Sunday, September 26, 2010

Shad - "Keep Shining"

Here's an alternative view to what we saw in Beyond Beats and Rhymes.



Lyrics:

I roll with clever broads
With goals like Federov
Seeking better jobs
instead of running scams like Set It Off
Some aren't the smartest but they know what they stand for
They don't let jams disrespect 'em on the dance floor
And though they never hit College like the Danforth
For damn sure they got each others back like a Jansport
Girls in a league of their own like Geena Davis
Nina Simone ladies, Tina Fey chicks
Christina Applegates and Bonita Applebaums
That don't mask and say, "nothing" when you ask what's wrong
That's what's up, they can laugh it up
And they don't pass the buck
Nothin's for certain, we all have to trust
Someone
I used to want to find the love of my life
Now I'm tryin' to live a life of love
It's not just a husband and wife thing
It's something that Christ brings
True beauty doesn't run from the light
Keep shining

And I've been known to talk about women
on a track or two
I talk to women, I just can't talk for women
That's for you
We need women for that
More women in rap
Even tracks like Kwali's Four Women
That's still only half the view of the world
There's no girls rappin' so we're only hearin' half the truth
What we have to lose? Too much
Half our youth aren't represented, the better halves of dudes
So we don't hear about your brain, just your brains
How you rock a fella, Stacey Dash dames
We just need your voice like an acapella
Something in the music's gotta change
A lot of things

It's funny how words like, "consciousness" and "positive music"
Can somehow start to feel hollow, it's
Become synonymous with polishing soft collagen lips
On the face of race politics
Well you can't be everything to everyone
So let me be anything to anyone
The world turns and there's clouds sometimes
But there's no such thing as a setting sun
It always keeps shining

My mom taught me where to keep my heart
My aunts taught me how to sing two parts
My sis taught me how to parallel park
Tried to teach me math but she's way too smart
My grandma in her 80′s is still sharp
My girl cousins an activism at art
They taught me there's no curls too tight
No mind to bright
No skin too dark to keep shining

1 comment:

Lela said...

another big fat WOWWWWWWWW. where are you finding this stuff?! great contributions. this blog is loaded with stellar examples of masculinity, of challenges to social constructs, of representations of what CAN be. i hope many folks stumble upon this blog and learn a thing or two!