The Evolution of Black Music
didyouKNOW? 2
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Fill in that LYRIC... ...
1. Outstanding (So outstanding) Girl, _______________ Excited (I’m so excited, baby)
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Alexis Wray MANAGING EDITOR: Zila Sanchez DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Brittany Van Pelt YARD EDITOR: Elaijah Gibbs-Jones CULTURE EDITOR: Kayla Clarke WORD EDITOR: Allison Gilmore SCORE EDITOR: TyRel Thompson SCENE EDITOR: Victoria Turner
It makes me want to shout
2. And I’ve only made plansAnniversary, to __________it’s our anniversary
The pleasure’s all mine ‘cause we have seen good times It’s our Anniversary
3. Victoria will __________________ It’s our anniversary, Anniversary A small cup _______ it’s our anniversary
4. GuysSome you know you’d better _______ girls, _________________ That thing, that thing, that thing That thing, that thing, that thing
5. I want a girl with extensions in her hair_______________, at least two pair A Fendi bag and a bad attitude That’s ________________ mood
HOMECOMING EVENTS
THE A&T REGISTER STAFF
COPY EDITOR: Cameron Dinkins PHOTO EDITOR: Terrell Peterson DESIGN CHIEF: Carrington Harris LEAD REPORTERS: Akilah, Kafele, Marisa Comer, Lauren Mitchell, Jarod Hamilton and Jaylin Sanders PR DIRECTOR: Arlette Hawkins PR TEAM: Breeana Draper, Alexus Johnson-Mobley, Kavyne Simpson, Machai Smith, Darren Shamburger and Lauryn Taylor MULTIMEDIA EDITOR: Cierra Ivey MULTIMEDIA TEAM: Hakeem Shabzz Norris, Chyna Spener, Kendall Rooks, Denver Lark, Kennedy Thorne, Megan Wiggins, Regine Palmer and Tyran Williams SOCIAL MEDIA: Ayanna Miller, Gary Hooker Jr., Kelsie Gray, Amya Palmer, Alexis Sanders, JaKayla Lide and Amara Johnson FACULTY ADVISOR: Emily Harris THE A&T REGISTER is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters by students at North Carolina A&T State University. THE A&T REGISTER has a weekly circulation of 5,000 copies on-campus.
TODAY
The opinions expressed in the newspaper reflect those of the students, not the university faculty, staff or administrators. This is a student newspaper where the students have editorial freedom.
Event: Comedy Show Performers: Deon Cole from the hit TV show, “Black-Ish”; Jess Hilarious and Donnivin Jordan. Time: 8:00 p.m. Location: Corbett Sports Center
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
Event: Fall Convocation Time: 10:00 a.m. – Noon Location: Harrison Auditorium
Event: Homecoming Parade Time: 8 a.m. Location: Start Murrow Blvd.
Event: Homecoming Pep Rally Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Corbett Sports Center
Event: Football Game Time: 1:00 p.m. Location: BB&T Stadium
FRIDAY Event: Aggie Homecoming Step Show Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Event: Homecoming Concert Performers: Cardi B, 2 Chainz, Ella Mai and Lil Baby Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Greensboro Coliseum Complex
SUNDAY
Event: Aggie Homecoming Gospel Show – Kirk Franklin Performance by the N.C. A&T Gospel Choir Location: Greensboro Coliseum Complex Time: 6:00 p.m.
Pick up your copy at one of these box locations: Academic Classroom Building Bookstore Craig Hall, 2nd Crosby, 2nd Bluford Dowdy New Academic Classroom Moore Hall McNair Moore Gym (basketball courts) General Classroom Building Register offices Smith Science Building Murphy Hall Sebastian Health Center Webb Hall Field House New Science Building Campus Recreation Center Williams Dining
CORRECTIONS If you find mistakes, please email us at ncatregister@ncat.edu so that we can correct the errors.
GOSPEL
HISTORY
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
3
Gospel originated in the 1800s in Black churches mainly located in the Bible-belt. Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the father of gospel, spent many years writing and performing music which has now led to various styles of gospel like spirituals, hymns and sacred songs. Over the years, many artist like Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene, Fred Hammond, Tasha Cobbs and Tamela Mann have continued the legacy by revolutionizing gospel music and making it more appealing to all audiences.
