THE THING BENEATH MY SKIN — REWRITTEN [INTRO] I learned how to smile with a war in my chest, Walk through the room like I never knew stress. They see the posture, never see what it cost, I had to become somebody pain couldn't boss. Yeah. I ain't fearless. I just quit letting fear make decisions. [VERSE 1] I had nights where the ceiling felt ten miles deep, Eyes wide open but afraid of sleep. Every old mistake had a voice and a name, Every memory came back collecting its change. I blamed the dark till I looked in the mirror, Found out the enemy lived a little nearer. That hit different— Can't outrun yourself when you're your own witness. I had anger dressed up like confidence, Pride doing push-ups on top of my conscience. Whole lotta noise, not enough understanding, Building my kingdom while mentally stranded. But pressure gave me an uncommon shine, Like coal getting crushed till the carbon aligns. Now every scar got a seat at the table, I don't hide what hurt me—I show what I'm made of. Used to ask God, “Why me?” every night, Now I ask, “What you want me to build from this fight?” That's growth. [PRE-HOOK] I came out colder, But my heart ain't dead. Came out wiser From the things in my head. I don't need saving. I needed truth. Had to bury who I was To introduce— [HOOK] The man beneath my skin, Still standing when the walls cave in. Pain tried breaking me—I made it bend, Lost myself, then built again. I got fire beneath my ribs, Every scar tells me how I lived. I don't run from what I've been, I put gold on the cracks within. Look at me now— Still here. Still solid. Still ten toes down. [VERSE 2] I know what it feels like to doubt your worth, To carry your hell while you walk this earth. Still crack jokes with the weight on your spine, Still tell everybody, “Yeah, I'm doing fine.” That's a dangerous talent. Being strong so long You forget you're allowed to feel damaged. I had dreams getting buried beneath survival, Me versus me—that was always the rivalry. One side hungry, one side self-destructive, One side building, one side saying, “Fuck it.” But I got disciplined. Started cutting excuses like loose ends, Stopped giving yesterday new rent. Every second got expensive to me, Time is the one thing money can't retrieve. So I move like the clock got eyes on me, Quiet confidence—don't need crowds around me. I know what I bring when I step in the room, I've been buried before—I know how to bloom. Different level. I ain't cocky from winning. I'm confident because I remember losing And I still came back. [BRIDGE] Maybe the darkness wasn't there to destroy me. Maybe it showed me the parts I'd been avoiding. Maybe the pain wasn't proof I was cursed. Maybe the breaking just opened the surface. I met myself At my lowest point. And that's where I finally heard my own voice. It said— Get up. Not tomorrow. Now. [VERSE 3] So I rose with the dust still stuck to my clothes, Heart full of cuts nobody else knows. Walk got smoother, voice got calm, Real power don't always announce when it's on. I don't chase respect—I become undeniable, Built from conditions they called unsurvivable. Turned every setback into information, Pain became data, growth became calculation. That's slick. Make the damage pay rent, Turn regret into fuel, every loss into sense. I ain't wasting another year being bitter, Life too short and the vision getting bigger. I want peace with some bass in the trunk, Clean conscience and a little bit of funk. Want to look at my past without losing my breath, Say, “You tried your best, now go handle what's next.” That's swagger to me. Not pretending nothing hurts. It's walking through hell Without letting hell tell you what you're worth. [FINAL HOOK] The man beneath my skin, Still standing when the walls cave in. Pain tried breaking me—I made it bend, Lost myself, then built again. I got fire beneath my ribs, Every scar tells me how I lived. I don't run from what I've been, I put gold on the cracks within. Look at me now— Still breathing. Still building. Still dangerous with a dream. They thought the pressure would bury me. Nah. It introduced me. [OUTRO] I don't hate who I used to be. He carried me this far. But he can't come where I'm going. So when that old voice starts talking again, I don't argue with it. I keep walking. Head high. Heart heavy. Steps clean. Because surviving was chapter one. Now I intend to live.
