I’m not a mother, but I have children

It's a good day (to fight the system) [feat. Joy Oladokun]

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https://Empire.lnk.to/longlivethebillionare

Long Live The Billionaire

Fifty Shades Freed

Come On Back

This song is inspired by my family’s immigration to “the promised land,” and the realization that the promised land breaks more promises than it keeps. Getting by isn’t easy — no matter who you are and where you come from — and yet we still find ways to smile at, and dance with, and love each other. Can we all make a pact not to let money govern our happiness, no matter how much we feel like we need it? Nobody, and no government, controls our joy but us. And joy is power!!!

Paper

Even though my mind can point to the political and systemic evils that continuously pit people against one another, my heart can’t understand why hatred exists anywhere. I am deeply saddened and torrentially outraged by what’s happening in America, and throughout the world. Alongside those emotions stands an equal amount of inspiration to be a better person, and fight a greater fight for the human rights that all people deserve, but that have been continuously denied to people of color throughout history. 
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This poem was inspired by George Floyd, whose last words were, “I can’t breathe,” as a knee was lodged into his neck by one of the four Minneapolis police officers who murdered him on May 25th. Say his name so he will not be forgotten.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#blacklivesmatter #icantbreathe #georgefloyd #minneapolis

Black Breath

Are you tired? Me too. I’m EXHAUSTED. But I’m not stopping. I see a lot of conversation slowing down. I see a lot of celebration over the small, but important victories, that we’ve achieved together. I see a lot of people going to one protest, or donating to one organization, and thinking they’ve done their job. We’re realizing our collective powers, and it’s okay to take a moment to acknowledge how awesome that is, but the fight is not over. It won’t be over for a long time. If you need to take a breather, take a breather. But if you truly care about Black lives, you should know that this is just the beginning of the work we need to do, individually and together. Assess your heart. Assess your mind. Assess your community. Assess your nation. Find every crack in every system and try your best to fix it.

Special thanks to HBD Gunner (@hbdgunner) for the animation. And also to KingJet (@kingjet) for the encouragement, for the master, and for giving Trump the clown sound we hear every time he opens his mouth

When To Stop Talking About It

I’ve cried so many tears over the past few weeks. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow, tears of both at once. I’m well-aware of the racism I experience as an adult in America, but recently realized that I’ve buried a lot of trauma I experienced as a kid in Zimbabwe. Now it’s all coming back up. I knew my problems were smaller than so many other people’s, but forgot that they weren’t invisible.
.
I used to get beat up, spat on and verbally abused, sometimes more than once a day, over the color of my skin. I was denied entry into some places, bullied at others, and treated like a thief by security for following my mother around grocery stores. One of my teachers made me stand on her desk while she beat me in front of the class. I was pushed down in a soccer match and, one by one, my classmates ran over my face. Many of the kids who bullied me were told to do so by their parents.
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Back then, my self-defense mechanism was not to let it get to me, because I didn’t have the emotional tools to handle how much it hurt. I told myself that I would grow up to be powerful. That fighting back would only hurt them like they hurt me. At times, I just erased it from my memory. I’m grateful for whatever decisions my childhood mind made to preserve me; however, it means I’m still hurt. I’m also grateful to have found the tools and courage to address my resurfacing pains. Which I now know, thanks to years of self reflection, are GROWING pains.
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I’ve recently talked to a lot of people who are also hurting. Because of pain they’ve witnessed, pain they’ve experienced, or pain they’ve been the cause of. Please, if you’re hurting, don’t run from it. These are wounds crying out to be healed so that we can GROW. As individuals and together. If there’s growing you need to do that you can’t do on your own, I recommend therapy to anyone who hasn’t tried it, or who hasn’t tried it in a while. If you can’t afford therapy, search for free or low-cost therapists and support groups in your area or online. Try meditation. Try anything and everything to find what works for you. Your mind is your existence and there is no shame in taking it to the doctor.

