stamps to First Class

Cabin cold

Fridge empty

Heart heavy

Now look

Used to split one plate, three forks on it

Mama add water, stretch stew, put hope on it

Government card at the store, had to load on it

I learned math counting change, had to grow from it

Hand-me-down coat, zipper stuck, I’d freeze

Bus pass short, walked miles in these busted jeans

Laughed at in class, shoes talking when I’d leave

But I talked back in my head, said “it’s on me”

Late nights, floor bed, same prayer, same plea

If you give me one shot, I’ma break this leash

Turn pain to a plan, turn plan to a key

Turn key to a gate, let the fam walk free (yeah)

From food stamps to first class

From late rent to real cash

From one pair of shoes to a full rack

I ain’t going back, I ain’t going back

From cold nights to warm glass

Toast up to the ones who said “you’ll never last”

Every closed door now a flashback

I ain’t going back, I ain’t going back (nah)

First job paid less than the bus I took

Clocked in, clocked out, then I’d write that book

Every bar that I bled came from real-life looks

From the shut-off notice to the landlord’s hooks

Learned hustle from my mama, she a quiet storm

Stitched tears in her face, kept the family warm

Told me, “baby, let your scars be your uniform

They gon’ know where you from when you hit that stage floor”

So I stacked each check, cut wants, fed needs

Turned “I can’t” into “watch me, you’ll see”

Put faith in my grind, put grind in my sleep

Now the boy from the bottom runs his own whole team (let’s go)

From food stamps to first class

From late rent to real cash

From one pair of shoes to a full rack

I ain’t going back, I ain’t going back

From cold nights to warm glass

Toast up to the ones who said “you’ll never last”

Every closed door now a flashback

I ain’t going back, I ain’t going back (never)

This for every kid counting pennies in a jar (yeah)

Every quiet dream screaming, “take it past the yard”

Keep your head up when they laugh at your scars

Your story ain’t cheap, it’s just waiting to be starred

From food stamps to first class

From late rent to real cash

From one pair of shoes to a full rack

I ain’t going back, I ain’t going back

From cold nights to warm glass

Toast up to the ones who said “you’ll never last”

Every closed door now a flashback

I ain’t going back, I ain’t going back (no way)