Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Kendrick Lamar
Vocals
JaVonté
Background Vocals
Josef Leimberg
Trumpet
Lalah Hathaway
Background Vocals
Larrance Dopson
Percussion
Pete Rock
Background Vocals
Rapsody
Vocals
Robert Glasper
Keyboards
Talkbox Monte
Background Vocals
Terrace Martin
Keyboards
Thundercat
Background Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Mark Spears
Songwriter
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
Songwriter
Marlanna Evans
Songwriter
Stephen Bruner
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Thundercat
Producer
9th Wonder
Recording Engineer
Anthony "TOPDAWG" Tiffith
Executive Producer
Antydote
Additional Producer
Dave "Miyatola" Free
Associate Producer
Derek "MixedByAli" Ali
Mixing Engineer
Dr. Dre
Executive Producer
Mark Spears
Producer
Matt Schaeffer
Recording Engineer
Mike Bozzi
Mastering Engineer
Terrace Martin
Additional Producer
Lyrics
[Intro]
I'm with this
[Chorus]
Complexion
Two-step (Two-step)
Complexion don't mean a thing
It's a Zulu love
Ooh, complexion
Two-step (Two-step)
It all feels the same
It's a Zulu love (Zulu love)
[Verse 1]
Uh
Dark as the midnight hour or bright as the morning 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 ****
I made a flower for you out of cotton just to chill with you
You know I'd go the distance, you know I'm ten toes down
Even if master listening, cover your ears, he 'bout to mention
[Chorus]
Complexion
Two-step (Two-step)
Complexion don't mean a thing
It's a Zulu love (It's a Zulu love)
Ooh, complexion
Two-step (Two-step)
It all feels the same
It's a Zulu love
[Verse 2]
Uh
Dark as the midnight hour or bright as the morning 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 ****
I made a flower for you out of cotton just to chill with you
You know I'd go the distance, you know I'm ten toes down
Even if master listening, I got the world attention
So I'ma say something that's vital and critical for survival
Of mankind, if he lying, 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]
Complexion
Two-step (Two-step)
Complexion don't mean a thing
It's a Zulu love (Zulu love)
Ooh, complexion
Two-step (Two-step)
It all feels the same
It's a Zulu love
[Bridge]
Uh
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]
Let me talk my Stu Scott, 'scuse me on my 2Pac
Keep your head up, when did you stop?
Love and die
Color of your skin, color of your eyes
That's the real blues, baby, like you met Jay's baby
You blew me away, you think more beauty in blue, green, and grey
All my Solomon up north, 12 Years A Slave
Twelve years of age, thinking my shade too dark
I love myself, I no longer need Cupid
And forcing my dark side like a young George Lucas
Light don't mean you smart, being dark don't make you stupid
And frame of mind for them busters, ain't talking woo-hah
Need a paradox for the pair of dots they tutored
Like two ties, 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, uh, 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 talking Jay, mm-mm, I ain't talking Bey
I'm talking days we got school watching 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, no, colors ain't a thing
[Outro]
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
Written by: Kendrick Lamar, Michael Anthony Spears, Stephen Lee Bruner