[Verse]
Pops with the belt, left my back all red
Said I ain't worth the crumbs from his bread
Nine years old, bars on my bed
Caged up, dreams starved, half-dead
Mama turned her head, silence her reply
Bruises on my skin, couldn't hide or deny
The lock clicked, my heart turned dry
A kid in the dark, asking God why
Dinner cold, ate it with the roaches
Anger my coach, I ran with the motions
Dad threw punches, words explosive
Love? Nah, just his corrosive notions
They call it discipline, I call it chains
Wounds so deep, can't scrub out the stains
Streetlights blink, they know my name
Born in the storm, now I spit the rain
[Chorus]
Locked up young, now I’m free to run,
Chains off my wrists, still weigh a ton.
Where were y’all when my nights were cold?
Now I’m hot, y’all want control? Hell no.
[Verse2]
Caged up, age nine, metal bars my lullaby,
Mom and pops ghosted, left me with no goodbye,
No bedtime stories, just echoes in the dark,
Scratched my name in the wall, turned pain into art.
Older bro now wanna pull strings like Geppetto,
Hands off my grind, I’m the one with the stiletto.
Claim he king, but I’m the heir of my own thrown,
Built this empire solo, flesh and stone,
Years passed, steel walls raised a soldier,
Heart made of iron, got colder and colder,
Brother’s talkin’ loud, tryna flex big boss,
But he wasn’t there when my childhood got lost,
Ramen dinners, cockroaches as my roommates,
Now it’s steak dinners, gold forks on my plate.
They mad I’m eatin’, but they ain’t set the table,
I built this feast outta scraps, Cain and Abel
[Chorus]
Locked up young, now I’m free to run,
Chains off my wrists, still weigh a ton.
Where were y’all when my nights were cold?
Now I’m hot, y’all want control? Hell no.
[Bridge]
Ain't nothin' changed, nah, ain't nothin' changed,
Faces rearranged, but the vibe still strange.
Talkin' in the dark, whisperin' my name,
But when the lights come on, they all act the same.
[Verse 3]
Momma's voice faded, last words still burn,
Ten years of silence, now tables won't turn.
Dad frontin', actin' hard in his Saturday best,
But the cracks in his mask got me seein' the rest.
Empty plates where the love used to sit,
A family of ghosts, every room got a slit.
People smiling crooked, snakes in the grass,
Shake your hand firm, then they bite yo ass.
Mom's shadow on the wall when the moon hangs low,
Dad chasing dreams that his hands can't hold.
Family on the block, sellin' smoke and shame,
Do it in yo face, like they proud of the game.
I’m staring at the mirror, don’t know who I see,
A mix of her, him, and the weight on me.
Memories heavy, every step is a grind,
Got the scars of my past, but I still won't rewind.
[Chorus]
Locked up young, now I’m free to run,
Chains off my wrists, still weigh a ton.
Where were y’all when my nights were cold?
Now I’m hot, y’all want control? Hell no.