Contributed Photo: Travis Greene Travis Greene, a modern gospel artist, performs one of his hit singles.
Intentional testimony KAYLA CLARKE
theCulture Editor
With many gospel artists on the rise, Travis Greene has renowned himself as a inspirational trailblazer. Growing up, Greene was constantly surrounded by the touch of God. “Gospel music was like oxygen in our house, always part of my life,” said Greene. At a very early age, Greene’s life represents a testimony. Coming into this world, Greene was still-born and was declared dead. With a praying mother in his corner, Charleather Greene called on God and brought her baby back to life. God continued to watch over Greene’s life at the age of 4. Greene fell four stories from his family’s apartment window and was pronounced dead. However, God had other plans for this young boy. These events changed Greene’s life for the better. “It was God’s way of giving me an escape from tragedy and crisis. I turned to the keyboard instead of to drugs and the streets. Any instrument I put my hands on I was able to play,” Greene said. At the age of 18, Greene began his ministry with his mother’s prison ministry in Georgia. “This is where I sung the music I wrote for the first time, and where I preached for the first time at 18,” Greene said. As Greene grew into a man of God, he evolved into a popular American gospel musician as well as a pastor. “It was God’s way of giving me an escape from tragedy and crisis. I turned to the keyboard instead of to drugs and the streets. Any instrument I put my hands on I was able to play,” Greene said.
Greene started his music career in 2007 when he released his first song entitled “The More”. From there, he released two albums, “Stretching Out” in 2010 and “The Hill” in 2015. Over the course of his musical career, Greene has been nominated for many awards. At the 2017 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Greene won in seven key categories. Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, CD of the Year, Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary CD of the Year, Recorded Music Packaging of the Year and Praise and Worship CD of the Year. Greene has been nominated for 13 Stellar Awards, 3 Dove Awards, 2 Billboard Music Award and a Soul Train Award. In 2016, Billboard named him “Gospel Airplay Artist of the Year.” As Greene continues to make a huge impact in the society, he wants people to take away one thing from his music. “I simply want music to be my vehicle to inspire people and make them feel right about choosing God. I want to use these opportunities to encourage people, and maybe in the process help redefine the way Christianity looks in our contemporary culture and reveal God in a different way. I’m really excited to raise up the next wave of worshipers and those called to share the love of God through music. I want to be part of helping carry the torch into the future.” For more information about Travis Greene and his music career, please check out his website below. http://www.travisgreene.net/
OLD-SCHOOL STOMP There’s A Leak in this Old Building - LaShun Pace Long As I Got King Jesus - Vickie Winans Goin’ Up Yonder - Walter Hawkins I Told the Storm - Greg O’Quin I Shall Wear A Crown - Pastor Ronnie L Lee Silver and Gold - Kirk Franklin Order My Steps - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir I Won’t Complain - Rev. Paul Jones Center of my Joy - Richard Smallwood God’s Got a Blessing - Normans Hutchins
NEW-SCHOOL PRAISE I’ll Find You - Lecrae & Tori Kelly I’m Getting Ready - Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Nicki Minaj Intentional - Travis Greene Yes You Can - Marvin Sapp Perfect People - The Walls Group Gotta Have You - Jonathon McReynolds Give Me - Kirk Franklin and Mali Music This Place - Tamela Mann Best Praise - Myron Butter & Levi Joy - Vashawn Mitchell
BLUES/BLUEGRASS 4
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
What makes the music? Trumpet Drums
Cello The cello stemmed from the violin family and was originally called the bass violin. This instrument is highly used in the genre of blues. Modernday cellist, Sterling Elliott is a young Black musician that has continued to provide representation for other Black cellists.
Drums are one of the oldest instruments created; they were formed when humans realized they could keep a rhythm. Majority of drums are made from animal skins and open-ended cylinders. These instruments have been known to come from the Neolithic era and cultures within China, Israel and Egypt. Now artist like Questlove, Art Blakey and Lenny Kravitz have made their instrument into something that has changed the culture around Black music.
The trumpet is an instrument that is commonly discussed in the Bible, as well as studied. The trumpet originally started as a signaling device and has since evolved into a major part of jazz and blues music. The twentieth century allowed for the trumpet to really shine while “Pop Music” emerged and allowed for more opportunity for instruments of peculiar sounds to shine. Artist like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.
