[Intro – Low Piano, Vinyl Crackle, Whispered] Ain’t nobody clappin’. Ain’t nobody cheerin’. Good. That’s when the real work get done. ⸻ [Verse 1 – Low, Measured, DMX Grit] I built when the lights was off and the phones went quiet, No audience, just God and my defiance. They sleepin’, I’m kneelin’, talkin’ to the floor, Ask Him for the strength to keep goin’ once more. Ain’t no praise in the dark, no pats on the back, Just discipline starin’ me dead in the face. I been alone so long it stopped hurtin’, Solitude sharpened me, stripped me, converted me. They flex in daylight, chase validation, I lay bricks at night with no conversation. If you don’t see me now, don’t blink when I rise— I been workin’ in silence while you needed the eyes. ⸻ [Hook – Calm, Menacing, Repetitive] I build in the dark… (yeah) Where excuses don’t live. I build in the dark… (listen) Where faith do the lift. No spotlight, no sound, Just pressure and heart. By the time you hear my name— it was built in the dark. ⸻ [Verse 2 – Spiritual, Internal War] I ain’t motivated by clout or applause, I’m driven by nights I was ready to fall. By moments I almost quit breathin’ entirely, But somethin’ inside me said “stand up violently.” God ain’t loud when He talk to the chosen, He whisper instructions when ego is broken. So I listen in silence, obey without speakin’, Trustin’ the path even when it ain’t gleamin’. I learned patience from pain, vision from loss, I don’t rush crowns, I respect the cost. If it take ten years just to earn my stance— I’ll wait ten years to walk it in advance. ⸻ [Hook – Slightly Louder, Still Controlled] I build in the dark… (no noise) Where the weak don’t last. I build in the dark… (stay ready) Where the future get cast. They see glory overnight— that’s the lie they sell. I been layin’ bricks in hell. ⸻ [Bridge – Spoken, Prayer Tone] Lord… if You watchin’, keep watchin’. If You testin’, keep testin’. I don’t need easy. I need ready. ⸻ [Verse 3 – Quiet Confidence, Final Resolve] They gon’ swear it came quick when it finally show, Say “must be luck” — they don’t know. They ain’t see the nights I ate discipline raw, Or the mornings I woke up still ready for war. I don’t announce moves, I don’t warn competition, I let consistency speak my position. When I step in the light, it won’t feel new— I been livin’ in truth long before you knew. So keep sleepin’, keep doubtin’, keep talkin’ slick— Every word just add another brick. When the lights turn on and the crowd start barkin’, Remember this: I built it in the dark. ⸻ [Final Hook – Minimal, Echoing] Built in the dark. Built with scars. Built without noise. And now… it’s built to last. ⸻ [Outro – Piano Fades, One Line] You don’t hear foundations being poured. You feel ‘em… when the ground don’t move.

BUILD IN THE DARK