MC Paul Barman
YOUNGMAN speaks on (((race)))
[Chorus: Sample]
By today's standards it may be important for some of you to know I am a white American
To many this factor must be known before they can judge my ability at work
By today's standards it may be important for some of you to know I am a white American
[Verse 1: MC Paul Barman & Sample]
Race is a fake idea with real consequences
Don't condescend like it's somethin' you're on the fence with
I am a white American
How come blacks got blue black, redbone, brown, and high yella
And yet somehow there's only one type'a white fella?
We should do shades of white based on crackers
Like, "Yo, you know my friend Jon the actor?"
Who? "You met him last night! Glasses, skin tone Saltine, nah mean?"
But we can't risk it to call ourselves Triscuit or stoned wheat
Once we acknowledge shades of white, most whites lose their seat
White is a default, am I right?
So is light-skinned Black but never dark-skinned white
But we're proof that black and white can work together
As long as we're getting paid
Remember when Irish was black?
Ha ha, that was rich
Even Jimi Hendrix was treated like ish by his label
He shot Electric Ladyland cover, they switched
While I hold heat like a pita with nary a hitch
"I'm not white I'm Italian" harkens to back when swarthy was almost as unworthy as Black men
Sorry hon, things change in a blink so your privilege exists now even if you'd rather not think so
[Chorus: Sample]
By today's standards it may be important for some of you to know I am a white American
To many this factor must be known before they can judge my ability at work
By today's standards it may be important for some of you to know I am a white American
To many this factor must be known before they can judge my ability at work
[Verse 2: MC Paul Barman & Sample]
Gringo ink flow, voice memo or Moleskin
Just 'cause you're repressed don't mean I should hold in
I'd rather admit I don't do shit for the race wars than lie to myself bout my life, so face yours
I'm hood but my white skin works to my benefit
And I should but I don't fight for the end of it
Since everyone else is like me, I’m not at the side but at the center of it
Good thing my white tenant pays more rent in my tenement
Since Charleston and so on, all bets are off
Tiptoeing around hot button issues melts you cheddar soft
So scared to be wrong, you can't ever get across
Atlantis went under, but not underwater
Wonder where's the memorial, where's plunder slaughter
By today's standards it may be important for some of you to know I am a white American
Timbuktu wasn't forgotten in a day
We gotta start talkin' or we're gonna rot and decay
Jews speak the language of our privilege and genocide
We've only recently been invited to dress up in their tennis whites
What y'all know about Ashkenaz vs Sephardic?
Some say MLK was agnostic
Race is a lie
It just makes poor whites never taste of the pie
Forget your feelings, deal with real things
To many this factor must be known before they can judge my ability at work
To heal stings
I am a white American
[Outro: Sample]
But we're proof black and white can work together
Long as we're gettin' paid