Banjo Harmonica
The saxophone is a woodwind instrument that was invented in Belgian by Adolphe Sax. This instrument is often used in musical genres like jazz, classical and marching bands. The sax has transformed jazz by creating famous musicians like John Coltrane, Sidney Bechet and Charlie Parker.
The Thrill is Gone - B.B. King Working Man - Otis Rush Two Steps Forward - Kirk Fletcher Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out- Bessie Smith River - Leon Bridges Soft- Tiny Bradshaw Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton Bad Bad News - Leon Bridges Book of Love - The Monotones
HISTORY
Saxophone
The harmonica is an instrument that was first made in China, with the name “Shenga” because the instrument was made of bamboo reeds. In the 19th century, Europeans reconstructed the instrument with metal pieces. When the harmonica finally made it to America, it was a very popular instrument for blues musicians, like John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson. Quickly after Chicago became a major city for blues, artist WLittle Walter rose to the occasion and was named as one of the greatest blues harmonica players to ever live.
The banjo is an instrument brought to the Americans when the Europeans enslaved Africans. This instrument is associated with folk, country, blues and bluegrass music. The banjo has now become a staple of American music while the history of it’s origins have been neglected to be taught in the genres that it is used in, but Black musicians, like Danny Barker, James A. Bland and Rhiannon Giddens have worked diligently to keep the real history of the banjo alive while proving representation for the instrument. ALEXIS WRAY Editor-in-Chief
Blues/BlueGrass combines a variety of traditions into it’s own unique and distinct sound. From Africana to Applachia, Bluegrass uses instruments such as the fiddle, five-string banjo and harmonica to tell the stories of the everyday working many in rural areas. Black Americans made Blues/Bluegrass their own by combining the Western European tradition with American Jazz during the early 20th century.
BRITTANY VAN PELT Digital Media Director
The jazz legends ZILA SANCHEZ Managing Editor
Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. and was based in New York City. He gained a national profile through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe. He often referred to his music as part of the more general category of American Music, though he is considered a pivotal figure of jazz music.
JAZZ
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
5
Jazzy when needed Blue in Green Miles Davis On The Sunny Side of The Street Dizzy Gillespie In a sentimental Mood John Coltrane Don’t Forget About Me Noname Dream A Little Dream of Me Ella Fitzgerald What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong 90 Degrees YazminLacey You Go To My Head Dianne Reeves Summertime Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Shine it Medeski, Martin and Wood
Billie Holiday (1915-1959) Holiday, also known as “Lady Day,” had influence in jazz and pop music. She started her career in Harlem, where she was discovered and signed to Brunswick Records in 1935. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Holiday had mainstream success on labels such as Columbia Records and Decca Records. Her final album, “Lady in Satin,” was released in 1958. Holiday died of cirrhosis in 1959.
Fitzgerald was sometimes referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella. She appeared in movies and as a guest on popular television shows in the second half of the 20th century. Her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington,and The Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside of her solo career.
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) Armstrong was born and raised in New Orleans. He was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. His artistry and personality allowed him access to the upper sections of American society which was then highly restricted for Black men.
HISTORY
Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1976)
The Jazz Age started in early 1920s. Jazz is a genre of music initiated by African-Americans of New Orleans in the early 20th century. According to Jazz in America, jazz is said to be a union of African and European music. The roots of jazz developed from blues and ragtime. Artists including Buddy Bolden, Nick LaRocca and Louis Armstrong were prominent in the Jazz Age. ELAIJAH GIBBS-JONES theYARD Editor
6
WyqwG
THE HISTORY OF TRAP MUSIC RAP MUSIC TURNS IT UP A NOTCH
The beauty of hip hop comes from its versatility of artists, sounds and sub genres. Hip Hop can include more conscious lyrics, focus strictly on beats or even create the newest dance craze. One of hip hop’s most popular sub genres, trap, is a combination of kick drums, high hats and catchy lyrics that describe the realities of street life without censorship. Before the 1990s, trap short for “trap house” - was just another word to describe the old houses or street locations where drug dealers operated. The term originated in Atlanta and quickly hit the mainstream media after producers such as Mannie Fresh, Shawty Redd, Zaytoven and DJ Paul linked with artist like Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy and Three 6 Mafia. There’s been some debate over the sub genre’s origin, but artists like T.I., Gucci Mane, and Young Jeezy are usually in the attached in some way to the discussions had. “Before I came in the game, it was Lil Jon, Outkast, Goodie Mob... so you had crunk
music and you had ‘Organized Noize,’” said rapper T.I. in a 2012 interview with Power 105’s Angie Martinez. “There was no such thing as trap music,” he said. “I created that. I coined the term. It was my second album, ‘Trap Muzik’
While it is possible for rapperd to have success with minimal effort and without lyrical meaning in the trap subgenre, trap music will always hold an important part of music history in its hands for years to come.
