The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, in addition to calling for an end to police brutality and systematic racism, calls on people the world over to support black creators and raise the voices of black people through patronage of their poetry, prose, art, and music. In our article on ‘Black Lives Matter’ and literature, we touched on some classic and lesser-known novels and poetry by black writers, works which should be read and re-read by any and every citizen of the world.

Now, we would like to focus on some essential music and art by distinguished and talented up-and-coming black artists. We have included some protest songs and artworks, as well as some artists that beautifully tell their stories and celebrate their culture.

Black Music Matters

‘Black rage is founded on blatant denial

Squeezed economics, subsistence survival

Deafening silence and social control

Black rage is founded on wounds in the soul.’ – Lauryn Hill’s ‘Black Rage’

Back in 2014, in response to events in Ferguson following the shooting of Michael Brown, Lauryn Hill shared the painful and poignant song ‘Black Rage (Sketch)’, in which she sets out a reality that has been raging for centuries—and the song is, alas, as applicable today as it was six years ago.

The lyrics of ‘Cry No More’ by Rhiannon Giddens, inspired by the massacre at the Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015, are similarly haunting and apropos:

‘First they stole our body, then they stole our sons

Then they stole our gods and gave us new ones

Then they stole our beauty, comfort in our skin

And then they gave us duty and then they gave us sin.’

Other songs that powerfully capture the black experience in a racist society include J. Cole’s ‘Be Free’, Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’, The Game’s ‘Don’t Shoot’,  Swizz Beatz’ ‘Sad News’, and Janelle Monae’s, ‘Hell You Talmbout’.

Grammy-nominated Janelle Monae has been described as boundary-breaking, an innovator in what can be described as ‘Afrofuturism.’ However, no matter how futuristic her music or music videos, she is also deeply in touch with her working-class background. Her song ‘Ghetto Woman’, for example, addresses the portrayal of working-class black women in American culture.

Another boundary breaker is Belgian artist Stromae. The rapper, singer-songwriter was born in Brussels to a Rwandan Tutsi father and a Belgian Flemish mother. His philosophical songs deal with a wide range of anxieties, from his absent father (who died in the Rwandan genocide) to the stereotypes associated with gender roles.

An artist that burst onto the international music scene in 2019 is South African rapper, singer-songwriter, and poet Sho Madjozi. The young artist is known for her high-energy performances, catchy lyrics, and for proudly incorporating her Tsonga language and culture into her songs and styling. 

Black Art Matters

A number of artists have strikingly depicted the likenesses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others in various media in the last few weeks. These artworks have been shared far and wide on social media as part of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

One such artist is Otha Davis III—also known as Vakseen.

An artist-activist that creates vibrant, beautiful works featuring black women is talented New York-based illustrator and animator Lo Harris. 

Textile artist Diedrick Brackens weaves exquisite, intricate works depicting various metaphorical scenes.

Other artists that we highly recommend you check out include Boyd Samuels, Chéri Samba, El Anatsui, Peju Alatise, and Nikkolas Smith.

Which black artists and works do you love?

by Illona Meyer

Africa Global News Publication