Dear Asian American,
Check out @MyGirlKudo and her song Middle Fingers (Spotify) (iTunes).
First of all, it’s a banger.
Second of all, she wrote this for us. She was inspired by her experiences as an Asian American, as a woman and the #MeToo movement.
Here are the lines that jump out at me as an Asian American:
Out with the old, it’s new year
Eyes might be low, I can steer clear
Independent
I know my shit
Waving at suckas in my rearview
So many people have ideas about what we as Asian Americans are supposed to be, who we can’t be, what’s supposed to make us happy and so many other things. It’s so important that we never lose sight that we are in the driver’s seat.
White supremacy literally says we’re bad drivers. Nah. You’re a fine driver, and you’re in the driver’s seat of your life.
The chorus:
Middle Fingers to the sky now
Flush all that flux
Don’t give a fuck
Middle Fingers to the sky now
Yeah yeah
Live it young die free
We can’t make everyone happy. So sometimes to go forward, we just have to grip it and go. Middle fingers up, chase our dreams, to pursue happiness.
Be a “bad Asian”. Be a “mediocre Asian”. Be a “messy Asian”. Be a “lazy Asian”. Be a “loud Asian”. Be an outstanding Asian in ways they expect AND the ways they don’t want you to be outstanding.
Pay what you owe me
Gotta Pay what you owe
Pay what you owe
Pay up that respect to me
Mainstream society says it’s okay to pay minorities less. Mainstream society says it’s okay to pay women less. Mainstream society says we don’t deserve full respect.
That is not true.
Drake says “Know yourself, know your worth”. Eddie Huang says charge “full fucking price”. Remember Kudo’s words too. “Pay what you owe me.”
LINKS:
Instagram: @MyGirlKudo
Website: kudo-music.com
Facebook: @KudoMusic
Twitter: @MyGirlKudo