I don't wanna be poor, I gotta get rich

I don't wanna be poor, I just cop a brick

Grab a stick and a lick — yeah, grab a stick and a lick

I don't wanna be poor, I don't wanna be sick

Of watchin' my momma count pennies for the rent

I don't wanna be poor, that pain been spent

Grab a stick and a lick — yeah, that's my only gift

I don't wanna be poor, I gotta get rich

---

Verse 1 (Freestyle flow – staggered breath, punching end rhymes):

Hungry as a stray, but my chain look fake

Sleep on the floor, dream of a wraith

Landlord knockin', ain't no way to pay

Brain on the block, heart on a plate

Saw my man get hit for a pair of J's

That's the same year I stopped sayin' grace

Now the only prayer is the one through the K

If I don't see sky, I see minimum wage

So fuck bein' patient, fuck bein' saved

I'd rather be judged in a brand new Wraith

Hook comin' – wait

---

Hook (reprise – harder, doubling vocals)

---

Verse 2 (Shift – slightly more melodic, desperate):

Brick on the stove, hope it don't pop

Stick in the coat, hope it don't cock

Lick in my scope, hope it don't flop

'Cause if this one miss, I'm back on the block

No trust fund, no fallback stock

Just a duffel, a demon, and a digital clock

I seen rich niggas smile with they soul locked

I'd rather be rich with my soul on lock

But ain't no morals when the fridge is a grave

You either get the bag or you become the slave

So I grab the work, I grab the K

Momma, forgive me, but I couldn't stay poor another day

Hungry as a stray, but my chain look fake (pause)

Sleep on the floor, dream of a wraith (pause)

Landlord knockin', ain't no way to pay (inhale)

Brain on the block, heart on a plate

Saw my man get hit for a pair of J's (slow down)

That's the same year I stopped sayin' grace (bite the mic)

Now the only prayer is the one through the K (whisper "K" then bark)

If I don't see sky, I see minimum wage

So fuck bein' patient, fuck bein' saved (double-time the last two words)

I'd rather be judged in a brand new Wraith

Momma cryin'说 "you better behave" (switch to Chinese for grit – "shuo")

I said "love don't pay, but the stick do, babe."

[AD-LIB: "babe?" – confused, then laugh]

Eighteen, felon, ain't signed a deal (staccato)

But I move like a label – this Glock is a meal

They want me to fail, I want me a mill (pointed)

Same city, different casket – guess which one's real

---

Verse 2 (16 bars – more desperate, faster, slightly breaking voice)

Brick on the stove, hope it don't pop (hold 'pop')

Stick in the coat, hope it don't cock (short, sharp)

Lick in my scope, hope it don't flop

'Cause if this one miss, I'm back on the block – (stretch 'block')

No trust fund, no fallback stock

Just a duffel, a demon, and a digital clock

I seen rich niggas smile with they soul locked

I'd rather be rich with my soul on lock

[AD-LIB: "on lock-on lock-on lock" – echo effect]

But ain't no morals when the fridge is a grave (falsetto scratch on "grave")

You either get the bag or you become the slave

So I grab the work (pause) I grab the K (pause)

Momma, forgive me, but I couldn't stay –

---

Bridge (Spoken/sung – beat strips down to just bass and a vocal sample):

(Softer, broken)

They say money don't change you…

(Beat comes back hard)

LYING

It just makes you more of who you was dyin' to be

And I was dyin' to be free

So pour the Sprite, light the T

I'm crashin' through the door –

---

Final Hook (ad-libs under: “stick and a lick – brick – rich”)

Repeat hook twice, fade with bass and a single "I don't wanna be poor" whispered