[Intro]
Cracked courts
Chain-net dreams
Same shirt
Same ripped jeans
Mama praying in the dark
I was drawing up schemes
[Verse 1]
Used to write my name
In the dust on dad’s TV
Told my brother, "One day
They gon’ watch and see me"
All I had was hand-me-downs
Hand-me-hope, hand-me-fear
sirens sang me lullabies
Every other night of the year
Lunch card empty
Stomach on drumline
Walked past the trap
Counting every stop sign
Uncle on the porch said
"Boy, this block don’t love you"
I was rapping into fans
Like the world already knew
[Chorus]
From the sandbox to the stage
From them long nights to the front page
Had to crawl through the fire
Just to stand this high
I was made in the middle of the pain
Turn the struggle to a household name
From the hallway ciphers
To the sold-out lights
I made it out, but I kept my side
[Verse 2]
Had to dodge fights
Just to hit class in the morning
Teachers said "apply yourself"
Bills said "pick a corner"
Friends disappeared
Either boxed or boxed in
I was in my notebook
Tryna punch my way out with a pen
First show, five folks
Mic kept cutting out
But my lil cousin in the front
Knew every word, screaming loud
Posted every freestyle
They was laughing in the thread
Now they DM, "We proud"
I remember what they said
[Chorus]
From the sandbox to the stage
From them long nights to the front page
Had to crawl through the fire
Just to stand this high
I was made in the middle of the pain
Turn the struggle to a household name
From the hallway ciphers
To the sold-out lights
I made it out, but I kept my side
[Bridge]
[low vocal register]
Still see that kid
On the curb, shoes talking
Still hear the block
Every time that I’m walking
[building drums]
Chain on my neck now
But it ain’t my first crown
My first crown was a notebook
When the whole world looked down
[Chorus]