‘Say it Loud,’ Beautiful Black Voices | Playlist 🎧

1. Gary Clark, Jr., “This Land”

💿 This Land • 🏷 Warner • 📅 2019

“Paranoid and pissed off / Now that I got the money / Fifty acres and a model A / Right in the middle of Trump country.” Uh oh – we see where this is going! 🎵 “This Land”, the electrifying minor-key title track from 🎙 Gary Clark, Jr.’s 2019 album 💿 This Land, reflects on the American plight of people of color.  Throughout the course of the song, the eclectic blues/rock singer/guitarist depicts the prevalence of racism within the world’s greatest country.

The most powerful lyrical statement that is made on “This Land” comes courtesy of the chorus, where Gary Clark, Jr. unapologetically states the mindset of racists:

“‘Nigga run, nigga run
Go back where you come from, uh
Nigga run, nigga run
Go back where you come from
We don’t want, we don’t want your kind
We think you’s a dog born’
Fuck you, I’m America’s son
This is where I come from.”

Following the utterly ridiculous statement made about the American-born black musician, who represents numerous African Americans, he packs a mighty punch on the post-chorus where he asserts, “This land is mine.”  Also, worth noting, Clark, Jr. delivers a totally badass guitar solo.  Say it and play it loud Gary!

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2. James Brown, “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud – Pt. 1”

💿 The 50^th Anniversary Collection • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 2003 

“Uh! With your bad self! Say it loud: I’m black and I’m proud!” Ooh wee! Three-time, 🏆 Grammy-winning funk/soul icon 🎙 James Brown shows immense black pride on his classic, 🎵 “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud – Pt. 1.”  These days, it’s Pt. 1 that gets the most love, appearing on such greatest hits compilations like the fine 2003 compendium, 💿 The 50^th Anniversary Collection.  That said, the full-length original, 🎵 “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud – Pts. 1 & 2,” appears on Brown’s 1969 album, 💿 Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.

This hella funky cut is pretty straightforward.  The Godfather of Soul is intentional about being proud of who he is and his people.  He’s definitely pushes for better things and times to come, citing the many hardships that have faced black folks.  “We have been ‘buked and we have been scorned,” he sings on the first verse, adding, “We’ve been treated bad, talked about as sure as you’re born /… Brother, we can’t quit until we get our share.”  I love Brown’s socially conscious mindset.  Also, I love the band, who drops some of the most ill and sickest funk you’ll ever hear.  Furthermore, as lit as the hook and verses are on “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud,” the bridge might be the crowning achievement, with James Brown doing those signature James Brown things over those killer riffs!

“Ooh-wee, you’re killing me
All right, you outta sight
All night, so tough
You’re tough...
Ooh-wee, you’re killing me!”

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3. Beyoncé, “Black Parade”

💿 The Lion King: The Gift [Deluxe] • 🏷 Sony • 🗓 2020

Arguably, Juneteenth received much more attention in 2020 than it had in years – maybe ever.   Sure, former President Donald Trump tried to take credit, but the amplification of the celebration was propelled by protests, fighting for racial equality and justice.  🎙 Beyoncé, woke like so many black musicians during an incredibly tense, released a song celebrating blackness, 🎵 “Black Parade”. The Juneteenth 2020 single fittingly finds a home on 💿 The Lion King: The Gift (Deluxe Edition), as both an extended and shorter version. The big takeaway from the record is celebrating blackness, period.

“Black Parade” blends African and international music with R&B, hip-hop, and pop.  Also, there’s a clearly a socially conscious sentiment. It also successfully establishes a vibe. There’s lots of gimmickry and repetition, but not only is it embracing the minimalist elements of modern, mainstream music, it also revisits the minimalist elements of world music, which makes it so influential on today’s music. Despite its more simplistic elements, “Black Parade” is actually deeper and more transcendent. It’s polarizing, but definitely art and a great conversation piece.  

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4. Anthony Hamilton, “Mercy”

Ft. Tamika D. Mallory

🎵 “Mercy” • 🏷 My Music Box / BMG Rights Management • 📅 2020

🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Anthony Hamilton has been one of the most consistent musicians in the game throughout his career.  At the end of 2020, assisted by social justice leader 🎙 Tamika D. Mallory, he drops a soulful R&B gem via the socially conscious 🎵 “Mercy”. Mallory sets the tone, highlighting the value of black men, as well as the struggles they face.  She stirs up the audience with her empowering, uplifting message, which is chocked full of resolve.

