Shades

(feat. Chrisette Michele)

[Verse 1:]

Chip on my shoulda

Big enough to feed Cambodia

See I never fit into they quotas

Sneakers wasn't fittin' and my knees needed lotion

Long before I knew the significance of a comb

I roam like foam with no vocal reception

Immigrant parents had me feeling like a step-kid

And black Americans never did accept me

That's why I thrive so much winnin' respect, dig

I never fit in with them light skins

I thought the lighter they was, the better that they life is

So I resented them and they resented me

Cheated on light skin Dominique, we were 17

I figure I hurt her she'd evidently hurt me

And all women who have light features see

I never let a light broad hurt me

That's why I strike first and the first cut's deep

[Chorus: Chrissette Michele]

From a light skin girl to a dark skin brotha

Shade doesn't matter, heart makes the lover

Boy you so beautiful

Boy you so beautiful

Shade doesn't matter, heart makes the lover

Honey brown, caramel, coffee brown, chocolate, toffee, pecan, licorice

Boy you so beautiful

[Verse 2:]

Just another knotty head nigga

Hoping Wes Snipes make my life a bit different

In middle school I had the right to be timid

I had beautiful words but girls never listened

Listen, blacker the berry, sweeter the product

Well I'm fruit punch concentrate and they water

Walk into my room thinking how to make moves

Ain't thinking like a student, but how Ice-T do it

Light dudes had the girls looking there

Aw yea it's not fair

The ones with the good hurr

Couldn't adapt to naps I wore caps

They napped and slept on me

Man I hate black, skin tone

I wish I could take it back or rearrange my status

Maybe if I was khaki

Associating light skin with classy

The minstrel show, showed a me that was not me

[Chorus: Chrissette Michele]

From a light skin girl to a dark skin brotha

Shade doesn't matter, heart makes the lover

Boy you so beautiful

Boy you so beautiful

Shade doesn't matter, heart makes the lover

Honey brown, caramel, coffee brown, chocolate, toffee, pecan, licorice

Boy you so beautiful

They say black is beautiful

But ask them beautiful light girls if it's black they attract to usually

What if Barack's skin was all black?

Truthfully would he be a candidate or just a black in community?

We as black dudes tend to lack unity

And them blacker girls ain't on the tube usually

Right now at 23 I ain't mad at them reds no more

But for long time I had gone cold blind

Full of my own insecurity

It was holding me

Back to reds, I ain't know how to act

They would get the cold shoulder

And know it was an act, a defense mechanism

What I thought that I lacked (confidence)

[Chorus: Chrissette Michele]

From a light skin girl to a dark skin brotha

Shade doesn't matter, heart makes the lover

Boy you so beautiful

Boy you so beautiful

Shade doesn't matter, heart makes the lover

Honey brown, caramel, coffee brown, chocolate, toffee, pecan, licorice

Boy you so beautiful