Kendrick Lamar – Complexion (A Zulu Love) Lyrics

Kendrick Lamar – Complexion (A Zulu Love) Lyrics

Complexion (A Zulu Love) Lyrics by Kendrick Lamar

This song is about educating society on beauty standards, especially colorism. Colorism affects the black community profusely due to its roots, which spawn from the history of slavery in America. In the song, Kendrick details the importance of loving all people no matter how light or dark.

In an interview, Kendrick described the song saying:

The idea was to make a record that reflected all complexions of black women. There’s a separation between the light and the dark skin because it’s just in our nature to do so, but we’re all black. This concept came from South Africa and I saw all these different colors speaking a beautiful language.

In the same interview, Rapsody said the original idea wasn’t for Kendrick to even have a verse, Kendrick wanted Prince to do the hook and have Rhapsody spit two verses.

Also note: A Tribe Called Quest, one of the pioneers of jazz rap, referenced the Universal Zulu Nation many times throughout their discography. The Universal Zulu Nation is described as an “organization of individuals in search of success, peace, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the righteous way of life.”

[Produced by Thundercat & Sounwave; Additional production by Terrace Martin & Antydote]

[Intro: Pete Rock]
I’m with this

[Chorus: Pete Rock]
Complexion (Two-step)
Complexion don’t mean a thing (It’s a Zulu love)
Ooh, complexion (Two-step)
It all feels the same (It’s a Zulu love)

[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar]
Uh, dark as the midnight hour or bright as the mornin’ sun
Give a fuck about your complexion, I know what the Germans done
Sneak (Dissin’)
Sneak me through the back window, I’m a good field nigga
I made a flower for you outta cotton just to chill with you
You know I’d go the distance, you know I’m ten toes down
Even if master listenin’, cover your ears, he ’bout to mention

[Chorus: Pete Rock]
Complexion (Two-step)
Complexion don’t mean a thing (It’s a Zulu love)
Ooh, complexion (Two-step)
It all feels the same (It’s a Zulu love)

[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]
Uh, dark as the midnight hour, or bright as the mornin’ sun
Brown skinned, but your blue eyes tell me your mama can’t run
Sneak (Dissin’)
Sneak me through the back window, I’m a good field nigga
I made a flower for you outta cotton just to chill with you
You know I’d go the distance, you know I’m ten toes down
Even if master’s listenin’, I got the world’s attention
So I’ma say somethin’ that’s vital and critical for survival
Of mankind, a feline color should never rival
Beauty is what you make it, I used to be so mistaken
By different shades of faces
Then Whit’ told me, “A woman is woman, love the creation”
It all came from God, then you was my confirmation
I came to where you reside
And looked around to see more sights for sore eyes
Let the Willie Lynch theory reverse a million times with…

[Chorus: Pete Rock]
Complexion (Two-step)
Complexion don’t mean a thing (It’s a Zulu love)
Ooh, complexion (Two-step)
It all feels the same (It’s a Zulu love)

[Interlude: JaVonté & Kendrick Lamar]
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
You like it, I love it
(Where the homegirl Rapsody at?
I need you to speak your mind real quick, loved one!)

[Verse 3: Rapsody]
Let me talk my Stu Scott, ‘scuse me on my 2Pac
Keep your head up when the juice stop, loving thy
Color of your skin? Color of your eyes
That’s the real blues, baby, like you met Jay’s baby, uh
You blew me away, you think more beauty in blue, green and grey
All my solemn men up north, 12 years a slave
12 years of age, thinkin’ my shade too dark
I love myself, I no longer need Cupid
Enforcin’ my dark side like a young George Lucas
Light don’t mean you smart, bein’ dark don’t make you stupid
And frame of mind for them bustas, ain’t talkin’ “Woo-hah!”
Need a paradox for the pair of doc’s they tutored
Like two Todd’s, L-L, you lose two times
If you don’t see you beautiful in your complexion
It ain’t complex to put it in context
Find the air beneath the kite, that’s the context
Yeah, baby, I’m conscious, ain’t no contest
If you like it, I love it, all your earth tones been blessed
Ain’t no stress, jiggaboos wanna be
I ain’t talkin’ Jay, I ain’t talkin’ Bey
I’m talkin’ days we got school watchin’ movie screens
And spike your self-esteem
The new James Bond gon’ be black as me
Black as brown, hazelnut, cinnamon, black tea
And it’s all beautiful to me
Call your brothers magnificent, call all the sisters queens
We all on the same team, blues and pirus, know colors ain’t a thing

[Outro: Kendrick Lamar]
Barefoot babies with no care
Teenage gun toters that don’t play fair, should I get out the car?
I don’t see Compton, I see something much worse
The land of the landmines, the hell that’s on earth