From there, Hamilton gets to work, blessing us with a mix of buttery smooth and gospel-infused pipes.  Throughout the course of this ‘woke’ joint, he petitions for mercy given such struggles experienced by his community.  Further strengthening the messaging, the awesome songwriting is supported by a marvelous backdrop. “Mercy” ends up being a powerful record with a statement perfectly attuned for turbulent times – Black Lives definitely Matter!  Mr. Hamilton checks off every box.

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5. H.E.R., “I Can’t Breathe”

🎵 “I Can’t Breathe” • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2020

“I can’t breathe / You’re taking my life from me / I can’t breathe / Will anyone fight for me?” Cutting right to the chase, 🎙 H.E.R. shocked the world at the 🏆 63^rd Annual Grammy Awards.  How so? Well, after several nominations in the ‘big four’ categories, she won, unexpectedly, for 🎵 “I Can’t Breathe.” Written alongside 🎼✍ Dernst “Dmile” Emile II (who also produces) and 🎼✍ Tiara Thomas, “I Can’t Breathe” tackles a history of racist injustice in America, specifically reignited by the murder of George Floyd.

As the aforementioned chorus lyrics suggest, “I Can’t Breathe” is a heavy record.  Set in a minor key, expectedly, H.E.R. desires for this record to be more reflective, somber, and thought provoking.  This isn’t a song you should listen to and not take something away from it. Always a great songwriter, this particular record is by far her most timely, given the troubling situations inspiring it. Sure, most music critics wrote it off as a possibility to take such a prestigious honor at the Grammys, even if H.E.R. has been a darling of the Recording Academy.  Clearly, we shouldn’t have.  It’s truly a special, meaningful song.

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6. Leon Bridges, “Sweeter”

Ft. Terrace Martin

💿 Gold-Diggers Sound • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021

On 🎵 “Sweeter”, released in 2020 (appears on 2021’s 💿 Gold-Diggers Sound),  🏆 Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Leon Bridges takes the opportunity to capture his thoughts about race and racial injustice through music. “Sweeter,” (featuring 🎙 Terrace Martin), features a nice blend of old- and new- school R&B.  Bridges clearly has one foot in the door of the past, yet at the same time, the record is slightly more modern than what’s appeared on his albums.  🎛 Ricky Reed and 🎛 Nate Mercereau do a marvelous job behind the boards, helping to mold this ‘sweet’ sound.  Though the sounds are indeed sweet, Bridges’ vocal performance, and the lyrics he conveys are the centerpiece.

“Hoping for a life more sweeter
Instead I’m just a story repeating
Why do I fear with skin dark as night?
Can’t feel peace with those judging eyes.”

From the start of this somewhat nontraditional number, you feel the weight; the lyrics speak for themselves.  Leon goes on to say that he “Thought we moved on from dark days,” basically expressing his disappointment over the racial injustices in 2020 without explicitly saying so.  One of the most moving passages:

“The tears of my mother rain, rain over me
My sisters and my brothers sing, sing over me
And I wish I had another day, but it’s just another day.” 

What really stands out about “Sweeter” is how Bridges, Martin, and the songwriters and musicians poetically approach things.  “Sweeter” is a beautiful song, but it’s a beautiful song with no shortage of emotion and pain.  It’s another excellent addition to the growing list of songs that speak out against racial inequality and injustice.  

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7. Nina Simone, “Mississippi Goddam”

💿 In Concert • 🏷 Verve • 📅 1964

“The name of this tune is ‘Mississippi Goddam’ / And I mean every word of it.” Ooh wee! 🎵 “Mississippi Goddam,” as the title suggest, does NOT serve up a flattering view of Mississippi (sorry Mississippians).  It does, however, definitely rank among iconic jazz musician’s 🎙 Nina Simone’s most famous and beloved classics.  It’s ‘real talk’ and doesn’t solely point the finger at Mississippi, though the state gets the brunt of it, intensified by the expletive.

“Alabama’s gotten me so upset
Tennessee’s made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam.”

So, why Mississippi, you ask? Well, the southern state has quite the checkered past regarding racism, including the assassination of black civil rights activist, Medgar Evers.  As a non-Mississippian, who still happens to be southern, it feels like everything suspect regarding race relations and such ‘goes down’ in this state.  Still, Simone is critical of Alabama aside from the name-drop in the chorus, including the line “School children sitting in jail.”  The big takeaway from this song is that it’s one of the preeminent Civil Rights anthems.  Yes, Mississippi is viewed particularly poorly, but Simone was speaking about the south in particular with the fight to achieve equal rights for blacks.

