Uh,
yo, why I gotta work 10 times more?
Why I gotta sing,
rap,
act,
and dance to settle the score?
Why I gotta be as hard as it gets?
Why I gotta lay my life on the line just to get the respect?
Tell me why I always gotta be strong?
Why I gotta fake the funk knowing me and them don't get along?
Tell me why I always gotta be on when the truth
is I'm really burnt out and now I wanna respond?
Tell me why I gotta pay black tax?
To be honest,
I don't even really mind giving back
But once you make it,
if your people get entitled,
tell me how you react
And if I lose it all,
nobody gonna help me with that
Tell me why I gotta hide my pain?
I feel a spectrum of emotions
If I'm angry,
I should not feel ashamed Or afraid to
be reduced or be called out of my name
But before I catch a charge,
I gotta charge it to the game
Stressed out, worked up,
diamond in the rough Blast it,
hold hard,
work hard, but it ain't enough
Count it up,
on and off,
sold off, sold off, all wins, no loss, no loss
Tell me why I'm made to feel less than?
Why my worth can be determined by the fact I got a kid or a man?
Tell me why the system don't give a damn?
Why my mom weren't risking labor due to race even if it was planned?
Why was she found in a house unalive?
Her neighbors called police for help for 20 minutes,
they just stayed outside
If that was one of yours,
is that how you would let things slide?
Or would you leave it even if the clearance did get denied?
Why am I told it's bad if I was blind?
That I would have global appeal as if my dark skin just isn't right?
Say I'm pretty for a black girl that isn't a slight Then
they want me to show them grace as if they're being polite
Tell me why I won't get high every night?
From holding down our brothers to single mothers,
it's always a fight
The slavery they used to take away their men from their
wife Now they leave it down to us to fit the stereotype
It's trashed, stressed out,
words up,
diamond in the rough
Black skin,
old heart,
work hard, better than enough
Count it up,
on and off,
sewn off,
sewn off,
all wins,
no loss,
no loss
I'm here to remind you that stress and anger is the
leading cause of autoimmune diseases in black women
It was a lot to say,
but I'm here to tell you that you need to take a break
If you can't fix it, let it go,
and if you're angry about it, deal with it
Because stress is killing us
That whole strong black women thing,
it was made to set it, it's a setup, basically
So stop it,
ask for help,
you know, detach,
let go, whatever you gotta do
But we out here dying of autoimmune diseases because we are trying
to carry the weight of the world and help everyone but ourselves