strange and bitter crop. Billie’s vocals bring the scene to life, in a larger-than-life way. Nina Simone brought the same song to a new generation when she recorded it in 1965. Her vocal interpretation was quite different, reflecting the spirit of the rising Black Power movement of the time; she allowed the imagery of lynchings to shine light on just how much our condition in this country had not changed. If you have never heard (or truly listened to) both Billie’s and Nina’s versions of this song, do yourself a favor and look them up. Unfortunately, our musical creations have also become another tool for our exploitation. The entire music industry was built on selling the success of Black music. Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” in 1899 was America’s first hit record, selling over a million sheet-music copies. For decades, white performers thrived by performing “coon songs” or “minstrel shows,” painting their faces Black and performing imitations of the kinds of song and dance created by enslaved Afrikans. Songwriters like W.C. Handy circa 1914 turned the Blues into some of the earliest hit records, carrying the sounds of the Mississippi Delta to the big cities throughout America and around the world. In the 1960’s, American and British white acts like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin all admitted that they copied Blues artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King. Despite this tremendous influence on what became the popular music for multiple generations, Black folks have never been the primary financial beneficiaries of what we created. White, mostly Jewish, people became the owners and controllers of the music industry around one hundred years ago. They owned the rights to the songs that they got us to record which made them rich. The white musical acts who stole our songs never gave any payback to those who were their inspirations. Many of our favorite Black musical performers over the years have died broke and destitute because they couldn’t benefit from what they created. Today, the struggle continues. Some of the same families that created the music industry plantation system a century ago are still the ones profiting from Black music today. 75% of all music currently sold in the U.S. is controlled by three companies: Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Corporation. However, technology has given us reason for optimism. Music has become easier than ever to record with just a laptop computer, and streaming services have made it possible for our living room creations to go directly to the smartphones of people all over the world. It is possible to bypass the big machines and maintain ownership of our creativity more than ever before, as shown by artists like Chance the Rapper and Gucci Mane. The one thing that remains constant is that New Afrikans are oppressed, we transmute our suffering into amazing art, and our creations determine what is cool and popular at any given time. The U.S. has no musical culture outside of what we give it. And we need to get PAID - for what we make now and what we have made since we were first brought here. Reparations Now!
Further reading suggestions: