Brown Skin Lady

[Sample: Wendell B. Harris, Jr. as William Douglas Street & Alfred Bruce Bradley as Smooth]

You got that good hair, too

You like what?

I like girls with that light complexion on 'em

You're a moron

I can't help it

What? Being a moron?

Yeah, that too

You're the first one out there with a dashiki talking that crap

I'm a victim

"Good hair", nigga, you so brainwashed

I'm a victim, brother

You're a "victim," shut up

I'm a victim of four hundred years of conditioning

Shut up

The Man has programmed my conditioning

Mhm

Even my conditioning has been conditioned

[Intro: Talib Kweli & Mos Def]

-Calling girls bitches

But most of y'all brothers came from your mothers

Lookin' all sweet (Black Star keep shinin')

And be like yo, let me ask you somethin'

I wanna know (Black star keep shinin'), I wanna know who you are

[Chorus: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

Brown skin lady, hey hey

Yes

Where you goin'?

This goes to the brown skin ladies, yo

Brown skin lady

Indigenous women of the planet Earth

What you doin'?

Givin' birth to the brown skin ladies first

Brown skin lady

For what it's worth, from me to you

How do you feel?

From me to you, watchin' you

[Bridge: Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Both]

I like the way you walk, when you walk on by

I like the, I like the, I like the, I like the way you walk

I like the way you move, when you do that dance

Yes, I like the way you move

I like the way you walk, when you walk on by

I like the, I like the, I like the, I like the way you walk

I like the way you move, when you do that dance

Please, won't you do that dance?

And everybody on the avenue I know, when they see her say (Ow)

(Yes they do) On the block

Everybody on the avenue I know, when they see her say (Ow)

There she is!

[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]

Fresher than Tony Rebel's vegetables at African street festivals

Where incredible women is plentiful

Over the years, I met a few, none of them compare to you

Preparin' you to make fruit bearable, somethin' terrible, let's see:

You fruitful, beautiful, smart, lovable, huggable

Doable like art, suitable to be part of my life

Coppertone owe you copyright infringement, pay

You been this tan since way back in the day

It's like I'm standin' there, you know, appreciatin' God's design

And then you showed up, it's like you read my mind

Damn, she's fine! I think I'd add the R-E in front of that

And see if she D to get wit' a cat like me

[Bridge: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

I like the way you walk, when you walk on by

I like the, I like the, I like the, I like the way you walk

I like the way you move, when you do that dance

Yes, I like the way you move

I like the way you walk, when you walk on by

I like the, I like the, I like the, I like the way you walk

I like the way you move, when you do that dance

Please, won't you do that dance

[Refrain: Mos Def]

And everybody on the avenue I know, when they see her say Ow

(Yes they do) On the block

Everybody on the avenue I know, when they see her say Ow

There she is!

[Verse 2: Mos Def]

Ooh! Damn, baby girl, look at you!

Comin' on the block, lookin' fresh and brand new

Ooh! Head wrap cover your hairdo

Pretty feet peekin' through open-toed shoe

Ooh! No limit to what I would do

Make love to you like long interview

Whooh! Is she for real? Me like you

Good look, champion, win the title

True, many man try invite you

Shot down lyric each time they cyph' you

Jewel, what man, ya get born inside zoo?

Feet, they walk way and just let she pass through

Ooh! Can't be a next one like you

Famous like tapes made by DJ Clue

I tighten up my game as I approach you

Yo, check her, she the nectar the bee get close to

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]

I don't get many compliments, but I am confident

Used to have a complex about gettin' too complex

You got me, willin' to try, looked me in the eye

My head is still in the sky, since you walked on by, I'm feelin' high

Got my imagination flickerin' like hot flames is how it seems

You make me wanna ride the Coltrane to A Love Supreme

My brown lady, create environments for happy brown babies (Yes)

I know it sounds crazy (Yes)

But your skin's the inspiration for cocoa butter

You provoke a brother, we should get to know one another

I discover when I bring you through, my people say "True!"

All I can say is all praise due, I thank God for a beauty like you

[Chorus: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

Brown skin lady, hey hey

Yes

Where you goin'?

This goes to the brown skin ladies yo

Brown skin lady

Indigenous women of the planet Earth

What you doin'?

Givin' birth to the brown skin ladies first

Brown skin lady

For what it's worth, from me to you

How do you feel?

From me to you, watchin' you

[Bridge: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

I like the way you walk, when you walk on by

I like the, I like the, I like the, I like the way you walk

I like the way you move, when you do that dance

Yes, I like the way you move

I like the way you walk, when you walk on by

I like the, I like the, I like the, I like the way you walk

I like the way you move, when you do that dance

Please, won't you do that dance

[Refrain: Mos Def]

And everybody on the avenue I know, when they see her say Ow

On the block

Everybody on the avenue I know, when they see her say Ow

There she is!

[Interlude: Mos Def]

She's a brown skinned lady!

Such a brown skinned lady

She's a brown skinned lady!

She's a brown skinned lady

She's a brown skinned lady!

She's a brown skinned lady

[Outro: Talib Kweli]

Baby, what you mean you don't think you look good?

You know what some people put themselves through

To look just like you?

Dark stockin', high heels, lipstick, alla that

You know what?

Without makeup, you're beautiful

Whatcha you need to paint the next face for?

We're not dealin' with the European standard of beauty tonight

So turn off the TV, put the magazine away

In the mirror, tell me what you see

See the evidence of divine presence

Women in the Caribbean, they got the, golden sun

I know women on the continent got it

Nigeria and Ghana, you know they got it

Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique

And Botswana, to let it speak

How 'bout Latinas, Colombianas

Cubanas, Dominicanas, Tahinians

Of course, the Brooklyn women walk that walk

And the Bronx women walk that walk

Hunnies from Queens walk that walk

NYC, ATL, LA, Cincinnati, the Bay Area

Got the cocoa butter brown skinned ladies doin' their thing

In London and Paris, cocoa butter brown sk...