[Intro – reflective, almost spoken word] We built from intention… not convenience… I saw symmetry in your potential… You saw security in my provision… But somewhere between elevation… and evolution… We stopped speaking the same language… [Verse 1] I architected futures from fragments of aspiration While you matriculated through halls of higher education Tuition paid in sacrifice, not just financial placement I invested in your rise as a form of elevation Gave you sanctuary—my dwelling became your haven So your intellect could flourish without economic weightin’ I was laboring nocturnal, cultivating foundations While you was conjugating verbs, I was building equations I saw synergy—your analytics, my ambition A conjugation of brilliance, a dynasty in position Envisioned legacy wealth, multi-generational bridges While you was earning credentials, I was earning the vision Commencement day arrived, caps suspended in the sky But something shifted in your spirit I could no longer identify The gratitude diminished, replaced with distant replies Like the roots of our foundation got severed in disguise [Hook – emotional, restrained but powerful] YOU DID IT… Ascended every summit you envisioned YOU DID IT… But severed every tie that held the vision YOU DID IT… Now I’m navigating storms on my own Still ten toes, still constructing what I’ve known [Verse 2] Your lexicon changed—less “we,” more “I” in your diction Relocated your orbit, chasing capital and recognition While I remained rooted, committed to the mission You pursued elevation, I preserved the foundation’s condition Then divinity intervened—our son arrived in existence A beautiful anomaly, requiring nuanced persistence Autism reframed life—altered every definition Love became more intricate, patience gained new dimensions I immersed in his world—learned his language, his cues Every gesture, every silence held invisible truths While you ascended socially, refining your view I was grounding myself in what a real father should do Now I oscillate between households like pendulum swings Trying to anchor stability in fractured routines While you adorned success like it’s a tangible thing I’m deciphering purpose in what this adversity brings [Hook] YOU DID IT… Constructed the life you desired YOU DID IT… But extinguished the flame that inspired YOU DID IT… Now I’m carrying weight you don’t see Still ten toes, still becoming who I’m destined to be [Verse 3] I extricated myself from an environment of neglect Where presence was ignored but expectations were kept Time—our most precious currency—became a deficit Moments I can’t reclaim, that’s a permanent debt Now I finance existence through fragmented means Child support extracted while I’m chasing my dreams Legal systems reduce fatherhood to numerical schemes While I’m fighting for moments that exist in between Requested equity—fifty/fifty in essence You countered with maximization, devoid of concession Turned partnership into transactional aggression Where love became litigated under fiscal compression Now I reside in a region unfamiliar to me Culturally displaced, yet still spiritually free Surrounded by difference, but that’s nothing to me Pressure creates diamonds, that’s historically key And still… My trajectory hasn’t deviated an inch Still pursuing generational affluence, still enriched By the same vision you once stood beside convinced The only difference now… is I’m building alone in the trench [Bridge – poetic, Kendrick-style introspection] And perhaps… In your quietest moments… When accolades lose their resonance… You revisit the origin… And realize… I was never temporary… I was foundational… [Final Hook – deeper, more mature tone] YOU DID IT… Achieved everything you pursued YOU DID IT… But forfeited something more true YOU DID IT… Now we both live with the cost But I’m still building a legacy that never gets lost [Outro – calm, resolved] Time is indifferent… But I am intentional… And legacy… Is never accidental…
