Who Holds the Mic

They wrote my name in pencil So it would fade away Taught me how to shrink myself How careful girls should stay They measured every movement Corrected how I stand Said the world is safer When it’s guided by their hand Every “no” I swallowed Every truth I hid Built a quiet prison Out of everything they did You held the microphone Decided what was right Framed the story, dimmed my glow Controlled the stage and light But I was born with thunder You couldn’t redesign So tell me — who has power When the voice is finally mine? Who holds the mic tonight? Who defines the line? If I refuse your silence Who holds the mic tonight? You called it “just tradition” You called it “knowing best” Turned my fire into manners Put obedience in my chest Every dream I carried Had to pass your test If it threatened your position It was labeled “selfishness” But doubt can turn to courage And fear can turn to flame And once a girl stops whispering She’ll never sound the same You held the microphone Claimed it as your throne Spoke for me in polished lies As if my will was gone But I was never voiceless I was only confined Now watch the shift in gravity The narrative is mine Who holds the mic tonight? Who survives the light? If my echo shakes your kingdom Who holds the mic tonight? I was raised inside your limits But I learned to see the frame Power isn’t given It’s reclaimed You fear the girl who questions You fear the one who knows The quietest rebellion Is the one that grows You held the microphone But your grip was never tight Control dissolves the moment I decide to fight No more shadows, no more lines No more asking if it’s fine You can keep your fragile crown The microphone is mine Who holds the mic tonight? I hold the mic tonight