An excerpt from VerySmartBrothas -
Don’t Disrespect Our Anthems: 6 Black Songs Off Limits to Taylor Swift and Other White Musicians
By Michael Harriot
I recently did a radio show on which I ran down the top five cookout songs of all time. The host, a white woman who swears she’s embedded in black culture, went on and on about how she loved this song, but during her diatribe, the black people in the room kept giving each other the secret black side eye; none of us believed her because she kept telling us how she was such a huge fan ...
... of “Frankie Beverly and the Maze.”
Look, I’m not one of those black supremacists who pepper their conversations with references to “the white devil,” but if Nickelback tries to remake “Before I Let Go,” black people are going to need some reparations. The brave men and woman of Maze didn’t sacrifice their lives for Frankie Beverly’s right to wear a white painter’s cap only to have his legacy marred by rockabilly bands who want to remix our music for a rodeo after-party. Frankie Beverly didn’t die for this.
You’re probably saying to yourself: “But Frankie Beverly isn’t dead,” and you’re right. But I can’t be certain that hearing Vince Staples sing this tune wouldn’t kill Frankie. While that might sound like hyperbole, how can you be so sure?
I don’t think we should take any chances.
https://www.theroot.com/dont-disrespect-our-anthems-6-black-songs-off-limits-t-1825285036?utm_source=theroot_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2018-04-16
No comments:
Post a Comment