Nural Mohammed February 14, 2013 Lyric Analysis When the term African American Music is used many

people tend to think of one type of music or song that captures the true essence of African American Music for them. What many people fail to realize, however, is that while many of these songs tend to discuss the struggle of being oppressed and black in a racist society, each of them approach this in a different way through different styles and genres of music as well as different opinions and outlooks on the matter. Gangstas Paradise, Strange Fruit, Say It Loud, A Change is Gonna Come, and Everyday People are only but a small (yet great) example of this. These songs were written between 1939 and 1995 and they truly represent the evolution of not only African American Music but the ideas and thoughts held by most African Americans and allies in the Pre, During, and Post Civil Rights movement. Billie Holidays Strange Fruit was written in 1939 at a time when lynching was at its all time highest. This was during the era of Jim Crowe laws when African Americans were being lynched for things as simple as not taking their hat off when in an elevator with a white person. Billie Holidays song is simple yet cold and chilling. The juxtaposition between lines such as scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, and then the sudden smell of burning flesh is lyrical genius at its best. The lyrics are meant to shock and repulse you and truly make you understand just how repugnant and horrifying this idea of entertainment really is. In 1964, however, A Change is Gonna Come was written and released by Sam Cooke and it truly captured the direction that our nation was headed in. Sam Cooke wrote this song the same

year that the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 banned segregation in the workplace and public accommodations. Just ten years prior to that the Supreme Court unanimously outlawed segregation in public school in Brown vs. Board of Education. Sam Cooke was standing at a cross-roads between the old segregated United States and the new unsegregated United States. Although laws were being passed that did not mean that everyone had changed in their racist and prejudiced thinking; it did mean however, that many had. For that reason it is easy to understand why Sam Cooke speaks of racism that he has experienced: I go to the movie and I go downtown, somebody keep telling me, dont hang around. yet can still see that brighter days are ahead with lines such as: Its been a long, a long time coming, but I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will. The next two songs, Say it Loud - Im Black and Im Proud by James Brown and Everyday People by Sly and the Family Stone are unarguably the two most optimistic and upbeat of this group which comes as no surprise, seeing as how they were both written in 1968. The late 60s and 70s were the years of Woodstock, hippies, and one love. Racism has yet to be abolished and African Americans continue to be oppressed to this day, but during the 60s and 70s people were able to come together in a way that the world hadnt seen before and in a way that the world has not seen again since. Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown definetely portray that in both of their songs. Everyday People explores the differences within each person (beyond just skin tone) and tells the listener, different strokes for different folks... we got to live together. The song delves into what makes people different from one another yet pleads with the listeners to all understand and appreciate one another. It has a very one love or Ubuntu feel to it and definitely carries an upbeat message that people could stand to learn from to this day.

As previously mentioned, Say It Loud is another song with an upbeat and optimistic message to it, although it differs from Slys one love message and instead focuses on celebrating being black and being proud of your blackness. Say It Loud was the first song that ever carried a message like this. Like the songs that I discussed earlier, most African American Music discussed the plight and struggles of being black or the coming together of blacks and whites and embracing one anothers differences. James Brown, however, created the first song that specifically and solely celebrated being black with lines such as Now wed demands a change to do things for ourselves, were tired of beating our heads against the wall, and working for someone else. Now were our people too, were like the birds and the bees but wed rather die on our feet than keep on living on our knees. It is a fantastic song of resilience and determination and it captures the journey that black people had to go on in order to achieve their god given rights. The last, and most modern, song on this timeline is Gangstas Paradise which was written in 1995 by Coolio. On the surface many may not realize that Gangstas Paradise is also a song that is about the oppression of black people within American society. But if one were to look closer at the lyrics as well as examine the history of gangs in the United States you would recognize that it is a tribute to the back pedaling that America has done since the progress and accomplishments of the Civil Rights movement during the 60s and 70. The creation of gangs in America was a result of unlawful segregation in the United States. In fact the Bloods was formed by a group of black males who were not allowed to join a Boy Scouts troop because they were black. As a result they did not have a place to go after school and their gang the Bloods was formed - quickly followed up with their rival gang the Crips which are still in existence and are the cause of many lost youth and their futures today.

In Gangstas Paradise Coolio discusses the tragedies and hardships of living as a gangster. While a paradise is typically seen as somewhere heavenly - a place to relax or vacation Coolios version of a paradise is anything but. Short but sweet, the line Im 23 now, but will I live to see 24 perfectly captures the struggle and reality of black youth who are involved in gangs and the gang life. Gangstas Paradise brings us a modern day look at the oppression of black people in the United States which is being caused by a systemic racism and persecution of black youth today. Many people fail to realize that gangsters are not bad people - nor are they people who grew up wanting a life like this for themselves, but because of the lack of options that they were offered in life this was the only path that they could go down. Coolio hints at this with lines such as If they cant understand it, how can they reach me. Although written in the 1990s this song and its lyrics hold true till even today. Only time will tell what new songs will be written and added to this timeline. My President is Black by Young Jeezy featuring Naz will certainly be one of them and I hope that in the future there are many more songs attributed to the success in our plight for the abolition of racism that we can add to the list as well.