Facedown, on the ground
Knee on his neck
Almost nine minutes
Calling for his mother
As death was calling
Ever since the brutal death of George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers, there have been multiple protests across the country, including worldwide protests. These protests have emerged into one of the biggest civil unrest movements in the modern era. People are taking to the streets to decry police brutality and systemic racism. Not excluding, several companies that have recently released statements in solidarity with protesters and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Several entertainment companies have been showing support by donating millions to anti-racist and social justice causes, including the three major music companies. There were also strong statements in opposition to racism that were made by numerous companies. But for many Black people in the music and entertainment field, the statements don’t carry a lot of weight.
Despite numerous initiatives and conversations for many years, we have not made much progress.
The knee on the neck is a symbolism of a more problematic reality for black people. For 400 hundred years, blacks had a knee on their necks. Imagine you are told to “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps”. Black Wall street was built by blacks and it was intentionally burnt to the grown by racist people.
Black Wall Street Destroyed and Rosewood Massacre.
The theme song for a classic TV sitcom called The Jeffersons was about a black family that finally moved on up to upper class life. They pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.
Well, we’re moving on up to the East side
To a deluxe apartment in the sky
Moving on up to the East side
We finally got a piece of the pie
Oftentimes successful blacks are used as an excuse to say there is no racism. You can still “move on up” and face racism in multiple ways.
Systematic racism affects black people significantly. Driving while black, walking while black, sleeping while black, eating while black, working while black, jogging while black, job hunting while black, birdwatching in Central Park while black. Climbing up the corporate ladder while black has always been a big obstacle for black people. Although the music business profits significantly from black artists and black music, there is still a glass ceiling for black executives.
The music industry has unknowingly and knowingly contributed to the ongoing historic racism in the music business..
Racism in the Music Industry
Due to the systematic racism in the music business, black artists weren’t allowed to be played alongside mainstream white acts. While Elvis Presley imitated black artists and made millions, a lot of these black artists were sometimes left penniless due to bad contracts and high restrictions due to racism. They could only perform in low budget settings. See Chitlin Circuit .
MTV was resistant to having black artists on the channel. But there’s no question that they became prevalent after Michael Jackson was added to their rotation. Imagine they had to be pressured to play the video of the artist that would make them relevant.
Black music and culture is oftentimes imitated and uncredited. For some people, Elvis Presley is the King of Rock but for those who really know their history, Chuck Berry or Little Richard are considered the true king(s).
Legendary Rock Band, Led Zeppelin were highly influenced by the blues. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were inspired by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and countless other blues legends. In essence, their music is actually blues sped up with higher frequencies and harder drums. The Beatles and countless other acts admitted their music was influenced by Black American blues and Rock and roll artists.
Due to systematic racism, a lot of these black artists were signed to bad contracts, including some died penniless.
The music industry marginalizes blacks acts by labeling them hip-hop when they are not hip-hop and by using code words such as “urban” while labeling white hip-hop acts as pop. .
Another form of covert racism is expecting black artists to churn out negative, degenerative and dysfunctional music that assisted in the downward spiral of the youths in the black and also non-black communities.
Black Culture and Music Worldwide Influences
Several years ago, I worked at a lodge in Yellowstone National Park. There were people from all over the world, including Asia and Europe. I met a Eastern European couple that wanted to hangout with me, the sole black guy in town. The guy was very fascinated with black culture and music. He rapped a few bars, while I beatboxed. He also wore a blinged out Compton hat. He wanted to know if he could go to Compton and tour the neighborhood. Iconic rap group NWA presented a realistic but sometimes harsh world of black life in Compton, CA.
It was at this same lodge we partied with fellow coworkers jammin out to mostly black music, including a medley by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Me and a few others moonwalked on the picnic table.This was also eerie because it was the following day that MJ passed away. The world mourned an icon, a legend. A black artist that changed music and the way music videos were made. He opened the door for other black artists and non-black artists.
The culture and music is also addictive to many outside the culture.
18 year old Billie Eilish recently said that her music and clothing style is influenced by black culture. Justin Bieber and other acts echoed the same sentiments.
Jazz which is a black artform is sometimes considered America’s Classic music.
The reality is, black music is in almost all genres and it dominates top 40 airplay. From Ed Sheeran’s Jamaican dancehall infused hit Shape Of You to country music and hip-hop influenced band, Florida Georgia Line.
In a New York Times article written by Wesley Morris, he stated “for centuries, black music, forged in bondage, has been the sound of complete artistic freedom. No wonder everybody is always stealing it.”
Reggaeton Music borrowed from a well known rhythm pattern, dem bow created by Jamaican dancehall producers. The music also borrows from soca and calypso cadences from the island of Trinidad and Tobago, including hip-hop and Jamaican dancehall influences in the vocal delivery. Reggaeton has also been criticized for its lack of blackness.
You can also hear other music in TV ads that are largely influenced by black music such as Grime, afrobeat, hip-hop and countless other genres.
DJ culture was started by Jamaican, DJ Kool Herc who is also known as the father of hip-hop. Fast forward to the present, the top DJs in the world aren’t black. A culture and artform that was started by black people in the inner cities has no black faces in the top richest DJs in the world.
There was heavy backlash and a campaign to make disco dead. A mainly black dominated music genre, disco was never dead, it emerged into EDM music. EDM is dominated by mostly non black acts.
Asian pop, trip-hop and countless genres are all influenced by black music, including dubstep that originated from dub music.
In an article by Rolling Stones, pop hits in the last two years stayed around 93 beats per minute due to the influence of hip-hop.
Black culture is often imitated and loved. But oftentimes blackness is erased when it comes to being an ambassador of the music. Black people should be loved at least as much as their culture is loved.
There Needs To Be Change
If the music industry is highly influenced by and profits from black music, why aren’t there more black employees in decision making positions. Hire more black executives.
BMG said it will review old contracts, adjust royalty rates, but what about the big three? CRICKETS!
We are calling upon these companies to do more than donate. What about jobs? If you really want to make a difference, start by diversifying staff and in higher positions, including hiring more black executives.
Start compensating your minority employees with equal pay.
Music companies should also adjust and reexamine contracts, royalties, including compensating black artists and their families. These music empires were built on the blood sweat and tears from black artists.
There is an audience for more “conscientious” rap music. Therefore provide this music to the fans. Conscious music can be profitable too.
The continual promotion and creation of dysfunctional music, assisted in the downward spiral of the youths in the black community. Promoting more creative and positive music will have a positive impact on young people which comes full circle.
Stop marginalizing blacks acts by labeling them hip-hop when they are not hip-hop and using code words such as “urban” while labeling white hip-hop acts as pop.
Let’s not make this a moment. Let’s make this a movement by continually moving forward and making significant changes.
Speak Up As A Collective
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” — Dr Martin Luther King Jr
We need to speak up more as a collective in this human race, including our white allies and other groups. Let’s make this wrong right. Stop saying you aren’t racist, I have black friends and every excuse you can find to remain silent. By being silent when you see injustice, you are actually saying that you are comfortable with it. You are cosigning with racists. Call out racist family, friends and associates. You might need to reconsider friendships, if they refuse to understand. Saying All Lives Matter is a way to diffuse the fact that all lives doesn’t matter.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” — Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Until we change it together, we say Black Lives Matter.
#ahmaudarbery #breonnataylor #BlackLivesMatter
Helpful Links
5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence
The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill Bookshop
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism
The Equal Justice initiative https://eji.org/
Black Lives Matter Fund https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019
Black Visions Collective https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home
Soundanation's Blog 