RESPECT produced by Mike and Keys (DJFUNVIBE REMIX)

[Intro – Female, Dark / Spoken] They told me to wait. They told me to know my place. They told me to be grateful. [Male – Deep Gritty] But I didn’t come this far to stay in the same place. [Verse 1 – Male, Deep Gritty Rap] I remember being broke Back against the rope Still I held onto hope With the last ounce of it Two steps back? No, I won’t go I know what frustration feels like I know what pressure knows Overqualified Still they question why I’m the one they call When the numbers gotta rise Build the business Hit the targets Then they act like I’m replaceable Take the vision from my head Put it in a boardroom Like the work was never mine They wanna tell me who I am Tell me what my weakness is But every scar upon my back Is proof of what I’ve overcome [Female – Powerful Response] They can take the credit They can take the praise But they can’t take the fire That got me through those days [Pre-Chorus – Both, Building] We came from the bottom We learned how to climb They tried to hold us down Now we’re taking back what’s mine [Male] You want my work? [Female] Then know my worth. [BOTH] You want my fire? Then pay the price! [Chorus – Both / Massive Crowd Hook] R-E S-P E-C-T RESPECT ME! B-O S-S U-P BOSS UP! R-E S-P E-C-T RESPECT ME! P-A Y U-P PAY UP! [Post-Chorus – Viking Gang Vocals] HEY! HEY! BOSS UP! HEY! HEY! PAY UP! RESPECT! BOSS UP! PAY UP! [Verse 2 – Female, Aggressive / Rhythmic] Maybe if I played their game They’d finally say my name Maybe if I kissed the right hands I’d get a bigger place But I won’t bend my back Just to fit inside their frame I built something from nothing Now I’m walking with my name I brought the profit I brought the vision I brought the people I made the difference Then the cuts came down And they looked for someone else To carry all the blame Funny how the corporate world Can make a living feel like war They want the work They want the dream But never wanna pay for more [Male – Deep Response] They see the numbers Never see the nights Never see the sacrifice Never see the fights [Female] But every failure made me stronger [Male] Every loss made me wise [BOTH] Now the thing they tried to bury Is the thing that’s gonna rise [Pre-Chorus – Both] We came from the bottom We learned how to climb They tried to hold us down Now we’re taking back what’s mine [Female] You want my work? [Male] Then know my worth. [BOTH] You want my fire? Then pay the price! [Chorus – Both / Bigger] R-E S-P E-C-T RESPECT ME! B-O S-S U-P BOSS UP! R-E S-P E-C-T RESPECT ME! P-A Y U-P PAY UP! [Verse 3 – Male / Storytelling Rap] There’s a difference between surviving And building something of your own A hustler learns to keep on moving When the world says stay below An entrepreneur sees a window When everybody sees a wall A businessman builds a team And makes the whole damn thing stand tall I’ve been all three I’ve walked all those roads Worked for somebody else Carried somebody else’s load But those days are behind me I know what my time is worth Experience is intellectual property And I earned every word I don’t need permission I don’t need their throne I don’t need a corner office To know what I own [Female – Rising] You can build it from the ground [Male] You can build it on your own [Female] You can turn the pain to power [BOTH] You can make that power known! [Bridge – Female / Male] [Music strips down – acoustic guitar, low tuba, heartbeat bass] [Female] They said, “Know your place.” [Male] I said, “Watch me rise.” [Female] They said, “Stay in line.” [Male] I said, “Not this time.” [BOTH] We paid every price We earned every scar Now we’re standing here Exactly who we are [Build – Whisper → Massive] [Female – Whisper] Respect… [Male] Respect… [Female] Boss up… [Male] Boss up… [BOTH] PAY UP! [Drums rising] RESPECT! BOSS UP! PAY UP! [FINAL CHORUS – HUGE DUET / FESTIVAL CROWD] R-E S-P E-C-T RESPECT ME! B-O S-S U-P BOSS UP! R-E S-P E-C-T RESPECT ME! P-A Y U-P PAY UP! [FINAL DROP – TUBA × 808 × VIKING CHANTS] HEY! HEY! RESPECT! HEY! HEY! BOSS UP! HEY! HEY! PAY UP! [BOTH / CROWD] RESPECT! BOSS UP! PAY UP! [Final Verse / Outro – Both, Powerful] [Acoustic guitar and deep bass return] [Male] I came from nothing But nothing couldn’t keep me down [Female] I found my voice When they tried to drown it out [Male] Now every scar is part of the story [Female] Every setback made us strong [BOTH] We don’t need their permission We’ve been building all along [Male] Know your worth. [Female] Own your work. [BOTH] Stand your ground. RESPECT. BOSS UP. PAY UP.