Music Video

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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Background Vocals
Average White Band
Average White Band
Sampled Artist
Chuck D
Chuck D
Rap
Kool & The Gang
Kool & The Gang
Sampled Artist
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Sampled Artist
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Songwriter
Terry Lewis
Terry Lewis
Songwriter
Carlton Ridenhour
Carlton Ridenhour
Songwriter
Claydes Smith
Claydes Smith
Songwriter
Dennis Ronald Thomas
Dennis Ronald Thomas
Songwriter
Gene Redd
Gene Redd
Songwriter
George Brown
George Brown
Songwriter
James Harris
James Harris
Songwriter
Ricky West
Ricky West
Songwriter
Robert Bell
Robert Bell
Songwriter
Robert Spike Mickens
Robert Spike Mickens
Songwriter
Ronald Bell
Ronald Bell
Songwriter
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Songwriter
W. Sparrow
W. Sparrow
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Producer
Jimmy Jam
Jimmy Jam
Producer
Terry Lewis
Terry Lewis
Producer
Dave Rideau
Dave Rideau
Mixing Engineer
Steve Hodge
Steve Hodge
Mixing Engineer

Lyrics

It ain't nothin' but an us thing And it's time for us to step it up and respect That level of sisterhood that's been holdin' up our neighborhood And if it wasn't for our mothers there would be no brothers And if it wasn't for our sisters there would be no misters So it ain't nothing but an us thing She's strong and that's a fact Not it's time for us to take up the slack Step it up, step it up time to go to work History hidden from me To hide my identity So i'd never feel I am somebody You've gouged my eyes I see more clearly You've tried to rub me of my humanity My spirit you tried to break My soul you tried to take There's no need to be afraid "cause i won't do unto you now Chorus: Amen All that we've been through Our time has come to rejoice A new agenda's due Amen It's time to know the truth Our time has come to rejoice A new agenda's due Because of my gender I've heard "no" too many times Because of my race I've heard "no" to many times But with every "no" i grow in strength That is why African american women I stand tall with pride You want to know what it takes To rid yourself of me now There's nothing you can do Accept me for who i am now Repeat chorus Time to step it up, step it up Better check yourself I got vexed to protect what we got Left her alone Lookin' for your own Here it is i know what i'm sayin' But the klan ain't playin' at the range Gotta step it up us to a discuss a must It ain't nothin' but an us thing Rewind back to the time Where the color of our mother Had 'em call it a crime Brother what in the world? And the world says where in the black man Support the women and the children Time to step it up, step it up, it's play off time And the rhyme go to check, so check yourself Repeat chorus
Writer(s): Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, James Samuel Harris Iii, Gene C. Redd, Woodrow Sparrow, Richard Allen Westfield, Janet Jackson, Ronald N. Bell, Claydes Eugene Smith, Robert Spike Mickens, Robert Earl Bell, Dennis Thomas, George Melvin Brown, Stevie Wonder, Terry Steven Lewis Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
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