Music is one of the key foundations of not only our society but our humanity. Black culture in America’s connection to music is one of the most profound and documented attachments a group of humans has ever made to such an art/life/everything form. And yet, all too often, we hear in our mainstream music and media the watered-down facsimiles of soul/neo-soul, rhythm, blues, rap, hip-hop, rock and roll, punk, etc. So, to put my own record on the table, I’d like to share a few selections of my favorite music by Black artists. These artists range in era, genre, temperament and origin, yet are united in their talented contributions to music as a whole, and their identities as Black people in a white world.

“Diaspora Problems” (2022)

‘Big plans.’ These are what the rap and rock-infused collective Soul Glo intended to create and achieve, and of which they succeeded by leaps and bounds. Yet while punk rock has always been rooted in class struggles and other social issues, never has it been used as a vessel so cathartically as in “Diaspora Problems.” Harsh on the ears for some listeners, the calmest song on the album may be its final track, “Spiritual Level of Gang S**t.”

Lead vocalist Pierce Jordan lives up to his first name, with his voice bursting through all ten tracks singing and rapping lyrics with densely layered social commentary. For example, the fifth song “Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future))” includes victims of police violence in its chorus (Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor) as a rallying cry, as well as victims of drug abuse, namely Chynna Rogers and Juice Wrld, to highlight the tragedies Black people continue to face in the 21st century.  

Radical, loud and with a message, “Diaspora Problems” is an album for all who don’t fear a bit of reading. 

“Love Deluxe” (1992) 

Smooth as butter or their own operator, the musicians that compose the group Sade, including the titular singer Sade Adu, transformed Neo-Soul into the groundbreaking, universal genre we know today for its romantic and funky vibes with the album “Love Deluxe.” Composed of nine songs, this fourth studio album by Sade snatched the ears of listeners in 1992 and never took them back.  

Perhaps what this album is most known for is its fifth track, “Kiss of Life,” which was notably sampled by rapper MF DOOM in his song “Doomsday.” Almost every song on the album has been sampled before, too, possibly for a similar reason to DOOM: these songs are silky smooth and gorgeous to hear on a loop. However, fans of these samples should not stop at just their favorite song’s origin but go even further and indulge in this luscious album, with songs like “I Couldn’t Love You More,” “Pearls,” and “Bulletproof Soul” being some of the best Neo-Soul records ever produced, in all honesty. 

Quite literally for any weather, mood, or time, “Love Deluxe” will soothe and bring you back to earth. 

“Pieces of a Man” (1971) 

While many know the phrase “The revolution will not be televised,” few know the rebellious statement’s writer, the soul/spoken-word/funk revolutionary Gil Scott-Heron. Born in Chicago in 1949, the activist grew up, like all Black people of the time, surrounded by hatred and violence toward his community. Scott-Heron attended a prestigious school where he was one of five Black students, creating feelings of isolation within him, despite his writing prowess. When asked by a school administrator how it would feel if he saw a classmate of his driving to school in a limousine, Scott-Heron responded, “Same way as you. Y’all can’t afford no limousine. How do you feel?” 

This biting response is emblematic of the writer’s attitude towards his society, endlessly hateful of him and people who look like him, always asking silly questions. So, with “Pieces of a Man”, Scott-Heron not only asks complex questions worth considering half a century after its release; he also answers the qualms and worries of his era with loving, well-crafted soul. In fact, if one were to ask why Soul music is called Soul music, one would only have to listen to songs like “A Sign of the Ages,” “Home is Where the Hatred Is” and “Save the Children” to hear what it sounds like to put one’s soul onto a beat. 

Timeless, “Pieces of a Man” is necessary listening. 

“Headnod Suite” (2017) 

At first, I had “Donuts” by J Dilla on this list at this placement; however, I ultimately decided to shine a light on a lesser-known, more recent, equally impressive instrumental hip-hop album, “Headnod Suite.” An hour long with 29 tracks, this project is less focused on some large conceptual framework to exist around, and more so on providing a wide variety of grooves and beats to nod one’s head to (as the title suggests).  

While the album has shorter songs, the long track list can feel daunting to some listeners. So, for starters, if you want something relaxing, try out the songs “Crystal Stairs,” “Chop Chop” and “Cia.” For something funky, “Detroit Funk,” “Bahia Dreamin’” and “Keep It On” are all go-to’s. And for some straight-up weird instrumentals, peek at “Invasion,” “Tandoor Heat” or “Cheap Suite 4.” No matter where you start, though, you won’t be able to help yourself from trying all the tracks. 

Eclectic, groovy,and unique, “Headnod Suite” is the perfect album title.  

“Wild is the Wind” (1966)

The vibrant pink cover of “Wild is the Wind” draws eyes immediately, while Nina Simone’s voice blows the ears along with it. Singing hits like “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” and “Lilac Wine,” Simone has never, in this reviewer’s opinion, sounded so heartbreakingly beautiful. Her iconically unique voice warbles and shines throughout every song, performing solemnly low and delicately high notes, floating along her range despite the wind’s wiles.  

“Four Women” is her most recognizable song for some because of its notable uses in Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J.” and later Pusha T’s diss track “The Story of Adidon.” However, as with Sade, this album is worth more than a cursory listen to a single track; the climactic moments in “What More Can I Say?” and “That’s All I Ask” can (and will forever) melt icy hearts; the listless sorrow in the title track and “If I Should Lose You” will propel all to self-reflection and silence. Simone is one of the most emotive singers of all time, and this album is all it will take to convince even the surliest of readers.  

“Wild is the Wind” is phenomenal, world-changing, and breath-taking, no matter who you are.

Thank you, as always, so very much for reading, and please enjoy the music that has been presented. I know I sure did.