Used To Be Broke

Let me take you back real quick

Before the flights, before the views

Before they knew my name

{spoken male cold open over Rhodes and rain bed} Counting coins just

to eat, ramen every night Mama working double shifts,

praying everything's alright Told myself one day I'd make it out this

circumstance Nobody handed me a thing,

I built it with my hands Laptop on a wooden floor,

no desk, no chair,

no light Three rejections in a day but still I coded through

the night They said give up that dream like failure was my

destiny I wrote my goals on paper just so future me could

see

{male rap verse with steady pocket} And I remember every door that

closed Every night I cried but nobody knows

But look at where I'm standing now {female backing vocals rise softly}

I used to be broke but I never been broken

Every word they said against me I've spoken Into existence,

yeah I made it from nothing Used to be broke but I

never stopped running

From the bottom to here,

I can finally breathe God gave me the vision,

I had to believe I

used to be broke but I never been broken Yeah I used

to be broke {female soulful gospel lead with backing choir} Now I'm

sitting in a room that I once only dreamed about

Same phone that I couldn't charge,

now it never seems to run out

The ones who doubted me are quiet now,

funny how that goes

You water your own garden long enough,

watch how it grows

I still remember every number in my negative account I still remember

when a hundred dollars felt like a massive amount I don't say

this to impress you,

I say this so you know That where you are right now

is not where you are destined to go

{male rap verse with confident lift} And I remember every door that

closed Every night I cried but nobody knows But look at where

I'm standing now {female backing vocals swell}

I used to be broke but I never been broken Every word

they said against me I've spoken Into

existence, yeah I made it from nothing Used to be broke but

I never stopped running

From the bottom to here,

I can finally breathe God gave me the vision,

I had to believe I

used to be broke but I never been broken Yeah I used

to be broke {female soulful gospel lead with stronger choir

answers} There were nights I questioned everything

Wondered if the sacrifice was worth the suffering But every scar became

a story I would tell Every valley was the price to get

to where I dwell And if you're in the middle of your

darkest night Just hold on,

the morning always follows after fight You are not behind,

you're right on time

Every broken road was leading to your climb

{key change to major gospel bridge} I used to be broke but

I never been broken

Every word they said against me I've spoken Into existence,

yeah I made it from nothing

Used to be broke but I never stopped running From the bottom

to here, I can finally breathe God gave me the vision,

I had to believe I

used to be broke but I never been broken Yeah I used

to

be broke

{final gospel-trap chorus with choir peak} Used to be broke,

never broken Used to be broke,

never broken Mmm yeah {female vocal

hum over Rhodes only}