after interviewing wale for peace magazine, i couldn’t stop thinking about what he said about his song “shades” and the effect it had on his life and how a song so personal and so relateable to some (including myself) was so close to getting cut from his debut album.
look at the impact its made across the blogosphere and the album hasnt even dropped yet.
i sent this song over to my good friend and amazing writer pauleanna who dissected “shades”. i was happy to see her response because i knew the song affected her the same way it affected me.
enjoy
~lissa
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Song: “Shades”
Artist: Wale f. Chrisette Michelle
Dissection + Words by: Pauleanna Reid
We come in all different shades of black, some more loved than others, but that doesn’t define who we are as individuals and the significance of our existence. A man who resembles the same shade as the midnight sky is often associated with negative attributes – He is observed under a distant light and furthermore denied access to the pleasures of his own world.
[v1]
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 when I rap so much – Win respect, ya 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 Dominican, we were 17
I figure I hurt her– she 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 cuts deep…..
Wale’s emotions are revealed through his destructive lyrics. Many can relate to his candid reality as a dark skin man, but Chrisette Michelle harmoniously sings about the beauty in all men through her encouraging vocals.
[chorus]
From a light skin girl to a dark skin brotha
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Boy you so beautiful (2x)
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Honey brown, Caramel, Coffee brown, Chocolate, Toffee, Pecan, Licorice
Boy you so beautiful
[v2]
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 hair
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
His words sting, but we respect the song because his genuine feelings are displayed for all to see/hear. A dark skin brotha who wishes life were a bit different, wants a woman who will climb into his ear and listen, and in a perfect world he would change his status from nappy to classy in a heartbeat. It’s apparent that Wale just wants to feel free.
[chorus]
From a light skin girl to a dark skin brotha
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Boy you so beautiful (2x)
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Honey brown, Caramel, Coffee brown, Chocolate, Toffee, Pecan, Licorice
Boy you so beautiful
[v3]
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 the community
We as dudes tend to lack unity
And them blacker girls ain’t on the tube usually
Right now at 23 I ain’t mad at the reds no more
But for a 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 no it was an act, a defense mechanism
What I thought that I lacked
“Shades” ends with the alluring chorus which brings us back to the basics and reminds us of the genuine ingredient that creates REAL LOVE, our heart. Not only does Chrisette explore the variety of flavours we have to choose from, but she sensually expresses an element that cannot be erased.
The beauty of a black man.
[chorus]
From a light skin girl to a dark skin brotha
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Boy you so beautiful (2x)
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Honey brown, Caramel, Coffee brown, Chocolate, Toffee, Pecan, Licorice
Boy you so beautiful
wale’s debut album attention deficit drops november 10, 2009.
Related posts:
- *listen now* mary j blige – said & done [music+lyrics] #musicmonday
- EXCLUSIVE: Wale on Leaked Album, “Shades” & Nigeria
- *listen + download now* rihanna – russian roulette [music + lyrics]
- *listen now* mary j. blige f. timbaland – skycap [music+lyrics]
WHAT TO DO NOW?