By Ourselves - Blood Orange

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

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 Da Brat, Missy Elliott, 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