Freedom And Respect

Intro

Been fighting all my life just to get what's mine

Gotta stand up tall when they try to keep me down

Real recognize real, that's how we survive

In these streets where respect is all we got

Verse 1

Started from the bottom with my back against the wall

Momma working double shifts, I had to stand tall

Hustling on corners just to put food on the plate

Society expected failure to be my fate

Every day's a struggle, trying to break these chains

They don't understand the hustle, they don't feel my pain

In this concrete jungle where the strong survive

Gotta fight for my respect to keep my dreams alive

Chorus

Freedom ain't free, gotta earn your stripes

Pay dues in the streets, sacrifice all night

Respect comes from struggle, can't be bought or sold

Freedom ain't free, gotta claim what you hold

Verse 2

System designed to keep us trapped in the game

But I refuse to be another statistic, man

Education or the streets, both paths I walked

When I speak my truth, that's when the block talks

They try to silence voices from the neighborhood

But can't stop a movement when it's understood

That freedom starts within, breaking mental chains

The real revolution happens when we change

Pre-Chorus

Now they see me rising, can't hold me down

Respect in these streets is what I've found

No handouts needed, earned it all myself

Building my own legacy, building my own wealth

Chorus

Freedom ain't free, gotta earn your stripes

Pay dues in the streets, sacrifice all night

Respect comes from struggle, can't be bought or sold

Freedom ain't free, gotta claim what you hold