 We have traditionally used music as a political device and a cultural soapbox. It’s a beacon that attracts like-minded individuals and spreads messages to expand our awareness and sense of community. And through the dust of the ongoing human rights struggle that started long before the Scramble for Africa, some anthems have emerged in the music world, and that’s what we dug into this week in The Purple Room. Bob Marley & The Wailers Bob Marley speaks directly to the people. His unifying messages of One Love and Redemption may have taken the front seat in the mainstream, but his revolutionary spirit was always present. Crazy Baldheads, for example, is literally about removing colonizers from Jamaica. Check out his album Rastaman Vibration for more of the Marley you won’t hear on top-40 radio. Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye blends soulful harmonies with political prowess so well that when you hear Inner City Blues or What’s Going On, it’s easy to forget that he’s talking about racial and economic divides, drug abuse, physical abuse, and the Vietnam war. You’re The Man is not as subtle or as well disguised. Maybe that’s why the track was quickly shelved and pulled from rotation in 1972. But eventually, You’re the Man did see the light of day. It re-released as the title track for Marvin’s fourth posthumous album in 2019, 35 years after his death. The song served as a reminder of Marvin’s role as a trojan horse to discuss his observations and concerns of the time. In this track, Marvin calls out candidates in the US’s 1972 election and the issue of unfair taxation - Marvin himself was facing significant problems with back taxes at the time. Tupac Shakur In 2000, four years after Tupac Shakur died, an album featuring songs based on Tupac’s poetry was released. The Rose That Grew From Concrete featured other politically minded personalities like Dead Prez, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Russel Simmons, and Babatunde Olatunji, and it followed the narrative of many of Shakur’s songs – spirituality, women’s rights, men’s emotional hunger and the commitment of the Black Panther Party. Tupac was famously born in the bloodline of the Black Panthers. His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a section leader for the Harlem chapter of the party, and her activism influenced the political and social lyrics of her son’s music. Paris Speaking of Panthers, Paris is a rapper, activist, and a former Nation of Islam member inspired by the Black Panther party. His albums followed a consistent revolutionary mindset, especially his debut, The Devil Made Me Do It. Curtis Mayfield The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s produced a significant shift in music. Curtis Mayfield, the former lead singer of the Impressions, showed that revolutionary spirit with songs like People Get Ready and Keep On Pushing. When he went solo, that spirit amplified, and he even began collaborating with the Black Panthers’ R&B band, The Lumpen. Check out the Joe Malenda rework of Move On Up, originally from Curtis Mayfield’s self-titled debut solo album from 1970. Peace from The Purple Room ~ Shantu The Purple Room Playlist for Feb 10, 2024Steel Pulse
Worth His Weight in Gold - Steel Pulse Pete Rock Rootz, Reggae, Kulcha Bob Marley & The Wailers Crazy Baldheads Hugh Masekela Colonial Man The Last Poets Black Is (Chant) Billy Paul Am I Black Enough for You Damu the Fudgemunk So Many Of Us (Instrumental) Marvin Gaye You’re the Man (Pts. 1 & 2) Public Enemy Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos Lauryn Hill Freedom Time Mos Def Can U C the Pride in the Panther (Tupac poem) Paris Ebony Curtis Mayfield Move On Up Comments are closed.
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The Purple RoomThe Purple Room is an NCRA award-winning hour of music by Black musicians from across the African diaspora—all genres, all eras. It airs every Saturday at 2pm MT, and replays on Sundays at 11am on CJSR FM 88.5. Archives
November 2024
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