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Top 5 Political Black Musicians

Written by Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger on June 1, 2009 2:24 pm

1.    Bob Marley

Born to a poor Jamaican woman and a British captain in a small village in Jamaica, Bob Marley would go onto change the world with his music. Bob became not only the voice of Jamaica, but Africa and the Third World as well, with songs like “Get Up Stand Up,” “Redemption Song” and “Africa Unite.” Though he has been dead for almost 30 years, his music still lives on all over the world.

Watch Bob Marley’s Redemption Song

Obama’s Top 5 Bob Marley Songs

Jamaica Turns Down Bob Marley $5000 Bill

2.    Marvin Gaye
Marvin was known more for his love songs and duets before he released the classic album, “What’s Going On?” The album dealt with poverty, violence and the war. With songs like “Inner City Blues,” Marvin Gaye voiced the angst and discontent not only of the Black community, but all of America.

Watch Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues

3.    Chuck D.
If hip-hop was the CNN for the ’hood, Chuck D. was its Anderson Cooper. He addressed issues like police brutality, war and racism, while giving props to people like Farrakhan and dissing Arizona for not making Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a holiday. His song, “Fight the Power” provided the theme for Spike Lee’s film, “Do The Right Thing,” and for the growing political hip-hop movement he helped create.

Chuck D. Takes on the “Obama Deception”

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Chuck D

Watch Public Enemy’s Fight The Power

4. Curtis Mayfield
Mayfield, along with his group, The Impressions, would help create music that served as the soundtrack to the Civil Rights movement. Songs like “Keep On Pushin” and “People Got Ready” captured the essence of the dedication and optimism that drove the struggle. Mayfield would continue his social commentary in his solo career, with songs like “Freddie’s Dead,” “I’m Your Pusher” and “Superfly” that addressed many of the issues in inner-city Black communities during the 1970s.

Watch Mayfield Perform People Get Ready

5. Paul Robeson
Robeson was a true Renaissance Man. He was a singer, an actor, a football player and a lawyer. Robeson was a forerunner in the Civil Rights movement, a leader in the labor movement and a crusader in the anti-lynching movement. Because of his socialist views and anti-colonialist sentiments, Robeson was investigated by both the CIA and the FBI. He helped popularize several Negro spirituals and labor movement anthems, which still live on today.

Listen To Robeson Perform Let My People Go

Tags: Bob Marley
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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/4_sa-kin/ 4_sa-kin

    Talib Kweli is a good one also

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Rucks4/ Rucks4

    Co-sign.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ltbeard25/ ltbeard25

    Pac, for sure.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/myteebyte/ myteebyte

    I agree with them being great singers, but most of them are not musicians. Bob Marley is the only one that I am aware of that actually plays an instrument.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/britt4lyfe77/ britt4lyfe77

    I wish artists of today made music with messages. Maybe our generation wouldn’t be as messed up as it is if we were listening to music with real meaning to it. Everything played on the radio is about sex, drugs, money, and alcohol. Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and Wyclef Jean are a few that tend to make music with some meaning. I agree with the five artists that are featured in this article.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/1RealG/ 1RealG

    No 2pac?????????
    yall really trippin!!!!
    surprised yal didnt put JayZ’s gay ass on there, yall suck him enough…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/shippper2009/ shippper2009

    KRS 1. Happy to see Pac not on this list

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/sexymissmaria/ sexymissmaria

    I’m loving articles like this one and am so proud of the whole Radio One family for bringing some much-needed information to the community. It’s cool to read about Serene & Venus’s new 30 year old step-mama (and I did, lol) but articles like this one are inspiring, and anything with Robeson in it is definitely on the level!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/DONT_EAT_PUCCY_CREW_/ DONT_EAT_PUCCY_CREW_

    COMMO,MOS DEF,2PAC,TALIB,NAS,AZ, ITS SO MANY I CAN GO ALL DAY

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/DJ_YT/ DJ_YT

    I don’t think I would have put both Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield on this list. I believe the failure to include an artist since the 80′s(PE) is an abject failure to open your eyes and ears.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/christianmcbridefans/ christianmcbridefans

    How could you possibly leave JAMES BROWN off this list?????? That’s insanely criminal. “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing” and “Don’t Be A Dropout” were not just regular old pop tunes that sold a lot of records, they were black anthems in the tumultuous 1960′s. As far as Marvin Gaye is concerned, he made ONE – ONE!!!! – political album. Yes, the album happened to be perfect – Yes, Marvin was a musical genius – Yes, that album will forever be his greatest, but there are a hundred other musicians who have been substantially and more consistently political. Have you ever heard of Duke Ellington’s “Black, Brown and Beige” (made in the 1930′s), Charles Mingus (Way too many political pieces to be named), Max Roach (Freedom Now Suite), if you all think I’m just naming some irrelevant old jazz musicians, does the name Norman Whitfield ring a bell? He’s the one who brought politics to Motown with songs like “War” and “Ball of Confusion” to Motown. Speaking of Motown, who was ever more political with his music, with human rights, with bringing african culture to our alert than Stevie Wonder?? It would be wise for us to do some research before we start doing polls like this again! Next time we do a poll like this, let’s make it a little more broad and historically factual. Mr. Brown, Mr. Ellington, Mr. Mingus, Mr. Roach and Mr. Whitfield are very significant to our history, which also makes them greatly responsible for the current shape of our political outlook and of course, our music. History, people! HISTORY!!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/adaramola/ adaramola

    Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield both were multi instrumentalists. Off this list we have Gil Scott-Heron,many other reggae artists for example Burning Spear, David Hinds/Steel Pulse etcetera. African artists like Fela Kuti ,Masekela and Mother Africa (Miriam Makeba).Jazz musicians include Miles Davis,
    Duke Ellington,Charles Mingus,
    the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and many more too numerous to mention. The ones on this list barely the tip of the iceberg!!!!!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Caramel_Chicka/ Caramel_Chicka

    I think Casey Gane-McCalla is SEXY ;) lol

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Caramel_Chicka/ Caramel_Chicka

    seriously

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/BlackCasper2001/ BlackCasper2001

    I was I could know everything about the lives of these great African Americans. I inspire to be great as well. It is amazing how the past brought hardship but blacks were able to survive it. But since we are strong-willed that can make it easier.

    http://www.ebookcrescent.com/product_info.php?cPath=152_31&products_id=90301

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