Happy Juneteenth! In a world where racism, the erasure of Black history and even attacks from the federal government try to take us out, Black people do as we always do: survive and thrive. Today, we honor the sacrifices made by African Americans since the beginning of slavery all while celebrating just how far we’ve come as a community.
Suggested Reading
History paints us as some of the most resilient people of all time… and that deserves some theme music! To do so, The Root has collected some of the many “freedom” songs from our favorite Black musicians. These hits are reminders of the fierceness within the Black community. Prepared to feel empowered!
John Legend, Common – Glory
Starting off strong, the lead single for the 2014 film “Selma” starring Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo is a reminder of the long road to freedom. John Legend and Common linked up to produce “Glory,” which won Best Original Song at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards and at the 87th Academy Awards. The record was inspired by the 1965 Selma marches. Common also dedicated the track to the 2014 Ferguson, Mo. protests after Michael Brown’s killing that year.
Joey Bada$$ – Land of the Free
The lead single for Joey Bada$$’s most polarizing album to date, “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$,” calls out mass incarceration and racism in the country while he raps on a groovy beat. He says, “In the land of the free, it’s full of free loaders / Leave us dead in the street to be their organ donors / They disorganized my people, made us all loners / Still got the last names of our slave owners.” Joey released the song on Jan. 20, 2017, which is his birthday and the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s first and second inaugurations… Talk about juxtaposition.
Beyoncé – Freedom
Unlike previous tracks, “Freedom” was Beyoncé’s boldest record, with unapologetically Black lyrics, a powerful music video and even a feature from one of hip-hop’s goats, Kendrick Lamar. In 2020, the song became somewhat of an anthem for Black Lives Matter protesters. She sings, “I’m telling these tears, ‘Go and fall away, fall away’ / May the last one burn into flames.” The chorus of the song addresses the long fight to freedom and even questions where freedom and justice is in times like this. “I break chains all by myself / Won’t let my freedom rot in hell / Hey! I’mma keep running / Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.” In 2024, the song took new light when former Vice President Kamala Harris used it as the official song for her campaign.
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
One of Marvin Gaye’s most notable songs is one asking a question every Black American wants to know: what’s really going on in the country? The title track of Gaye’s “What’s Going On” album reflects the uncertainty occurring in 1970, in the height of Vietnam War and just two years after MLK’s assassination. He begins the song singing, “Mother, mother / There’s too many of you crying / Brother, brother, brother / There’s far too many of you dying.” Gaye urges folks to take a closer look at what society has tuned into, and more importantly, our individual roles in it all.
Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’
Channeling the history of blues music, Jimi Hendrix sings about finding salvation after dealing with the baggage of his past and present. “Hear My Train A Comin’” acts as a hopeful mantra in the face of adversity as he sings “Waitin’ for that train / Take me, take me / Take me away / From this Lonesome town.” To make matters worse, Hendrix is also dealing with unrequited love, as he tells his love interest “Too bad you don’t love me no more, girl / Too bad your people put me down.”
Kendrick Lamar – The Blacker The Berry
The saying goes the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice but Lamar takes things to a more militant level with this 2015 record. Set in the middle of an ongoing riot– probably a race riot or protest– he calls out racism while reclaiming the same slurs used against him. “I want you to recognize that I’m a proud monkey / You vandalize my perception but can’t take style from me,” Lamar raps. The song is also juxtaposed with “i” off the same album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Top Dawg Entertainer boss Punch compared “i” to MLK’s more digestible nature after the record won a Grammy. On the flip side, “The Blacker The Berry” is more of a Malcolm X inspired track– unapologetically Black without looking for validation from the oppressors.
Sault – Wildfires
Released in the height of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Sault’s “Wildfires” calls out police brutality while also promising to never back down or lose their light, despite the violence. “You should be ashamed / The bloodshed on your hands / Another man / Take off your badge / We all know it was murder,” Cleo Sol sings in the first verse. Quickly, however, the song flips to a more inspiration record as the hook sings “But we will never show fear / Even in my eyes / I will always rise / In wildfires.”