[which] dropped in 2003. After that, there was an entire new genre of music created.” Although trap music hadn’t been defined yet, long before T.I.’s debut of “Trap Muzik,” rappers in the early 90s such as UGK, 8Ball, Ghetto Mafia and
Master P were already rapping about drugs, dealing, pimping and using the word “trap” before it anyone truly knew what it meant in the music industry However, T.I. was the first to actually label this new genre of music as “trap music” and other popular Atlanta rappers followed suit. This paved the way for artists today to be honest and unapologetic about life in the streets through their music without consequences. In the mid-to-early 2000s the Billboard’s Top 200 were filled with trap songs like “Rubber band Man,” “Hard in the Paint,” ‘Trap House 3.” They quickly began to gain popularity all over the world. Even non hip hop artists realized there was money to be made in trap music. Singers like Katy Perry connected with Juicy J in the studio. Also, Lady Gaga added T.I., Too $hort and Twista to a song during the mid 2000s. Today, trap music artists are continuing to top the charts in all categories. The Migos’ “Culture” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 for weeks in a row, and it’s not surprising to see rappers like Lil Baby, Gunna, Kodak Black, Future and 21 Savage with frequent chart-
RAP ‘N’
HIP HOP
topping songs. Trap music is no longer just about what is being said in the lyrics, but also about the type of beat notation being used. Artists like Migos, Future and Designer are usually in the discussions in which people argue rappers are beginning to sound the same. This is due to the use of triplet rhythms in music. “These types of rhythms are at the foundation of where hip hop culture came from in the first place: african rhythms. So that’s just as old as the equator,” said Estelle Castille in a Vox video. While it is possible for rapperd to have success with minimal effort in the trap music subgenre and without lyrical meaning, trap music will always hold an important part of music history in its hands for years to come. Its influence on artists at all levels and in all genres in today’s music industry is unprecedented. “Trap music is the modern therapy. In our culture we use music to conquer our problems and help people understand the struggle and realize everything will be alright,” said Deamonte Gibson, senior mechanical engineering student.
a
Akilah Kafele Lead Reporter
TOP 10 RAP ALBUMS OF 2018
1
“Daytona” - Pusha T
6
“Swimming” - Mac Miller
2
“Redemption” - Jay Rock
7
“Invasion of Privacy” - Cardi B
3
“Astroworld” - Travis Scott
8
“Scorpion” - Drake
4
“KOD” - J. Cole
9
“Kids See Ghosts” - Kids See Ghosts
5
“Tha Carter V” - Lil Wayne
10
“Die Lit” - Playboi Carti Hakeem Shabazz-Norris and Jarod Hamilton
Jerry Humphrey III Contributor Hip hop has always had an impact on the sports world. From former NFL quarterback Michael Vick featured in rapper T.I.’s music video, “Rubberband Man,” to professional basketball player Lebron James dancing on stage with artists Drake and Travis Scott, hip hop and athletes have been gravitating toward one another for years. Late 1980s rap group N.W.A. was known to wear Raiders and Los Angeles Kings gear at nearly every performance. In their 2015 biopic, members of the group mentioned once they got their checks, they would buy more Raiders gear. N.W.A. repping their home team opened doors for other rappers to do the same. “I made the Yankees cap more famous than the Yankees can,” said rapper Jay-Z in 2010 hit, “Empire State of Mind.” The New York Yankees are number two on the top 10 most valuable teams in history, with $4 billion, according to the Forbes. Pop culture revolves around hip hop and with music moguls like Jay-Z investing in sports franchises it brings a revenue to both industries. Jay-Z opened Roc Nation Sports in 2013. Roc Nation Sports elevates athletes’ careers on and off the field through endorsement deals,
