The sultry, Sade-driven, hip-hop/spoken word/neo-soul fusion ballad "Skin" is a sensual ode to the melanin-enriched hue and sees its primary narrator Sxvxnt trade vividly titillating verses with Chicago poet Janien Hammonds, while Hempstead singer/songwriter Makeda Iroquois supplies a smoky hook and bridge to punctuate the affair. Be prepared to carve out some extra space on either your Valentine's Day or bedroom playlist... or both.
lyrics
Verse 1 (Janien Hammonds):
His words have got me wanting to be touched by his Brown Skin
Or drenched in it like Brown men
Like a strawberry dipped in chocolate, so close, it must be sin
Something akin to laying down next to Him and giving Him the pleasure
Of giving me pleasure
Something so seductive as swimming in His Skin
Or His kisses on my Skin or silk sheets caress Our Skin
And words whispered in my ear do something to me within
His fingers read me like Braille, and make me feel like Hell
Must've broken loose
The Moon must be blue, because He set my ship loose to sail
And can you tell?
I'm so stuck on Dude
Hook (Makeda Iroquois):
Baby I'm
I'm
Baby I'm
I'm
Baby I'm
I'm
Baby I'm
Trapped in Your Skin
Verse 2 (Sxvxnt):
Her eyes, Her smile, the curvature of Her lips
Her thighs aligned with the curvature of Her hips
Have widened my eyes and stirred me from my scripted lines that I
Have purposed for to spit and
Worse, or better, depending who you ask I'm
Cursed, or blessed; Her nether demanding that I gasp and
Yes, the best of Her was none of those factors
Yes, the best of Her, above all, in fact: Her Skin
God yes, it was melanin drenched: the Brown tint of a Twix
With a Heavenly kick
And as the gloss of Her Skin seemed to glow and glisten
I stood in awe and resented how the Sun kissed Her
Convinced that my lips could bring
Things the Day Star Of God wouldn't dare to dream
See, my arms was the place that She needed to be
But from the arms of the Sun, She had no need to leave
Or heed my voice raised toward She
But wait; until She locked eyes with me
Hook
Verse 3a (Janien Hammonds):
I don't want to stop, because I'm higher than when I fell the first time
He takes me higher and higher every time
Gives me something new to bring my memories back to this place in Time
Right here
And trust me, y'all
Heaven is beautiful
I know because He took me there
Verse 3b (Sxvxnt):
Airborne
One touch took me there in rare form
Her rare form
Entrenched in such a splendid design
Her fingertips stroked my quivering spine
And as Our hips align, lips unite in a suspension of Time
Until We're blended
Cinched in a synchronous bind of heightened senses
Lifted: Ascension divine
And Our Skin, neither end
Nor beginning is nigh for She and I
Verse 3c (Makeda Iroquois):
Blue is the colour of the Sky
While the play the beach, caressing Black sand
Melanin: go'n' gitchu a tan
Hook
credits
released February 12, 2021
Production by W. Jones
Lyrics by M. I. Johnson, J. Hammonds, and G. R. Daggett
Composition by: R. Millar, S. Mattewman, H. F. Adu
Recorded and mixed by J. Howard for Peerless Recording Group
Additional recording by Makeda Iroquois
Mastered at Ridge22 Studios
