19 Songs Celebrating Black Excellence
Graphic created by Harrison Jenkins, Creative Director of FCS.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) signifies the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. US. General Gordon Granger read General Orders No. 3 to the captives, which stated: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
Before this announcement, slavery remained relatively unaffected in Texas. Slaveholders in this area withheld pertinent information, like Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9, 1865 or the Emancipation Proclamation being signed into effect on January 1, 1863, in order to protect their own inhumane interests.
Today, Juneteenth places a particular emphasis on education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some cases a month marked by reflection and rejoicing. Most importantly, it is a time to commemorate freedom and recognize that the fight for it is far from over. Although support for the Black Lives Matter Movement is still high among racial and ethnic minorities, support and engagement among white Americans is currently lower than it was before the unjust deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. And as you’re reading this, 14 states have already passed bills that make voting harder while a whopping 22 have either signed or are considering signing bills banning the teachings of critical race theory in public schools.
Black folks in America, especially within the past year, are forced to endure never-ending cycles of trauma and immense pain. Here at Five Cent Sound, we believe that our BIPOC readers, artists, and members of the Emerson community should not be treated as instrumental resources; their strings ought not to be played tirelessly at the convenience of others, but rather plucked with care and embraced by the beautiful creativity they reverberate. Our all-staff playlist is dedicated to exactly that: uplifting Black excellence, pride and joy. Whether it be subtle culture references in one’s lyricism or the existence and expansion in genres we all know and love, music would not be where it is today — or quite frankly exist — without Black creators.
Don’t just appreciate the music. Appreciate the voices and stories behind them.
Read more about Juneteenth, and the ways you can help, here:
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
https://www.pb-resources.com/juneteenth
1. “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” from Beyoncé’s Homecoming LIVE
It is the melodious hymn known as the Black National Anthem, it is a rallying cry uniting generations of Black Americans, it is a pledge of solidarity fully loyal to the fight for equality and justice in our country. “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” has undergone countless covers since its inception, but was originally written and composed by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson.
Analyze the meaning behind the moving lyrics here.
2. “BLACK PARADE” by Beyoncé
The only way to follow up Beyoncé is with another Beyoncé song. “BLACK PARADE” was released during the final hours of Juneteenth last year, and the proceeds from streams went to BeyGOOD Black Business Impact Fund. Lyrics like “Where my roots ain’t watered down / Growin’, growin’ like a Baobab tree” and “Need another march, lemme call Tamika” wholeheartedly relishes in the greatness found exclusively heritage, womanhood, and complexion.
3. “MotorBike” by Leon Bridges
No one can modernize yet equally preserve the soulful sound of the ’60s like Leon Bridges can. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Bridges shared that “Motorbike” opens with an Afro instrumental beat created by his close friend Nate Mercerau. The inspiration for this track, which is featured on his upcoming R&B driven album Gold-Digger’s Sound, stemmed from the energy surrounding his 30th birthday trip to Puerto Rico.
4. “Brujas” by Princess Nokia
This track is the epitome of embracing heritage and history. Both lyrically and in ther music video, "Brujas" illustrates how the culture and power their Taino ancestors is essential to her everyday life. In a recent Instagram post, Princess Nokia declared: "To my oppressor, you cannot steal my ancestral joy, I will dance over you, rejoice in my spirit and raise my crown real high."
5. “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown
In 1968 America, the eight words of James Brown’s song title conveyed a newfound sense of self-confidence, reassurance, and assertiveness among the Black community. The track’s triumphant, supporting instrumentation and Brown’s iconic shriek is the uplifting factor that sonically solidifies the pride that can be found in a single affirmation.
6. “Transcend” by Nyota Parker
Nyota Parker, originally from Capetown, South Africa, brings her own blend of old and new hip-hop to the music scene. At only 20 years old, she has a message of individuality and self love to spread to her fans in this newest release.
7. “Almeda” by Solange
"Almeda" showcases the pride and exquisite beauty that are specific to Black characteristics. The song's choppy, remixed technique is a respectful nod to the sound of the Houston hip-hop scene in the early 1990s. Her albums A Seat at the Table and When I Get Home are also rooted in her Houston upbringing, which often come through her artistic vision in the form of subtle lyrical references and samples of under-heralded H-town legends.
8. “Superstar” by Ms. Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill broke through a genre riddled with materialism and misogyny, encouraged weaving intense bars with emotional, raspy vocalization within a single track, and injected the perspective of a young black woman dealing with her identity, sexuality, faith, and future into the music scene — is there anything she can’t do?! Her perfect mix of hip-hop, reggae, and R&B rightfully earned her five solo Grammy awards in 1998, making her the first woman to do so in a single night. (If you stop reading and start streaming the entirety of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, we don’t blame you.)
