Black music is the heart and soul of American culture and entertainment.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH — The outreach of black music goes far beyond the month of February. To commemorate Black History Month, ILIO has curated a new playlist. This playlist reflects on different eras, genres, and purpose in black music. This year we explore the sounds of country, hip-hop, rock, and film score through the lens black artists
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The sonic tone is set by a terrific film composer and jazz trumpeter by the name of Terrance Blanchard. Terrance has scored some of the most iconic Spike Lee films. His film scoring is incredibly effective at freezing a place in time and making the listener feel like they are one with the moment. In 2019 he was the composer on the critically acclaimed film, Harriet. The track “Back in Philly” is showcased on this playlist.
B.B. King spoke the profound language of blues. His musicianship was so powerful and emotive that no matter what language you spoke, one could feel what he was communicating through his vocal stylings and guitar. His absolute masterpiece was recorded in 1969 with a track entitled “The Thrill Is Gone”. Hearing Mr. King with a gorgeous string arrangement is just what listeners of the time wanted to hear.
To Pimp A Butterfly was such a significant album featuring so many songs that brought life lessons and a snapshot of American culture in real time. Kendrick Lamar's “How Much a Dollar Cost” is a tale of a man who was having a very introspective conversation with a homeless man. He later realizes he was not speaking with a homeless man per se, but he was actually speaking with a divine entity. Kendrick displayed such a unique way of describing some of the inner struggles of the human condition. It is always wonderful to give recognition to a Pulitzer Prize winning wordsmith.
The era of New Jack Swing was so profound to American music. It took the skills of producers like Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis to bring that sound alive. Groups such as Bell Biv DeVoe started the rise of the modern boy band. With crooning vocals, and high energy dance moves, Bell Biv DeVoe solidifies their position in black music history with catchy songs like “Poison”. The influence of these high energy pop groups later led to acts like Backstreet Boys and N'Sync.
The 2022 ILIO Black History Playlist will take you on a nostalgic journey through history honoring a small selection of a vast world of wonderful music. Please continue to celebrate the work of black artists from today and beyond as the legacy continues.
