Songs That Uniquely Express the Black Experience

When writing songs or poetry, most people like to express their personal experiences in their own creative artwork. I like to share a few songs that uniquely express black experiences, as well as rebelled in their own way against socia norms in our society.

1. JAY-Z - The Story Of O.J.

This video has sparked so much controversy when it was first released. One of the obvious reasons why is because of artwork, which is an example of racism that was portrayed in cartoons and film, racially profiling the characters for humor.

In a video from REACT, older individuals had to react to the music video, and none of them liked it. Instead, they were very upset with how the video was made and blamed Jay Z for the fact he had to bring up the past when there was "progress made" over the course of the past 50 years. The video having over 1 million likes and 122 million views.

I admire the fact he used the shock factor, to discuss that despite status, others will see color at the end of the day. He used those images to remind his audience about the dark truths about how society sees the black community.

2. Kendrick Lamar - Alright

This song sparked controversy because of the symbolism that was portrayed in the music video & BET live performance. Lamar included the issue of police brutality in a black and white music video, while also discussing the fact that despite issues that are occurring in the black community, we need to keep our heads up because it'll be alright.

The live performance on BET was discussed on FOX news, the reporters sharing their opinion as to why they didn't like it, and why music like this is the main issue in the black community. The audio from that report was later included in songs from the album "DAMN."

3. Joyner Lucas - I'm Not Racist

On November 28th, 2017, Joyner Lucas uploaded a video called "I'm Not Racist." This video became viral and got a lot of attention. The video includes a white conservative man and a black man on opposing sides of racial issues. The video came out around the same time the movement #blacklivesmatter was on social media. The video is simple but is very loud and powerful. especially in the lyrics, and what the two people are wearing.

When analyzing the video, I saw that the white man in the video is wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, a blue-collar shirt, and blue jeans. The black man in the video is wearing street-inspired clothing, and his hair is styled in a black hairstyle. I love this because it shows how opposite the two are. The video presents a good message, and I love how thoughtful the message is.

4. N.W.A. - Fuck Tha Police

This song doesn't really need an explanation as to why it's controversial. The title alone is rebellious and powerful. Listening to the lyrics, you hear the rant from the group about the violence and systematic racism that heavily affects the black community. This song alone ended up on headlines and was the main conversation in the late '80s.

It was to the point that the FBI contacted the group, explaining that they didn't feel comfortable with the song, and its message.

In an interview, the group explains how when performing the song in Detroit, the police was undercover in the audience for one of their live performances, as soon as they were about to perform, they rushed to the stage. They informed the band that they could not perform the song.

You can watch the full interview by clicking here.

5. Solange - Don't Touch My Hair

This song is a great example of what POC's have felt whenever someone decided to pet their hair. I can say this from experience but MY GOD. I was overjoyed when Solange made this song. Black women & men have experienced this and it's honestly annoying. We're not pets.

The music video shows colors, different hues of black men and women, and beautiful afro-peppy aesthetics. Solange did more than make a statement with this performance. She made history, and told people boldy "Don't Touch My Hair."

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