No Per Diem 2.0

I remember doing shows with no per diem
Shit on by promoters but the fans hope to see him
Some hope to be him, went from dive bars and clubs
To shows in museums. No cap, no DMs
But
The message is direct
Everything you put in ain’t exactly what you get
One more thing don’t forget
A check never outweighs integrity or respect

They told me everything that I couldn’t do
Told me everything that I should’ve done
Showed me еverything that I shouldn’t choose
Then showеd me everything that I could’ve won
Told me everything that I should be
And it’s everything that they ain’t
On God, from what I can see…
You ain’t qualified to tell me what I can or can’t
Do... if you never tried, never failed
Can you truly recognize if I ever will
Fall then I’ll rise to be better still
Get by, ‘til we make more paper than Hammermill
...Turn a skeptic to a zealot
‘Cause I’ll die working toward it, ‘fore I live to regret it
Whether lost in the forest, off course in the dessert
I’ma forge what we got into lil slice of heaven

I remember doing shows with no per diem
Shit on by promoters but the fans hope to see him
Some hope to be him, went from dive bars and clubs
To shows in museums. No cap, no DMs
But
The message is direct
Everything you put in ain’t exactly what you get
One more thing don’t forget
A check never outweighs integrity or respect

(Uh huh)
It’s always been clear who I been rocking for
Doing what’s right, ain’t what’s easy or popular
Ice cold, you might need to rock a fur
Since my first concert in the nosebleeds with binoculars
I think it was Sesame Street Live
Wrote a paper about it, everything expertly described
Since the day I first, (first) switched gears and hit the go
Proudly doing it wrong 15 years in a row
Still… (Still) Never straying from the path
Knew if I could make ‘em cry, then I could make em laugh
I was doing the knowledge and they was doing the math
It was long overdue like a Ran and Stan collab (Haha)
Tax man, saying I ain’t gone see a return
That ain’t nothing new, I just need to keep what I earn
Looking back with no regrets about anything that we did (Uh huh)
Make a living with creations
Make life with what we give

I remember doing shows with no per diem
Shit on by promoters but the fans hope to see him
Some hope to be him, went from dive bars and clubs
To shows in museums. No cap, no DMs
But
The message is direct
Everything you put in ain’t exactly what you get
One more thing don’t forget
A check never outweighs integrity or respect

I’mma put in more where it really counts
And never sell my soul for any amount
Never stress what people consider less
Got everything I need that’s what it means to be blessed (Uh)
…I was undervalued by the overrated
Gave me the wrong directions now they’re all surprised I made it
Created my own lane, found the strength to pave it
And "where I’m s’posed to be" is where I’m situated
They told me everything that I couldn’t do
Told me everything that I should’ve done
Showed me everything that I shouldn’t choose
Then showed me everything that I could’ve won
Told me everything that I should be
And it’s everything that they ain’t
On God, from what I can see…
You ain’t qualified to tell me what I can or can’t do

You ain’t qualified to tell me what I can or can’t do