9. “Strange Fruit” (cover by Jensen McRae)
Jensen McRae is easily the Tracy Chapman of our generation. Her folk-alternative-pop sound and Phoebe Bridgers-esque lyricism (you probably remember her parody cover circling on Twitter earlier this year) goes against the industry’s efforts to confine her to a strictly soul sound. Instead, it perfectly blends all aspects of her personality to illuminate her unique tile in the mosaic of Black American experiences. With similarities like the profound influence of poetry and unapologetic awareness in both artist’s songwriting processes, it is no surprise that McRae was able to cover “Strange Fruit” as fiercely yet delicately as Holiday originally performed it.
10. “Chocolate City” by Parliament
“Chocolate City” gives authority back to the spaces of majorly Black inhabitants. The track does not shy away from calling out unfulfilled promises and growing segregation during the ’60s and ’70s, but its powerful refrain proves that Blackness is not something that can be hidden in the shadows — it is a force to be reckoned with.
11. “Gogo” by BoriRock
BoriRock is a Boston Native staying true to his roots both in the topics he raps about and his old school production, flow, and demeanor. BoriRock has been on a consistent roll releasing beautiful curated pieces of work in which he taps into the talented creatives surrounding him, who help maintain his artistic vision. BoriRock’s energy, personality, and visually appealing album cover have been continuously drawing more and more people to his fanbase.
12. “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” by Nina Simone
Nina Simone aimed to capture the moment of the joy found in Black identity during the height of the Black Power Movement — and like anything else she’s ever created, she did not miss. The track was a dedication to Nina Simone’s friend, the playwright Lorraine Hansberry, who wrote A Raisin in the Sun. Before Hansberry died of cancer at the age of 34, she left a group of student essay winners with this pearl of wisdom: “I wanted to be able to come and speak with you on this occasion because you are young, gifted and black.” The words did not leave Simone’s head until her feverish fingers hit the piano, marking the song as not only one of empowerment, but an ode for the ages.
13. “Colors” by Black Pumas
“Colors” celebrates the natural diversity found in every scope of life. Despite the track being released in 2019, veteran guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada and lead singer Eric Burton played with varying styles in order to create an inventive, kaleidoscopic sound that seemingly mirrors the likes of early ’70s Curtis Mayfield and Sly and the Family Stone.
14. “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder
“Superstition” not only marked a pivotal shift in Stevie Wonder’s music, but also Black popular music. At the time of its release, Motown was surging as the “sound of integration.” Wonders had a way of sampling all styles in a way that went against what was considered “mainstream” or “acceptable” for Black musicians at the time. His releases were groovy, unconventional, and immediately distinguishable as his own, which paved the way for more experimentation and expression in music.
15. “Melanin” by Ciara ft. Lupita Nyong’o, Ester Dean, City Girls, & LALA
This upbeat, girl-boss driven anthem celebrates the culture and uniqueness of skin tone and pigmentation. The skill level, culture, and self-love that is represented with each artist on the track is what makes the energy of “Melanin” so special.
16. “Fire” by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix is the first man to make a guitar vigorously, not gently, weep. His large hands allowed him to implement an obscure blues technique into his music by wrapping his thumb around to play the bass notes while freeing his finger to jump between the treble strings. His exploration of the explosive nature behind the electric transformed the way future and previous greats navigated the guitar.
17. “Self” by Noname
“Self,” the opener to Noname’s critically acclaimed album Room 25, claims a distinct space for her presence without neglecting any aspect of her iconic, sharp commentary. Lyrics like “Nah actually this is for me / This one for TT at the lake serving mac and cheese” and “My pussy teachin ninth grade english / My pussy wrote a thesis on colonialism” redirects the attention away from standard sexualization and towards enlightenment and the under acknowledged women who sustain their communities.
18. “Heebie Geebies” by Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong “invented” scat singing on this tune. During this session, all of his sheet music fell on the ground during a recording and he needed to improvise. Okeh records liked it so much that they pressed and sold that version instead of the original.
19. “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l” by WILLOW ft. Travis Barker
This alternative, punk rock anthem refutes the whitewashed image that is often affiliated with this genre. The track's short, fast riffs pay homage to her mother's experience forming and fronting the nu metal band Wicked Wisdom in the early 2000s. In the true fashion of punk, t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l 's widespread success breaks the stereotypical genre barriers Black artists often face when creating music, all while bringing the original pioneers of color back to the forefront of this scene.
Learn more about the very Black history of Punk music here.