By Ourselves

(album: Freetown Sound - 2016)

[Blood Orange, Ian Isiah and Ava Raiin:]
Oh, they took and skinned my name
Try to raise the feeling
I saw right through, tried to love them
They threw it in your face
Tell you what you're feeling
How could they know?
It's what they read
So when you see her cry
You know there's nothing new
It's how we could all by ourselves

[Ashlee Haze:]
I will show you a 26 year old woman
Who learned to dance until she felt pretty
Feminism wears a throwback jersey
Bamboo earrings, and a face beat for the gods
Feminism is Missy, Lil Kim, and
Angie Martinez on the "Not Tonight" track
Feminism says as a woman in my arena
You are not my competition
As a woman in my arena your light
Doesn't make mine any dimmer
Dear Missy:
I did not grow up to be you
But I did grow up to be me
And to be in love with who this woman is
To be a woman playing a man's game
And not be apologetic about any of it
If you ask me why representation is important
I will tell you that on the days I don't feel pretty
I hear the sweet voice of Missy singing to me
Pop that pop that, jiggle that fat
Don't stop, get it til your clothes get wet
I will tell you that right now
There are a million black girls just waiting
To see someone who looks like them