LibGuides: February: Celebrate Black History Month: Black Excellence in Music

Black Excellence in Music

Black excellence in music transcends genre boundaries, showcasing extraordinary talent, innovation, and cultural impact across a diverse spectrum of musical styles. From the soulful depths of blues and jazz to the rhythmic power of hip-hop and R&B, Black artists have consistently pushed creative boundaries and redefined musical landscapes. However, their influence extends far beyond these traditionally associated genres, permeating areas often overlooked in discussions of Black musical contributions.

In the realm of classical music, composers like Florence Price and William Grant Still broke racial barriers, infusing the genre with unique perspectives and rich cultural heritage. The punk scene, while often perceived as predominantly white, owes much to pioneering Black bands like Bad Brains and Death, who helped shape the genre's raw energy and rebellious spirit. Rock music, at its very core, is rooted in the innovations of Black musicians, from Sister Rosetta Tharpe's electrifying guitar work to Jimi Hendrix's revolutionary approach to the instrument. These contributions across diverse genres not only demonstrate the versatility and depth of Black musical talent but also challenge stereotypes and expand our understanding of Black excellence in music. Recognizing and celebrating these wide-ranging achievements is crucial for appreciating the full scope of Black influence on global musical culture and inspiring future generations of artists to explore and excel in any musical style they choose.

Websites

The Black Origins of Punk - Teach Rock

Black Classical Music - Jim Crow Museum

Every Month is Black Music Month: Measuring the Global Impacts of Black Music - By Memunatu Mansaray & Kelley Williams

How Black Music Changed History - The University of Iowa

Black Music influenced the Culture & Music of the United States and the World. - SoundGirls

The Superpower of Singing: Music and the Struggle Against Slavery - National Park Service

References

Williams, M. M. & K. (2023, June 20). Every month is black music month: Measuring the global impacts of black music. Luminate. https://luminatedata.com/blog/every-month-is-black-music-month-measuring-the-global-impacts-of-black-music/

The black origins of punk. (n.d.). TeachRock. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://teachrock.org/lesson/black-punk-origins/

How black music changed history | scope productions—Division of student life | the university of iowa. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://scope.uiowa.edu/blog/2023/02/how-black-music-changed-history

Exploring black influence in music – long beach current. (2023, January 30). https://lbcurrent.com/artslife/2023/01/30/exploring-black-influence-in-music/

Boyd, Z. (2022, February 27). A look at Black artists’ contributions to genres across music history. KCPR. https://kcpr.org/a-look-at-black-artists-contributions-to-genres-across-music-history/

momlovespink. (n.d.). Biography. Florence Price. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://florenceprice.com/biography/

Bad brains. (n.d.). TeachRock. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://teachrock.org/people/bad-brains/