philanthropic endeavors, media relations and brand strategy. In 2011 we witnessed how two hip-hop songs created one of the biggest hypes in Super Bowl history. Upcoming rapper Wiz Khalifa - a Pittsburgh native blew up from his song “Black and Yellow.” The song was portraying his love for his city and the Pittsburgh Steelers. That same year, the Steelers were set to play the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. Rapper Lil Wayne - a Packers fan - released “Green and Yellow” which dissed the Steelers and boasted the Packers would win the game. With the build up from both songs that Superbowl had a skyrocket of 111 million views, making it the sixth most viewed tv broadcast in the country. Today we hear sports references in particular lyrics but a new trend is starting where artists are naming songs after athletes. Rapper Lil Cray is arguably one of the first with his song titled “Kyrie Irving.” New artist, Sheck Wes is taking the industry by storm with his song, “Mo Bamba.” The hit song is currently No. 24 on the Billboard 100 list. “The song was three years in the making we knew it would blow up one day,” said Orlando Magic rookie Mohamed Bamba on MTV. Music in a whole, has likely influenced sports whether it is being played during the game or before.
FEMALE RAPPERS “Roxanne’s Revenge” - Roxanne “I’ll Take Your Name” - Salt-N-Pepper “Supersonic” - J.J. Fad “U.N.I.T.Y.” - Queen Latifah “Ruffneck” - M.C. Lyte “Crush on You (ft. Lil’ Cease)” - Lil’ Kim “Lost Ones” - Lauryn Hill “Da Baddest B***h” - Trina “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” - Eve “We Run This” - Missy Elliott
KID RAPPERS “Want” - Deetranda “What” - Baby Kaely “Champion” - Jayla Marie “Look Out Below” - Nova “On Me” - Mullato “Splash” - Young Lyric “Lit” - That Girl Lay Lay “Geeked” - Bhad Bhadie “Pretty Gang” - Supa Peach “Ion Like” - Nia Kay
ybWsb!
P L AY L I S T S
HIP HOP IN SPORTS
7
ROCK&ROLL 8
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Black musicians recognized for rock PEYTON FORTE Contributor
Tribune News Service Host LL Cool J greets the crowd at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
inductees. Take LL Cool J, for example. The Grammy-winning rapper and first hip-hop artist to receive a Kennedy Center Honor for contributions to performance art has been nominated for the Rock & Roll HOF five times. According to the New York Times, if he were to be inducted, LL Cool J
The Right to Rock I’m a Man Bo Diddley Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry Jenny Jenny Little Richard Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix What’s Love Got to Do with it Tina Turner Are You Gonna Go My Way Lenny Kravitz Mannish Boy Muddy Waters The Thrill Is Gone B.B. King Ain’t That A Shame Fats Domino Move On Up Curtis Mayfield
We are joining the
would be one of only seven rappers to make the cut. LL Cool J is well-known for being the first male sex symbol in hip-hop, and this distinction has had a tremendous effect on his revolutionization of music. The boom-box-wielding, Kangolwearing Queens product preferred
HISTORY
The 2019 shortlist of nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame include a number of notable names such as Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, and Chaka Khan. Traditionally, less than six of the 15 nominees will actually get nominated. Artists are eligible to be nominated 25 years after their first recording and nominations are decided by over 1,000 artists, historians, and other respected figures in music. The public then goes on to rockhall.com to cast their vote for up to five artists at a time. Black artists have had a hand in advancing the genre of rock since its beginnings, but it has always been primarily white faces who are at the forefront of rock music popularity. You do a quick Google search of “rock music”, the results features an abundance of white artists and Jimi Hendrix. The Rock & Roll HOF has historically been a showcase of white musicians, and, despite efforts to diversify the nominee pool, there has been little impact on the pool of
to rap to women instead of rapping about them. He wasn’t afraid to let fans know that he needed love and that “Mama Said Knock You Out.” Janet Jackson is most likely to make it into the HOF. The “Rhythm Nation” singer brought a level of entertainment and raciness to live performances and music videos that no one has ever done. Her iconic choreography and effortless risqué intonation had a way of bringing together fans of all demographics and was in sharp contrast to her more innocent roles in sitcoms Good Times and Diff’rent Strokes. Jackson and LL Cool J have both paid their dues to the music industry and deserve to be nominated into the HOF. If the experts who vote on the nominees wish for the HOF to be a more accurate representation of the artists who’ve provided the most influence, they should consider OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, Whitney Houston and Snoop Dogg. The conventional standards of rock music are more antiquated than ever, and black artists have earned the right to be at the forefront of the genre.