Jay Z – Legacy
Track 10 on arguably one of Hov’s best albums, “4:44,” is a reminder of the importance of legacy, especially within the Black community. On the song, Jay-Z details what the word means to him as a former drug dealer turned billionaire hip-hop mogul. It doesn’t get any better than that! After rapping about his family history and how he builds on those stepping stones to create his own for his children’s future, Jay adds “Legacy, legacy, legacy, legacy / Black excellence baby, you gon’ let ’em see.”
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up
Bob Marley’s career was largely shaped by his willingness to sing about political injustices. “Get Up, Stand Up” was no different. On the 1973 record, Marley calls for people to open their eyes to the oppression happening in the world. Moreso, he urges folks to take a stand against “The Man.” He sings, “You can fool some people sometimes / But you can’t fool all the people all the time / So now we see the light (what you gon’ do?) / We going to stand up for our right.”
Michael Jackson – They Don’t Care About Us
Michael Jackson’s 1995 hit proved to be the most controversial of his career. The King of Pop largely stayed away from politics, but clearly, he was fed up and had to speak his peace. On “They Don’t care About Us,” he echos generational complaints from Black people who claim the government doesn’t care about them. “Some things in life / They just don’t wanna see / But if Martin Luther was livin’ / He wouldn’t let this be,” Jackson sings before declaring “All I wanna say is that / They don’t really care about us.” Naturally, the song was met with backlash from folks who wrongly claimed it celebrated anti-semitism. Jackson later came out to clarify the opposite was true.
Solange – F.U.B.U.
Remember the clothing brand F.U.B.U (for us, by us)? Well, Solange takes that and remixes it into a record just for Black people by Black artists. The song featuring BJ the Chicago Kid and The-Dream, details experiences as a Black person that other groups simply can’t relate to. “When you driving in your tinted car / And you’re criminal, just who you are / But you know you’re gonna make it far, oh,” she sings. Or, “When you feeling all alone / And you can’t even be you up in your home / When you even feeling it from your own.” In the end, she says she hopes this record turns into a Black anthem so that her own son, Julez, can one day listen to with pride.
Tracy Chapman – Talkin’ Bout a Revolution
Tracy Chapman warns that a revolution is slowly brewing in her 1988 song
“Talkin’ Bout a Revolution…” and she was right! She sings “While they’re standing in the welfare lines / Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation / Wasting time in the unemployment lines / Sittin’ around waitin’ for a promotion / Don’t ya know? / They’re talking about a revolution.” Although the song didn’t get the love it deserved in the United States, Chapman’s record actually found a comfortable place internationally. Decades later, “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” is still referenced in rallies, protests and other demonstrations across the world. Most notably, in 2011, the record was on repeat during the 28-day period of civil resistance known as the Tunisian Revolution. This would eventually lead to the infamous Arab Spring protests against corruption in the Middle East.
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
Originally just meant for Spike Lee’s film “Do the Right Thing,” the Public Enemy record has since transformed into a generational anthem signaling unrest and rebellion from Black Americans fed up with racism and injustice. “Our freedom of speech is freedom of death / We’ve got to fight the powers that be,” Chuck D raps. The chorus acts almost as a battle cry, “Fight the power (Let me hear you say) / Fight the power (Let me hear you—) /We’ve got to fight the powers that be.” Peace to Radio Raheem!
Andra Day – Rise Up
Andra Day’s 2015 record takes power back from the oppressor. She sings “I’ll rise up / And I’ll do it a thousand times again/ For you.” The track was yet another anthem for the Black Lives Matter Movement and has since been used in multiple movies over the years. In an interview, Day said, “Instead of having to prove my point or say, ‘You’ve hurt me, you get no more love,’ people are more transformed by mercy and unconditional love. I’d rather take the offense than be the offender and carry that burden.”
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Lamar begins the Pharrell Williams produced track with “Alls my life, I has to fight–” a direct reference to Sofia’s monologue in “The Color Purple” played by Oprah Winfrey. From there, the Compton rapper joins forces with Pharrell to promise Black folks that despite the ongoing struggle and all that’s wrong with the world, “We gon’ be alright.” The record focuses on trusting God and staying the course, no matter how hard things get. This is one of Lamar’s biggest songs to date.
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