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8. Meek Mill, “Otherside of America”

🎵 “Otherside of America” • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 2020

“I’ve been tryna run from these caskets / All this pain built in me, nigga…” 🏆 Grammy-nominated rapper 🎙 Meek Mill gets socially conscious on the ferocious 🎵 “Otherside of America”. The record commences with a sample from an infamous Donald Trump speech, painting a damning picture about urban black life: “58% of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?” From there, Meek ‘goes TF in’ over a banging 🎛 SHROOM and 🎛 Butter Beats backdrop. Set in a minor key, the beat is crazy, and the orchestral cues add dramatic flair and intensity.

Mill uses the first verse to share his life story – an arduous, dangerous childhood, and eventually experiencing his come up through rap.  Similarly, on the second, he reflects on rough-and-tumble times, including troubles faced, while also acknowledging his success story. The chorus that paints a portrait of the experience some blacks face that are far too often taken for granted, and that those who have privilege never face nor understand. All in all, Meek Mill slaughters, painting an excellent, unsettling portrait of “the other side of America.”

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9. Mickey Guyton, “Black Like Me”

💿 Bridges • 🏷 Capitol Nashville • 🗓 2020

“Broke my heart on the playground, mm / When they said I was different…” In 2020, a number of black musicians have used their platform to celebrate blackness and fight for racial equality.  🎙 Mickey Guyton is a black female in a genre that lacks much black representation – country music. She drops an incredible country single, 🎵 “Black Like Me” (💿 Bridges), that exhibits pride for being black and provides brilliant commentary on race.

Theme and lyrics serve as the crowning achievement of this 🏆 Grammy-nominated gem. Mickey reflects on the past and moves on to the present, as an adult.  She laments inequalities on the pre-chorus, and truly ‘brings it on home’ – what it feels like to experience it – even as an adult: “It’s a hard life on easy street / Just white painted picket fences far as you can see / If you think we live in the land of the free / You should try to be black like me.” Besides lyrics and theme, other bright spots include high-flying, powerhouse vocals of Guyton and production that does a fine job of balancing the pop/R&B sensibilities, while remaining idiomatic of country.

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10. Nas, “Ultra Black”

Ft. Hit-Boy

💿 King’s Disease • 🏷 Mass Appeal • 🗓 2020

“Grace Jones skin tone, but multi that / Multiple colors, we come in all shades, mocha black.” 🎵 “Ultra Black” finds 🎙 Nas exuberant in celebrating blackness. On this gem from the 🏆 Grammy-winning 💿 King’s Disease (Nas’ first win, shockingly), the rapper is backed by ‘old-school’ production (🎙 Hit-Boy), which always seems to suit him. Interestingly, for a man not known for hooks he drops one here and it’s moderately catchy. Nas cites specific notable blacks and things associated with ‘the culture.’

One truly clever lyric comes near the end of the second verse:

“Hall & Oates, I can’t go for that
Motown Museum, Detroit, I’m ultra black.”

Essentially, the rapper doesn’t want the ‘culturally appropriated’/whitewashed version – no disrespect intended – he wants the legit, black and proud version. “Ultra-Black,” which ranked among the best songs of 2020, was tailor made for this ‘Say it Loud,’ Beautiful Black Voices compendium.  Worth noting, on his 2008 self-titled album, Nas gets bold regarding the checkered past of America with 🎵 “N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)”.

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11. Keedron Bryant, “I Just Wanna Live”

💿 I Just Wanna Live (EP) • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 2020 

“I’m a young black man / Doing all that I can / …I’m being hunted as prey / My people don’t want no trouble / We’ve had enough struggle.” A moving, viral clip can indeed do big things.  🎙 Keedron Bryant, a Florida teen R&B/gospel singer is a living testament to this. The 13-year-old went viral thanks to a song written by his mom (🎙 Johnnetta Rayshele Bryant) that perfectly captures the feelings of the black community, particularly black males, given so many incidents of racial injustice, inequality, and police brutality.

Bryant would land a major-label record deal with Warner, which is absolutely impressive given both his age and the impact of 🎵 “I Just Wanna Live” itself. His debut EP, 💿 I Just Wanna Live, features three versions of his viral hit. The main version commences the album.  Here, Bryant sounds absolutely amazing – much more mature and seasoned beyond his youth.  His tone is gorgeous, while the ad-libs and runs only amplify the authenticity, emotions, and investment into the record.  Additionally, 🎙 Dem Jointz gives him a soulful backdrop that’s modern yet throwback.

https://media.giphy.com/media/CqHEOnub39Xnu1vcCi/giphy.gif 

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12. Alicia Keys, “Perfect Way to Die”

💿 Alicia • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2020

🎵 “Perfect Way to Die” (💿 Alicia) captures the racial inequality and police brutality that has dominated the headlines. On this piano/string ballad, 🎙 Alicia Keys tugs at the heartstrings as she depicts incidents where innocent black lives were lost.  “Simple walk to the corner store,” she sings on the first verse, continuing, “Mama never thought she would be gettin’ a call from the coroner / Said her son’s been gunned down.”

