Tasha – Black Happiness
Tasha Reid (also known as Natasha Shanta Reid) (korean name- yoon mi rae) is an American born R&B singer and rapper born in Portland, Texas on May 31, 1981 to an African American father and a Korean mother.
She is one of the leading female hiphop/R&B/Soul singers in Korea. Known as Queen of Soul in Korean music industry, she has been appointed the ambassador/spokeswoman for DaMoonWha(Muti-Cultural Youth Organization). In the song, “Black Happiness,” she discusses the racial prejudice she faced growing up.
For more information on Tasha visit: http://www.yoonmirae.com/
Lyrics:
* Black Happiness by Tasha
My skin was dark from my past
People used to point at me
Even at my mom Even at my dad who was black, and in the army
People whisper behind my back
Said this and said that
I always had tears in my eyes
Although I was young
I saw my mother’s sadness
Everything
seemed like it was my fault
Because of my guilt
I washed my face everytime during the day
With my tears I melt the white soap
I always hated my dark skin
why O why
Does the world judge me
When I hate the world
I close my eyes
I put my soul into the music my father gave me
I feel the volume
And fly higher and higher
Far away
la musique
(When I hate the world)
(Music soothes me)
(you gotta hold on)
(and love yourself)
(When I hate the world)
(Music raises me up)
(so you gotta be strong)
(you gotta hold on)
(and love yourself)
Time passed and I was thirteen
My skin was dark brown
Music doesn’t judge color
They give me light
I lead my music
We lean on eachother
I don’t feel lonely
Then one day
I was given a chance
I held on to my microphone
And suddenly I was on stage
I say goodbye to music and ask it to come back
Then I became nineteen
I have to lie
I put white makeup over my face
They told me to wear a mask
They said my mom’s race was okay
But not my dad’s
Every year my age was nineteen
During times when time stopped
I felt like I was in jail
And I leaned on myself
I spent endless, painful days
I ignored their warnings
And because I missed music
I tried to escape
But no, I got caught
I prayed all night
And now I’m free
