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This post highlights music as a mechanism for Black storytelling, and profiles several notable artists' contributions. This post is best enjoyed when you read and listen :)
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James Baldwin once wrote, “It is only in his music that the Negro in America has been able to tell his story.” This quote holds some truth today and even across centuries before, when dreams of freedom could only ring through the tune of a Negro spiritual.
In the face of familiar challenges, Black artists have again returned to their musical roots. I’ve listed a few of my personal favorites below.
K.K.P.D. - Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah: Inspired by his lived experience as a Black man in New Orleans, jazz trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah composed this emotional response to being racially profiled. The jazz genre itself is one born out of protest--a departure from western music’s more rigid, classical standards--and Adjuah is proof that this tradition is in good hands.
Be Free - J. Cole: J. Cole’s performance on Letterman in 2014 was originally scheduled to promote his third album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Only two weeks before the show, a St. Louis Grand jury decided against indicting Darren Wilson for the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown. With the jury’s decision weighing heavily on his spirit, Cole delivers a performance that captured our collective grief in ways that only music could.
Song 33 - Noname: In this short song dedicated to slain 19-year-old activist Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau, Noname laments the countless attacks on Black trans women. She also challenges her peers who remain silent amidst these struggles, as she declares herself to be amongst “the new vanguard” of Black artists.
Alright - Kendrick Lamar: 2015 Kendrick is Kendrick at the height of his powers. Unapologetic and untamed, the fourth single from To Pimp a Butterfly is perhaps best described as the project’s mission statement. It serves as a nod to past songs of hope (see: “We Shall Overcome”), while the song’s refrain speaks to the resilience of both Black life and joy.
Black Rage - Lauryn Hill: Lauryn Hill’s debut solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is hip-hop’s foremost meditation on Black womanhood. In this unmastered recording, released days after the murder of Michael Brown, she sings from the distressed perspective of a Black mother.
As we enter into this final weekend of Black History Month, I’m hopeful we can reflect on the many contributions of Black artists, who dared to create despite having every reason to abstain. We should all be so grateful to have heard their stories
Christian has worked across the nonprofit sector, and cares deeply about the issues of education inequality and arts advocacy. He is thrilled to bring that experience to his work with GetThru's education and nonprofit clients. In his free time, Christian enjoys getting outdoors, producing music, and rooting for his hometown DC sports teams.
