A former member of British lovers rock trio Brown Sugar (along with former … Read Full Bio ↴A former member of British lovers rock trio Brown Sugar (along with former Soul II Soul member Caron Wheeler), Kofi emerges on her own here with a confident, crisp lovers album. This is how lovers rock should be done: the music (courtesy of Mad Professor) is buttery smooth, Kofi's vocals are similarly mellow -- yet with a sultry power that demands your attention -- and the melodies are supple enough to fit into any R&B radio station's nightly "Quiet Storm" programming. Unlike some lovers rock, the material here never treads into the pop realm to a disgusting degree (although there is an R&B remake of Midnight Star's classic "Curious."). But her lyrics don't always stick to pure lovers content. "Big John," for instance, is a poignant tale of a sympathetic killer, while "Black Pride" focuses on, well, black pride. Nevertheless, Kofi's soothing lovers style is consistent, no matter what the lyrical content. Along with the previously mentioned tracks, "There Must Be," "Didn't I," and "Reggae Starship" are especially strong, but all of the cuts on Black...With Sugar come together to set a mood that is hard to resist.

Black Pride
Kofi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, yeah
Ooh-ooh-ooh...

Black is the color of my skin
Black is the life that I live
And I'm so proud to be
The color that God made me
I just got to say

Black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, oh, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)
I said, black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)

Brown is the color of my eyes
And I've got no reason to disguise
Black is the pride in me
For all of the world to see
I just got to say

Black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, oh, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)
I said, black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, no, no, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)

Yeah, yeah
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh...

Black is the pride in me
For all of the world to see
And I just got to say

Black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, oh, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)
I said, black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)

I said, black is my color, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, oh, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)
I said, black is my color, yeah, yeah
(Black pride for all to see)
Couldn't be any other, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)

I said, lack is my color
(Black pride for all to see)
Black is my color, yeah, yeah
Couldn't be any other, no, no
(Oh, no, I must be me)

Oh, no, no, no
(Black pride for all to see)

Overall Meaning

In Kofi's song "Black Pride," the artist celebrates blackness and asserts that their blackness is nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Through the repetition of the phrase "black is my color," Kofi repeatedly affirms their pride in being black, and emphasizes that they wouldn't want to be any other way. Additionally, Kofi notes that their brown eyes are a source of pride, and that the whole world should be able to see that they are proud of their blackness. In essence, Kofi is reclaiming and celebrating their blackness in the face of a world that may have historically rejected or dismissed it.

The song is a powerful statement on the importance of racial pride and is an assertion of self-worth in the face of systemic racism and oppression. With lines like "Black is the life that I live" and "Black is the pride in me," Kofi emphasizes the centrality of their black identity to their sense of self. By repeating the phrase "black pride for all to see," Kofi also places an emphasis on visibility and the importance of representing oneself accurately and proudly. Overall, "Black Pride" is a celebratory anthem of blackness, a call to action for black individuals to love and celebrate themselves fully.

Line by Line Meaning

Black is the color of my skin
I am a Black person.

Black is the life that I live
My experiences, culture, and identity are rooted in Blackness.

And I'm so proud to be
I embrace and celebrate my Blackness.

The color that God made me
I believe that my Blackness is part of divine creation.

Black is my color, yeah
I identify as Black.

(Black pride for all to see)
I express my Black pride openly.

Couldn't be any other, oh, no
I wouldn't choose any other race or ethnicity.

(Oh, no, I must be me)
I am comfortable being myself and owning my Blackness.

Brown is the color of my eyes
My physical attributes include having brown eyes.

And I've got no reason to disguise
I see no reason to hide or be ashamed of my Blackness.

Black is the pride in me
My Blackness brings me a sense of pride.