The second verse is similar, this time with a girl being the victim – the martyr if you will.  Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, where “the perfect way to die” comes into play.  There is no perfect way to die, but in a sense, it seems Keys is trying to find the positive that can come from such tragedy, including necessary change.  “Perfect Way to Die” is upsetting, but it’s an upsetting, woke song that needed to happen.

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13. Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”

🎵 “The Bigger Picture” • 🏷 Quality Control Music • 🗓 2020

🎙 Lil Baby has had an incredibly successful year. His best work comes on the deep and insightful, 🏆 Grammy-nominated 🎵 “The Bigger Picture”. Not only is it his best song, it’s also among the best of 2020. Following the intro with its news clips about the protests in Minneapolis, Lil Baby comes in on autopilot, blending conscious rap with his beloved trap flow.  Throughout the course of a couple of verses, he’s very honest, thoughtful, and incredibly insightful about the events that have turned the world upside down.  “I find it crazy the police’ll shoot you and know that you dead, but still tell you to freeze / Fucked up, I seen what I seen,” he spits on the first verse, continuing, “I guess that mean hold him down if he say he can’t breathe.”

There are countless instances where Lil Baby nails it. He references the fears blacks have toward the police, based on an ugly history. He supports protests, but sensibly acknowledges not all cops are bad.  Among the best lines comes on the third verse, as he acknowledges protests made COVID-19 slip to the back burner. He brilliantly sums things up on the chorus. “The Bigger Picture” marked a big, truly elite moment for Lil Baby.

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14. Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit”

💿 Billie Holiday • 🏷 Verve • 🗓 1957

“Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root.” 🎵 “Strange Fruit,” written by 🎼✍ Abel Meeropol, was most famously performed by 🎙 Billie Holiday. That ‘strange fruit’ referenced in “Strange Fruit” were blacks who’d been lynched, with their bodies hanging, lifelessly.

“Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar tree.”

Historically, slavery was long over for blacks, but the south was still an incredibly dangerous, segregated, and an unjust, racist place for them. Yes, blacks were free, but truthfully, they weren’t truly free.  Lynching, of course, was an infamous, incredibly unfortunate occurrence that took lives that shouldn’t have been taken.  Holiday took gargantuan risks performing “Strange Fruit” because the ballad makes such a powerful statement about what was legitimately happening to African Americans.  This three-verse song caused ample issues for her, including imprisonment and ultimately, becoming victim to an unabashedly racist and corrupt system.

As “Strange Fruit” progresses, the lyrics continue to describe the horrendous scene seen in the trees.  “The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth…” is incredibly grim, morbid, and sickening. Later, add in the contrast between the “Scent of magnolias” and “…The sudden smell of burning flesh…” And of course, with the dead there for the taking, “Here is a fruit for crows to pluck / … Here is a strange and bitter crop.”  What’s clever about the ‘crows’ is they not only reference the birds, but those godawful, racist Jim Crow laws promoted in the south.  This is an instance where the south looks utterly horrendous. Also, worth noting, On 💿 The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Music from the Motion Picture), 🎙 Andra Day truly nails the ever controversial but utterly sublime record.

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15. Trey Songz, “2020 Riots: How Many Times”

💿 Back Home • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2020

🎵 “2020 Riots: How Many Times” (💿 Back Home) marks an uncharacteristic song by 🎙 Trey Songz.  This powerful record finds him perturbed and totally pissed off about the racial injustice that has come to head in 2020, due to the senseless, unjust deaths of black men and women. “2020 Riots: How Many Times” superbly captures the frustration and the pain.  Songz opts for an old-school vibe with a dash of gospel sensibilities.

🎛 Troy Oliver and 🎛 Troy Taylor give him fuel for his fire, alongside the troubling happenings themselves. Songz cuts straight to the chase on the somber chorus, asking, “How many mothers have to cry / How many brothers gotta die? How many more times?” On the verses, he drives the narrative of injustices, referencing details that occurred to those slain and calling for action. “2020 Riots: How Many Times” ranked among the best songs of 2020 thanks to being authentic, heartfelt, thoughtful and woke.

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