“Hi, boys and girls! Today we're learning about believing in yourself!” “And if they don't recognize your value...” “MAKE THEM KNOW!” “Welcome to the real world.” 2 AM, I'm leaving the office Phone on silent, I don't wanna talk Funny how they love your ambition Till your ambition makes you harder to control I remember counting every dollar Now they count everything I bring in They say, “We really need you on this” I say, “Then why we negotiating again?” I know the look when they need a favor I know the tone when the budget gets low Everybody suddenly calling me family Funny, we weren't that close before I put the idea in a room full of suits Watched it come back with a different name Nobody asked me if I wanted the credit They just assumed I'd be happy they mentioned my name I wasn't I just got quiet Sometimes getting quiet Is how you see who really notices They say I'm difficult now Maybe I'm just finally honest Spent too many years making people comfortable While wondering who was making me comfortable No, Don't call me bro I gave you the vision You gave me the title I gave you the work You gave me a cycle I kept showing up You kept moving the goal Now I'm looking at the exit Like I already know Respect me Don't tell me you respect me Show me Boss up I had to learn slowly Pay me If you really know me I don't need the praise I need the ownership Make them know Make them know I was here before the cameras Make them know Make them know I don't need another favor If I built the table I should have a seat at it Maybe I should've played the game better Maybe I should've smiled at the right people Maybe I should've learned to love the room Instead of noticing what was wrong with it I know everybody got a version Of themselves they gotta sell to survive I just couldn't keep selling mine And pretending that it felt right They say, “That's just business” I heard that one before Usually right before somebody Gets less than what they worked for I've seen the smartest people leave quietly No announcement, no goodbye Laptop on the desk Different life by Friday That's when it hit me You can spend years Trying to become indispensable Still be replaceable To somebody who only sees a number So I stopped trying to be necessary Started trying to be free Now they ask what changed Nothing I just stopped asking permission I gave you the vision You gave me the title I gave you the work You gave me a cycle I kept showing up You kept moving the goal Now I'm looking at the exit Like I already know Respect me Don't tell me you respect me Show me Boss up I had to learn slowly Pay me If you really know me I don't need the praise I need the ownership Make them know Make them know I was here before the cameras Make them know Make them know I don't need another favor If I built the table I should have a seat at it I used to want them to say my name Now I want the wire to clear That's the difference I used to want the room Now I want the building I used to want the title Now I want the percentage Funny how losing access Made me find myself again Hustler when I had to be Entrepreneur when I saw the opening Businessman when I learned Everybody can't come with me I don't say that with resentment I just know what it cost Every late night Every missed call Every idea that got lost Experience is IP Every lesson got a price You can ask me what I know But don't ask me twice I don't need the corner office I don't need the company car I just want something I can point to And say, “I built that part” And if they don't understand That's okay They'll understand the invoice They'll understand the wire They'll understand when the name They used to overlook Is suddenly the name They gotta call Respect me Don't tell me you respect me Show me Boss up I had to learn slowly Pay me If you really know me I don't need the praise I need the ownership Make them know Make them know I was here before the cameras Make them know Make them know Now they know exactly who I am If I built the table I should have a seat at it “So, boys and girls... what did we learn today?” “MAKE THEM KNOW!” “And what do we do when they don't pay us?” “GET PAID!” “Class dismissed.”
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