Many people in the predominate culture don’t know that blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues were the beginning roots for rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll found it’s beginning during the Great Migration-- when many Blacks left the South for the North during the early 20th century. The more imminent roots of rock and roll lay in what was known as the “race music” of rhythm and blues during the forties and fifties. However, even though rock and roll were started and crafted within the Black community, artists like Elvis Presley stole songs from lesser known Black artists and sold it as their own. It didn’t take long for rock and roll to be marketed as a White genre. This didn’t stop determined artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix and Bo Diddley who changed the culture when they brought Black faces to the predominately White genre. BRITTANY VAN PELT Digital Media Director
The A&T Register is ending its weekly printing cycle to expand its reach on the digital frontier. We, The A&T Register staff, are excited to broaden our coverage and offer you breaking news on our website, ncatregister.com, and on our digital platforms.
Digital Evolution
Find and follow us.
@TheATRegister
The A&T Register
The A&T Register NCATSU
R&B
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Those Good Jams Who Can I Run To Xscape Let’s Chill Guy Can We Talk Tevin Campbell I Like it El De Barge Roni Bobby Brown Ready or Not After 7 Love Musiq Soulchild Get You Daniel Caesar Trip Ella Mai Down Chloe x Halle Real Love Mary J. Blige Weak SWV Back & Forth Aaliyah Can You Stand The Rain New Edition
HISTORY
Rhythm and Blues music, affectionately know as R&B, has been a staple in Black culture for generations. The term was created to replace the designated “race music” ,which was coined as a catch-all phrase to describe predominately Black music. R&B was originally associated with “after-hours clubs” as a new low form of jazz expression. However, as hip hop rose into prominence, the genre became thought of as a bunch of “love songs” By the 1970s, rhythm and blues expanded to include both soul and funk. Today, it can be used to loosely define any type of urban Black music.
BRITTANY VAN PELT Digital Media Director
9
MUSICALS 10
The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
How ‘The Wiz’ changed Black culture forever TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Diana Ross played the role of Dorothy in “The Wiz.”
Forty years after its original release, no film has uniquely defined black culture and shaped the framework of a musical genre quite like “The Wiz.” An adaptation of the groundbreaking Broadway musical itself a retelling of L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 children’s fantasy “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” that became the beloved Judy Garland movie _ the Sidney Lumet-directed film had a rapturous soundtrack produced by Quincy Jones, a cast that included Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Nipsey Russell, Mabel King and Richard Pryor and an aesthetic firmly rooted in black culture. For a generation of black Americans, this was the first time they saw people who spoke, sung and moved the way they did in a Broadway production and, later, a big-screen musical, and it has become a kind of rite of passage for the black community. Everyone remembers their first time experiencing “The Wiz.” If it’s the stage production, that likely came from performing it in high school or seeing a touring troupe tackle it, but the film is the most accessible entry into the all-black retelling of “The Wizard of Oz.” Many of us
recall watching it with family during the holidays, huddled around the TV and singing the tunes. What was revolutionary about it, first in the original Broadway production and then amplified by Jones’ work on the splashy film version, was its songbook. “Grease” had arrived to big screens months earlier, as did “Thank God It’s Friday” (which, like “The Wiz,” was a Motown production), but both pulled from the world of disco and were tailored toward white audiences. “The Wiz,” however, weaved together gospel, blues, soul and R&B _ genres that are unequivocally black creations _ and were narratives of the black experience, an especially bold move given Hollywood’s monochromatic palette. It bombed upon its release on Oct. 24, 1978 (it cost more than it earned, and critics dismissed it as a saccharine imitation of its stage predecessor), but that didn’t matter to audience members who were seeing themselves reflected on screen in ways they hadn’t before.
