[Akon:]
See I can kinda recall
Little ways back small tryin' to bawl
Always been black and my hair I tried it all
I even went flat, had a gumdee curly top
and all the crap, now
Tryin' to be appreciated
Nappy headed brothers
never had no latest
Hit by the barber shop real quick
got omni little twist and it drove them crazy
And then I couldn't get no job
No corperate wouldn't hire no dreadlocks
Then I thought about my dogs on the block
Kinda understand
why they chose a stealin' rock
Was it the hair that got me this far? (uh-huh)
All these girls these cribs these cars (uh-huh)
Hate to say it but it seem so flaw
Cause success didn't come
'till i cut it all off (uh-huh)
[India Arie:]
Little girl with the press and curl
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
Fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and went all natural
February two thousand and two I
Went and did what I had to do
Cause it was time to change my life
To become the women that I am inside
Ninety-seven dreadlocks all gone
Looked in the mirror
for the first time and saw that
Hey...
[Refrain:]
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your ex-pec-tations no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within
[India Arie:]
Good hair means curls and waves
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
It's time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off
like a South African beauty
Or get in on lock like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight
like Oprah Winfrey
If its not what's on your head
It's what's underneath and say
Hey....
[Refrain]
[Akon:]
Who cares if you don't like that
With nothin' to lose post it
with a wave cap
When the cops tryin' to harass
Cause I got waves
But he's sayin' nothin' like that
Not in my days (noo...)
Now you gotta change all feeling's
Based on one another by their appearance
Yes, India I feel ya girl
Now go on and talk the rest of the world
[India Arie:]
(oh, oh, oh)
Does the way I wear my hair
make me a better person?
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair
make me a better friend? nooo...
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair
determine my integrity?
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
I am expressing my creativity...
Breast cancer and chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life ooh...
On national television
Her diamond eyes are sparkling
Bald headed like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like
Hey...