See I can kinda
recall little ways back
Small tryin' to ball
always been black
And my hair I tried it all
I even went flat
Had a gumdee curly
top and all that crap now
Tryin' to be appreciated
Nappy headed brothers
never had no ladies
Then I hit by the barber shop
real quick
Had em give me little twist and
it drove them crazy
And then I couldn't get no job
Cause corporate wouldn't hire
no dreadlocks
Then I thought about my dogs
on the block
Kinda understand
why they chose a steal and rob
Was it the hair
that got me this far
uh-huh
All these girls these cribs
these cars
uh-huh
I Hate to say it
but it seem so flawed
Cause success didn't come
'til I cut it all off
uh-huh
Little girl with the press and curl
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen then I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
Fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and then
I went all natural
February two thousand and two I
Went on 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
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 the soul that lives within
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 it's not what's on your head
It's what's underneath and say
Hey
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within
Who cares if you don't like that
With nothin' to lose post it
with a wave cap
And the cops tryin' to harass
cause I got waves
Ain't seen nothin' like that
not in my days
noo
Man you gotta change
all these feeling's
Steady judging one another
by their appearance
Yes India I feel ya girl
Now go ahead
talk the rest of the world
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
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within