[Verse 1] Ngga, came through with the numbers, came through with the proof Built the whole fucking engine, still they telling me the rules Overqualified, underpaid, what the fuck is that? Put the culture in the meeting, then they strip it from the facts Take the idea, change the wording, put a different name on it Shake my hand, call me brother, then put somebody else upon it KPI, ROI, all that corporate fucking noise Whole room talking profits while they're playing with the lives Ngga, don't tell me how to speak Don't tell me how to move Don't tell me what I'm worth When the numbers fucking prove it [Hook] R-E-S-P-E-C-T Say it with your fucking chest P-A-Y M-E Pay what the work is worth B-O-S-S U-P I don't need permission C-A-S-H O-U-T Watch the whole division R-E-S-P-E-C-T No more fucking favors P-A-Y M-E Pay the fucking labor [Verse 2] Maybe if I code-switched, maybe then they'd let me in Maybe if I kissed enough ass, they'd call that leadership Maybe if I played the mascot, smiled through every fucking lie Maybe I'd be sitting higher while somebody else gets fired Nah I've seen the fucking pattern I've watched the numbers move They call it restructuring When the same people always lose Put a suit on exploitation Give the theft a cleaner name Put a graph behind the bullshit Now it's somehow not the same Ngga, I've been on both sides Employee and owner Learned the value of the labor Learned the value of the quota Every skill became a weapon Every failure made me sharper If the knowledge built your business Then the knowledge ain't a bargain [Hook] R-E-S-P-E-C-T Say it with your fucking chest P-A-Y M-E Pay what the work is worth B-O-S-S U-P I don't need permission C-A-S-H O-U-T Watch the whole division [Verse 3] Hustler finds a way to eat Entrepreneur finds the opening Businessman builds the structure Then protects the fucking offering I've been all three, ngga Know the difference firsthand Know what happens when the worker Finally understands the plan No more asking for a seat I'll build the fucking table No more waiting for approval I'll make every fucking label They can keep the corner office Keep the titles and the suits Keep the bullshit presentations Keep the fucking golden boots I want ownership I want equity I want every hour back That they thought belonged to me Experience ain't charity Knowledge ain't free If the business needs the skill Then the business pays the fee [Final Hook] R-E-S-P-E-C-T Say it with your fucking chest P-A-Y M-E Pay what the work is worth B-O-S-S U-P Built it from the fucking floor N-G-G-A I don't ask anymore R-E-S-P-E-C-T No more fucking favors P-A-Y M-E Pay the fucking labor B-O-S-S U-P Now the whole thing's mine No permission No approval No fucking compromise.