How it all started
To understand its power, let’s rewind to 1972. It was then that New York disc jockey Ken Harper, inspired by the dominance of the Motown sound, imagined a take of Baum’s epic fantasy that distilled the tale through a black lens. He got the backing of Fox _ in exchange for first option for film rights, publishing rights and album rights _ and in 1974 “The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ “ opened in Baltimore, before hitting Broadway the following year. “The Wiz” weathered a ballooning budget, mixed reviews, technical hiccups, sluggish ticket sales and the constant threat of closure to become a sensation that earned seven Tony Awards, including best musical, and a multimillion-dollar adaptation from Motown and Universal, who grabbed the rights from Fox. Both the stage and film productions of “The Wiz” have a common theme: the perseverance of the black American dream despite mighty odds. But where the original stage production uses Dorothy’s journey home from the Land of Oz to explore slavery, emancipation, the great migration and faith, the film updates it to a post-civil rights era. Rural, turn-of-the-century Kansas in Baum’s version became contemporary Harlem. Now our
heroine is an introverted Harlem schoolteacher that has never been south of 125th Street. Emerald City is a slick urban core brimming with temptations, and the Winkies are, in effect, the poor working class stuck under the thumb of a slave-driving tyrant. “The Wiz” is foremost a story of racial liberation, and an early piece of Afro-futurism the combination of science fiction, fantasy, magic realism and ancient African tradition that critiques historical events or envisions a black future, inspiring such recent groundbreaking films as “Get Out” and “Black Panther” but what has cemented its cult status is the music and movement seen onscreen. Its dance numbers incorporated traditional movement from the African diaspora with ballet, jazz and modern movement that has defined black dance the “Emerald City Sequence” alone has informed everything from the black queer ballroom scene to Beyonce, and the music has shaped R&B for decades. The original production launched the formidable Stephanie Mills (the original Dorothy, she lost the film role after Ross pulled a power play with the studio) to R&B stardom. It was the first time Jones collaborated with Jackson, then a 19-year-old looking to break away from the Motown sound. “Off the Wall” was released 10 months after “The Wiz,” the album inspired by Jackson’s time in New York frequenting Studio 54 and getting exposed to percolating hip-hop scene during downtime from filming. When Whitney Houston made her television debut in 1983 on “The Merv Griffin Show,” she sang the musical’s soaring number “Home” her mother, gospel legend Cissy Houston, has an uncredited role in the film and the internet is rife with a litany of talents covering the song when they were young, most notably Jazmine Sullivan and Beyonce, who kicked off her provocative Coachella performance with a wink to “The Wiz” (those opening horns are lifted right from the “Emerald City Sequence,” a definitive performance in the film). Beyonce and Sullivan like this writer are part of a generation not yet alive when “The Wiz” originally debuted. It was a cornerstone of our parents’ teenage years in which they were seeing expressions of themselves through a wave of blaxploitation films, and has been a definitive experience for black theater kids for decades now.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER BLACK MUSICALS Idlewild, Dream Girls (2006), Carmen Jones (1954), Purple Rain (1984) School Daze (1988) and Cinderella (1997)
INTERNATIONAL The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, October 31, 2018
ALL OVER
HISTORY
I’m Drinking/Rum & Red Bull Beenie Man & Fambo Mash-Up Destra Garcia Wine Slow Gyptian Mashup King Bubba FM Nobody Has to Know Kranium Endless Wuh Machel Montano Allez Teddyson Tonn I Concur Timaya Dance for Me Eugy, Mr Eazi
International “World” Music originated in the early 1980s when Britian and North America promoters began to promote music from other countries, most specifically African music. The term “international” was adopted to characterize non-English recordings released in Britian and North America. Key international musicians are Bob Marley, Jason Derulo and Wiki who have touched various audiences and have influenced different cultures, as well as their own.
EAST DOCKERY
Social Media Specialist
11
e r o m e r a s m r e t d i M ? s w n o o i n t k c e u l e l a i t Did yo n e d i s e r P n a h t t n a t r o p im
E T O V
6 R E B M E V O N , Y A D TUES Problems voting? Call the Election Protection Hotline at (866) OUR-VOTE • (866) 687-8683
VOTE.ORG