On May 26, 2018, Taylor Bennett shared a snippet for this song that was deleted a few days later. This song is set to be the title track for his upcoming album of the same name.
Taylor reflects on some of the difficult moments of his youth, family, faith and sexuality in a call for everyone to embr...
[Intro: Taylor Bennett]
That ain't wrong
That ain't wrong
In order to touch, you gotta fly
Don't break you down, no
These diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
[Verse: Taylor Bennett]
I used to look up at the stars and wonder if he's really there
If he was, why he give me hand-me-downs every year
Why my momma hate my dad, and why my daddy never here
Why I got this IEP, and why can't I just be prepared
Why these teachers laugh at me when I say I'ma be the mayor
When I say I'm serious, why they smiles don't disappear
'Cause I ride that CTA, 4.0 ain't my GPA
My momma was so proud of me, Lisa Bennett not Lisa Ray
She was scratching lottery tickets, when we gon' see the place
And on top of that got my first suspension like yesterday
They know I'm '07 now why these niggas gon' mess with me
If I got a problem, still call up Zeke, he gone rescue me
You say hit up Jay for that recipe, now it's rest in peace
Chano you can rest in peace, Damo you can rest in peace
Maurice you can rest in peace, damn that shit got the best of me
Used to leave McDonald's with empty bottles and cold gelato
When it's hot Chicago we movin' like the clutch off the throttle
Now it's less McDonald's like models coming from Colorado
If I painted my story, my canvases aura couldn’t follow
I used stay up late nights wanting what I couldn't borrow
Now it's hello world, hella' yellow girls in my bed on tour
So much more than my dictionary could infer
I just had to write this track, goddamn while my stomach hurt
'Cus we all independent in this bitch and we can fuckin' merge
Been a while since I've been to church no wonder I'm feellin' cursed
Wishin' this was '05 back when ain't nobody give a fuck
Before this Acid Rain dance, and that's when we were good enough
From playpens to stadiums, that's a lot of growing up
I just thought I'd open up 'cause that means that it's more to us
No name-dropping, clout-chasing, ain't the way the tour bus
I been in a lab clockin' work without no doctor shirt
This year wasn't easy, if your dreamin' boy you gotta work
Thinkin' this shit gotta work, everytime I write a verse
Workin', workin' workin', workin', workin', that's that Bennett curse
Dream's worth believing in, scheming, planning an' seizin' 'em
Used to call me retarded, now all my F's got them V's in 'em
Salty exes is seasonin', slowin' down on my sodium
Euphoria's not utopia, stop actin' like you know me bruh
I knew since birth it was certain that I was sent with a purpose
While you competin' with crabs in a bucket I'm in the ocean
It's Taylor Bennett, your superhero, the answer's been spoken
I told 'em be yourself fast, you gotta scream to the masses
And niggas still call me faggot, but bitch my shit lookin' fabulous
You can tell by the bag I get, momma's names on the addresses
You portray with the savages, I invade them, enslave them
My debt is repaid and then blast that shit, I ain't cappin’ or Catholic
I'm an outstanding Afro-American bisexual havin' shit
Change your dreams if they average
If your workplace is adamant, how the fuck it ain't accurate?
Okay
I switch lanes for gang gang, and no shame in my job
And no angles, just angels, who hate what we love
And we're ages and pages, it's dangerous trust
And no favorites, just favors, it's neighborly love
And my savior done made me and saved all of us
And your savior done made you and saved all of us
And my savior done made me and saved all of us
[Bridge: Bianca Shaw]
You know, deep down
We're all our own kind
You know, diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
Deep down, we're all our own kind
You know, diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
Deep down, we're all a gold mine
You know, diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
Deep down, you're a gold mine
You know, diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
Deep down, you're a gold mine
You know, diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
Deep down, you're a gold mine
You know, diamonds take pressure
Diamonds take pressure
BE YOURSELF was written by Bianca Shaw & Taylor Bennett.
BE YOURSELF was produced by Stix.
Taylor Bennett released BE YOURSELF on Wed Jun 06 2018.
In an interview with the TIME magazine, Taylor gave this background to the song:
To be black in America, to come from a background where typical masculinity comes first at all costs and being the first to disrupt the norm, is so scary. You know, it’s very, very, very hard to be yourself — but even...