Growing Hurts

I woke up feeling great
The birds are in the trees
They’re singing me a melody
La la la la fuck the police 

My head is on straight
My heart is in peace
My soul is incredibly 
Ready to change history 

It’s a good day
To fight the system
(To fight the system)
It’s a good, good, good day, yes,
A good, good, good day

We’re never gonna stop
We’re gonna make it count
When when one of is tired out
The other one will hold down

We’re gonna spread the love
We’re gonna spread it ‘round 
We’re all over in the city now
And way down in the underground 

It’s a good day
To fight the system
(To fight the system)
It’s a good, good, good day, yes,
A good, good, good day

It’s a good day
To fight the system
(To fight the system)
It’s a good, good, good day, yes,
A good, good, good day

It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good
It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good
It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good
It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good
It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good
It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good
It’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good, it’s a good

It’s a good day
To fight the system
(To fight the system)
It’s a good, good, good day, yes,
A good, good, good day

(‘C’mon!)

It’s a good day
To fight the system
(To fight the system)
It’s a good, good, good day, yes,
A good, good, good day

I (motsi)

It's a good day (to fight the system)

Stream

Sometimes I feel
Like a waterless rose
It don’t rain ‘round here so I make my own storms

Sometimes I feel
Like I had to grow thorns
To protect me from the hands that’d break my bones

I’ve been so alone
I have a house but not a home

And so I fight
When I really wanna cry
When I really wanna die
When I really wanna love

And so I fight
When I really wanna cry
When I really wanna die
When I really wanna love

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh
(Love)
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh
(Love)

That’s just the way
Of a fatherless child
Just ask anyone who tried to tame my wild

Tattoo my face
With a permanent smile
Even love can only love me for a while

I’ve been so alone
I have a house but not a home

And so I fight
When I really wanna cry
When I really wanna die
When I really wanna love

And so I fight
When I really wanna cry
When I really wanna die
When I really wanna love

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh
(Love)
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh
(Love)

Fatherless child

#SCfirst #GETMOREPLAYS

I wanna walk
Through an alley at night
Without making a knife with a key
Like, "Oh, my god,
It’s safe
To be me"

I wanna drink 
’Til I’m drunk
And not think about 
Everything wrong that could be
Like, "Oh, my god,
It’s safe
It’s safe
To be..."

Me off my face
At a stranger’s party

I was asleep   
And he touched
My body

Wished I could think
But my brain
Was foggy

I did nothing wrong
Why do I  
Feel sorry?

‘Cause they tell us that we should take care of ourselves
That if we dress like this, then we’ve asked to be felt

I wanna walk
Through an alley at night
Without making a knife with a key
Like, "Oh, my god,
It’s safe
To be me"

I wanna drink 
’Til I’m drunk
And not think about 
Everything wrong that could be
Like, "Oh, my god,
It’s safe
It’s safe
To be..."

Black in America 
Black and shopping

Black on a jog
In a locked apartment 

Black in car 
On the sidewalk dancing

They didn’t nothing wrong
Why are they in heaven?

‘Cause they tell us that we’re only meant for a cell
That if we look like this, then we’ve asked to be killed

I wanna walk
Through an alley at night
Without making a knife with a key
Like, "Oh, my god,
It’s safe
To be me"

I wanna drink 
’Til I’m drunk
And not think about 
Everything wrong that could be
Like, "Oh, my god,
It’s safe
It’s safe
To be me
Ohhhhhh
To be me
Ohhhhhh
Be me."

To be me

stream

written by Shungudzo 
produced by Shungudzo and Spencer Stewart

Awwww
People really piss me off 
A certain kinda men 
Praising god but burning crosses 
The world revolves around them 

I try to take the higher road
So pardon my descent 
But fuck all these criminals 
And free the weed man

There’s only so much a soul can take
There’s only so much a soul can take

Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my
 
Uhhhh
It’s a picture perfect night in 
Greater USA, where 
People know my color 
Before they know my name 
I try to be agreeable 
I try to be a saint
But sometimes an upright middle finger is the way!

There’s only so much a soul can take
There’s only so much a soul can take

Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my

There’s only so much a soul can take 
There’s only so much a soul can take 

Can take 
Can take 
Can take

Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my

Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my my my my
Oh my my my

There's only so much a soul can take

I'm not a mother, but I have children

Black breath (intro)

Already free

Trippin'

The world can't change for you, but you can change the world

White parents

Where are my friends?

Good thing I'm not god

How many more lives?

Using words as weapons of love
My debut album is out now! 
https://shungudzo.lnk.to/Imnotamother
contact: mark@vectormgmt.com

Shungudzo

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