[Verse 1]
Marcus, my nephew, chatting mad
Think I click one button, then I’m glad
He don’t see the nights I lose
How many drafts I bin and choose
Studio rent, that’s pressure on me
Hours on hours, no guarantee
Stacks on the line for the next one too
Blood, sweat, graft what I live to do
He said, "You using AI?"
I said, "Boy, look me in my eye"
This ain’t luck and this ain’t free
It takes more than he thinks from me
[Pre-Chorus]
Time, money, dedication
Long days, no celebration
Push that pain into a song
That’s how hits keep coming on
[Chorus]
Not AI, not AI
I earn mine, I earn mine
Time, money, dedication
That’s the price for the station
Not AI, not AI
I earn mine, I earn mine
Hit after hit in the room
That’s a life I had to choose
[Verse 2]
Late train home with a dead black bag
Phone full of notes and a worn-out tag
Paid for the session, paid for the mix
Paid for the misses, paid for the fix
Tell Marcus, yeah, I’m still here
Still chasing that sound every year
Every bar got a scar in it
Every win got a hard bit in it
He want the shine, he want the score
Don’t see the door I was at before
No shortcut when the bills come due
No fake way when I’m feeding you
[Pre-Chorus]
Time, money, dedication
Long days, no celebration
Push that pain into a song
That’s how hits keep coming on
[Chorus]
Not AI, not AI
I earn mine, I earn mine
Time, money, dedication
That’s the price for the station
Not AI, not AI
I earn mine, I earn mine
Hit after hit in the room
That’s a life I had to choose
[Bridge]
Tell my nephew watch the process
Every great one pays that deposit
Every night, every take, every try
That’s the reason the sound stays live
[Final Chorus]
Not AI, not AI
I earn mine, I earn mine
Time, money, dedication
That’s the price for the station
Not AI, not AI
I earn mine, I earn mine
Hit after hit in the room
That’s a life I had to choose