Paintings

We paint a pretty picture disregarding what we paint it with
We just want the image let me show the people how we live
Not caring for anyone that's in this hostile environment
The paint is mixed with blood and guts and packed with all this arrogance

It's more than apparent, been seeping in the children
You as a parent, are voluntarily building
On this notion that you're better than someone else is
That's nonsense, a cancerous concept to be teaching children

There's people all around us that think of others as less than human
Whites... arabs... like yo tell me what you're doing
Asians and some blacks, we've built up all this tension
And some family members that I'm ashamed to mention

All they know is the things that they see on TV
Stereotypes in their hearts like yo believe me
I've heard a lot of shit that's been said up at the dinner table
So it's a jab at me 'fore you get started like jumper cables

We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
Doesn't matter how you feel
As long as you're out my picture

We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
Doesn't matter how you feel
As long as you're out my picture

As useful as colors are, we're bias like come to ours
Want nothing to do with y'all your skin is a bit too dark
When I was young, I was told to stay up out the sun
Cause I would get too dark while I was trynna have fun

I didn't really care I'm a kid, why does my shade matter
And as I got older it was a bigger chapter
My father is dark skinned and my mother is light
I came out looking caramel so I was alright

Dad says he hates looking in mirrors and that shit makes me sad
Cause of his skin color like it's an unspeakable act
As if we had a choice on how we look, it don't make you greater
Got issues on how I look, then talk with my Creator

Maybe you'll learn a thing when you speak out from the heart
Or maybe someone should've humbled you from the start
It doesn't really matter though, how we look, now does it
Cause even though we the same you still gon treat us different (Cold blooded)

We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
Doesn't matter how you feel
As long as you're out my picture

We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
Doesn't matter how you feel
As long as you're out my picture

Ask em and they'll admit it, these kids don't care about it
They are surely taught if, your skin is dark you aren't shit
We talk a lot about not judging books by their cover
Yet we don't the time to really know one another

It happens in my community, my people are on front page
How are we supposed to grow if all we ever do is complain
My brothers don't feel safe, my sisters is finna fight somebody
This ain't the Muslim I was taught to be this is that hypocrisy

No colors, no race, no bias, no hate
How is arrogance a possibility when we know the fate
You breathe the same air your shit still stink
Shaitan showed this behavior and was thrown from gates

Still we ain't fearing God, and living like we're in charge
Of every single person that we see and we come across
Except for the one that needs our full attention
I'm hoping that we can start this conversation like an intervention

We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
Doesn't matter how you feel
As long as you're out my picture

We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We just wanna paint a pretty picture
We ju- (yeah yeah)
Doesn't matter how you feel
As long as you're out my picture