Brick by Brick

Lyrics

[Intro] Yeah From the notebook to the block No polished lies [Verse 1] I learned the price of a promise from a landlord's grin Paint peeling off the hallway, winter crawling in Mama counted every dollar with a tired hand I was sixteen, making plans they could not understand Corner store coffee, loose change in my fist Old heads told me, "Keep your name off a list" So I wrote every fear down, turned pain into proof While the loudmouths sold dreams from the roof to the booth I ain't here for the costume, the chain, or the clout I'm here for every locked door they tried to keep out Fuck a fake throne, I want a table for the crew And a seat for every kid who got told they can't do [Hook] We build from the rubble, brick by brick Truth in the lungs, make the whole room kick If the world says stop, we say watch this shit Still standing tall when the cheap lights flick [Verse 2] They monetize rage, put a logo on grief Sell a twelve-dollar slogan, call it public relief Meanwhile, sirens cut the night, bills stack by the sink Everybody talks tough till it's time to really think I keep my circle small, but the vision runs wide Got a notebook full of names that the system denied Every bar is a brick, every rhyme is a scar Every beat is a bus ride wondering where we are Don't confuse my calm with a lack of attack I've been carrying whole neighborhoods strapped to my back Not a gun, just a truth that can split through the fog And a mouth full of fire for the suits at the top [Hook] We build from the rubble, brick by brick Truth in the lungs, make the whole room kick If the world says stop, we say watch this shit Still standing tall when the cheap lights flick [Bridge] Tell the young ones: your voice ain't cheap Keep your word when the promises sleep If they laugh, let them laugh, let the record run You don't need their permission to become someone [Verse 3] Now the train rolls home and the sunrise turns gray I got bills in my pocket but a reason to stay Every loss left a lesson, every cut left a map Every time they counted me out, I added another track This ain't a victory lap, it's a line in the sand For the worker, the dreamer, the kid with a plan No savior coming down, no miracle switch Just a room full of people saying, "Fuck being dismissed" So I raise up the page, let the whole truth breathe No diamonds in the story, just the dirt on my sleeve If tomorrow gets heavy, we'll shoulder that weight Turn a dead-end street into an open gate [Final Hook] We build from the rubble, brick by brick Truth in the lungs, make the whole room kick If the world says stop, we say watch this shit Still standing tall when the cheap lights flick [Outro] Brick by brick Name by name No permission No shame