[Hook] I paid to play, so you would pay to hit play, n see what I say today, truth don’t stream for free, it cost me everything. I paid to play, so you would pay to hit play, n witness the price I paid, these bars ain’t charity, they’re blood, sweat, clarity. [Verse 1] I put my soul on the line, receipts in every rhyme, blood in the ink, time served in the grind. Scrollin’ for a vibe, I’m scroll‑stoppin’ with pain, every chorus a chain, every hook is a vein. They don’t see the cost, just the shine on the stage, but I been writin’ checks with my tears on the page. So when you press play, remember what it took, I paid with my life, not just hooks in a book. [Hook] I paid to play, so you would pay to hit play, n see what I say today, truth don’t stream for free, it cost me everything. [Verse 2] Like a psychic before her last domestic, curtains close quick, didn’t see the exit. Third eye puckered, vision disconnected, prophecy heavy, but the world don’t respect it. I’m drownin’ in the cost of the words I chose, every bar’s a receipt, every rhyme exposes. You want the truth? Then you pay in dues, cuz I paid in blood, and I paid in blues. [Bridge] (whispered / prayer cadence) Knee mail, not email, I drop down, I prevail. In Jesus name, I send it up, faith is the only credit I trust. [Final Hook] I paid to play, so you would pay to hit play, n see what I say today, truth don’t stream for free, it cost me everything. I paid to play, so you would pay to hit play, n witness the price I paid, these bars ain’t charity, they’re blood, sweat, clarity.
