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Shades Lyrics by Wale

Attention Deficit

2009

[Verse 1: Wale]
Chip on my shoulder, big enough to feed Cambodia
See, I never fit into they quotas
Sneakers wasn’t fitting and my knees needed lotion
Long before I knew the significance of a comb
I roam like phone with no vocal reception
Immigrant parents had me feeling like a step-kid
And black Americans never did accept me
That’s why I grab so much when I'm respected
I never fit in with them light skins
I felt the lighter they was, the better that they life is
So I resented them and they resented me
Cheated on light skin Dominique when we was seventeen
I figure I'd hurt her, she evidently hurt me
And all women who had light features, see
I'd never let a light broad hurt me
That’s why I strike first and the verse cuts deep

[Chorus: Chrisette Michele]
From a light-skinned girl to a dark-skinned brother
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Boy you’re so beautiful, boy you're so beautiful
Shadee doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Honey brown, caramel, coffee brown, chocolate
Toffee, pecan, licorice, boy you're so beautiful

[Verse 2: Wale]
Just another knotty-haired nigga
Hoping Wes Snipes make my life a bit different
In middle school I had to write to be timid
I had beautiful words but girls never listened
Listen; blacker the berry, sweeter the powder
Well I'm fruit punch concentrate and they water
Walk into my room thinking how to make moves
Ain't thinking like a student but how Ice-T'd do it
Light dudes had the girls looking there all year
It’s not fair, the ones with the good hair
Couldn’t adapt to naps, I wear caps
They napped and slept on me, man, I hate black
Skin tone I wish I could take it back
Or rearrange my status maybe if I was khaki
Associating light skin with classy
The minstrel show showed a me that was not me

[Chorus: Chrisette Michele]
From a light-skinned girl to a dark-skinned brother
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Boy you’re so beautiful, boy you're so beautiful
Shadee doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Honey brown, caramel, coffee brown, chocolate
Toffee, pecan, licorice, boy you're so beautiful

[Verse 3: Wale]
They say "black is beautiful," but ask them beautiful
Light girls if it's black they attract to usually
What if Barack's skin was all black, truthfully
Would he be a candidate or just a blackened community?
We as black dudes tend to lack unity
And them blacker girls ain't on the tube usually
Right now at 23 I ain't mad at them reds no more
But for long time I had gone cold
Blindfolded my own insecurity was holding me back
To reds, I ain't know how to act
They would get the cold shoulder and know it was an act
A defense mechanism, what I thought that I lacked
Confidence

[Chorus: Chrisette Michele]
From a light-skinned girl to a dark-skinned brother
Shade doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Boy you’re so beautiful, boy you're so beautiful
Shadee doesn’t matter, heart makes the lover
Honey brown, caramel, coffee brown, chocolate
Toffee, pecan, licorice, boy you're so beautiful
Credits
Wale

Wale

About “Shades” by Wale

Read the complete lyrics to "Shades" by Wale from the album "Attention Deficit" in 2009. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under USA, In English, Rap.

"Shades" is performed by Wale. from the album "Attention Deficit" in 2009 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Shades", explore more songs by Wale using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Wale · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Shades" is credited to Wale. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Shades" appears on "Attention Deficit" in 2009.

Visit the Wale artist page at /artist/wale for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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