Books

Billie Holiday by John Szwed
Call Number: ML420 .H58 S99 2015
Publication Date: 2015-03-31
When Billie Holiday stepped into Columbia's studios in November 1933, it marked the beginning of what is arguably the most remarkable and influential career in twentieth-century popular music. Her voice weathered countless shifts in public taste, and new reincarnations of her continue to arrive, most recently in the form of singers like Amy Winehouse and Adele.
Black Country Music by Francesca T. Royster
Call Number: ML3524 .R697 2022
Publication Date: 2022-10-04
How Black musicians have changed the country music landscape and brought light to Black creativity and innovation. After a century of racist whitewashing, country music is finally reckoning with its relationship to Black people. In this timely work--the first book on Black country music by a Black writer--Francesca Royster uncovers the Black performers and fans, including herself, who are exploring the pleasures and possibilities of the genre. Informed by queer theory and Black feminist scholarship, Royster's book elucidates the roots of the current moment found in records like Tina Turner's first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On! She reckons with Black "bros" Charley Pride and Darius Rucker, then chases ghosts into the future with Valerie June.
Blues Music in the Sixties by Ulrich Adelt
Call Number: ebsco ebook collection
Publication Date: 2010-04-02
In the 1960s, within the larger context of the civil rights movement and the burgeoning counterculture, the blues changed from black to white in its production and reception, as audiences became increasingly white. Yet, while this was happening, blackness-especially black masculinity-remained a marker of authenticity.
Chamber Music by Will Ashon
Call Number: ML421.W8 A84 2019
Publication Date: 2019-02-19
As unexpected and complex as the album itself, Chamber Music ranges from provocative essays to semi-comic skits, from deep scholarly analysis to satirical celebration, seeking to contextualize, reveal and honor this singular work of art. Chamber Music is an explosive and revelatory new way of writing about music and culture."
Cultural Codes by William C. Banfield
Call Number: ebsco ebook collection
Publication Date: 2009-01-01
No art can survive without an understanding of, and dedication to, the values envisioned by its creators. No culture over time has existed without a belief system to sustain its survival. Black music is no different. In Cultural Codes: Makings of a Black Music Philosophy, William C. Banfield engages the reader in a conversation about the aesthetics and meanings that inform this critical component of our social consciousness.
Dayglo! by Celeste Bell
Call Number: ML420.S924 B45 2019
Publication Date: 2019-09-12
Here, for the first time, the vibrant jigsaw of Poly's inspiring and often moving story has been lovingly pieced together by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer/artist Zoë Howe. From growing up mixed-race in London in the 1960s, to being at the forefront of the emerging punk scene with X-Ray Spex in the 1970s, to finding faith with the Hare Krishna movement, to balancing single motherhood with a solo music career and often debilitating mental health issues, the book honestly and openly explores Poly's exceptional life, up until her untimely passing in 2011.
Finding Joseph I by Howie Abrams; James Lathos; D. Randall Blythe (Foreword by)
Call Number: ML420.H112 A27 2019
Publication Date: 2019-07-23
Interviewees include members of Bad Brains, Guns N' Roses, Black Flag, Living Colour, 311, Fishbone, the Wailers, Cro-Mags, Dead Prez, Murphy's Law, P.O.D., Michael Franti & Spearhead and many more. Packed with many rare and never-before-seen images, Finding Joseph I is the definitive account of the punk rock icon.
For the Culture by Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey; Adolphus Belk
Call Number: ML3918.R37 F67 2022
Publication Date: 2022-03-30
For the Culture: Hip-Hop and the Fight for Social Justice documents and analyzes the ways in which Hip-Hop music, artists, scholars, and activists have discussed, promoted, and supported social justice challenges worldwide. Drawing from diverse approaches and methods, the contributors in this volume demonstrate that rap music can positively influence political behavior and fight to change social injustices, and then zoom in on artists whose work has accomplished these ends.
Freedom Moves by H. Samy Alim (Editor); Jeff Chang (Editor); Casey Wong (Editor)
Call Number: ML3918.R37 F74 2023
Publication Date: 2023-01-10
This expansive collection sets the stage for the next generation of Hip Hop scholarship as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the movement's origins. Celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop cultural history, Freedom Moves travels across generations and beyond borders to understand Hip Hop's transformative power as one of the most important arts movements of our time.
From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz by Raul A. Fernandez
Call Number: ML3565 .F47 2006
Publication Date: 2006-05-23
This book explores the complexity of Cuban dance music and the webs that connect it, musically and historically, to other Caribbean music, to salsa, and to Latin Jazz. Establishing a scholarly foundation for the study of this music, Raul A. Fernandez introduces a set of terms, definitions, and empirical information that allow for a broader, more informed discussion. He presents fascinating musical biographies of prominent performers Cachao L#65533;pez, Mongo Santamar#65533;a, Armando Peraza, Patato Vald#65533;s, Francisco Aguabella, C#65533;ndido Camero, Chocolate Armenteros, and Celia Cruz.
God Save the Queens by Kathy Iandoli
Call Number: ML3531 .I26 2019
Publication Date: 2019-10-22
Every history of hip-hop previously published, from Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop to Shea Serrano's The Rap Yearbook, focuses primarily on men, glaringly omitting a thorough and respectful examination of the presence and contribution of the genre's female artists. For far too long, women in hip-hop have been relegated to the shadows, viewed as the designated "First Lady" thrown a contract, a pawn in some beef, or even worse. But as Kathy Iandoli makes clear, the reality is very different. Today, hip-hop is dominated by successful women such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, yet there are scores of female artists whose influence continues to resonate. God Save the Queens pays tribute to the women of hip-hop--from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today.
Groove Music by Mark Katz
Call Number: ML3531 .K37 2012
Publication Date: 2012-05-01
Exhaustively researched and written with all the verve and energy of hip-hop itself, Groove Music will delight experienced or aspiring DJs, hip-hop fans, and all students or scholars of popular music and culture.
Hip-Hop Is History by Questlove; Ben Greenman (As told to)
Call Number: ML3531 .Q47 2024
Publication Date: 2024-06-11
Now, in this landmark book, Questlove traces the creative and cultural forces that made and shaped hip-hop, highlighting both the forgotten but influential gems and the undeniable chart-topping hits-and weaves it all together with the stories no one else knows. It is at once an intimate, sharply observed story and a sweeping theory of the evolution of the great artistic movement of our time. Questlove approaches it with both the encyclopedic fluency of an obsessive fan and the unique expertise of an innovative participant. Hip-hop is history, and also his history.
Hip Hop Reader, the, a Longman Topics Reader by Tim Strode; Tim Wood
Call Number: ML3531 .H58 2008
Publication Date: 2007-02-16
Composition and hip hop may seem unrelated, but the connection isn't hard to make: Hip hop and rap rely on a complex of narrative practices that have clear ties to some of the best American essay writing. A Hip Hop Reader brings together work by important writers about this cultural phenomenon and provides lively selections that represent a variety of styles and interests.
It's Our Music Too: the Black Experience in Classical Music by Earl Hutchinson
Call Number: ML3545 .H88 2016
Publication Date: 2016-10-14
Groundbreaking Book Explores the Black Impact on Classical MusicEarl Ofari Hutchinson meticulously details in his It's Our Music Too The Black Experience in Classical Music the black impact on classical music. Hutchinson notes that there are numerous books which have dissected and re-dissected every possible aspect of classical music-the composers, performers, their compositions, the musical structure, the history, and even the gossip and minutiae about the composers and performers. Yet, there are almost no books that focus on the significant part that black composers and performers played in influencing and in turn being influenced by classical music"The list of Africans, African-Americans and Afro-European composers, conductors, instrumental performers, and singers," says Hutchinson, "is and always has been, rich, varied, and deep.
I Wonder U by Adilifu Nama
Call Number: ML420.P974 N36 2020
Publication Date: 2019-11-15
Featured in the 2020 Association of University Presses Book, Jacket, and Journal Show In 1993, Prince infamously changed his name to a unique, unpronounceable symbol. Yet this was only one of a long string of self-reinventions orchestrated by Prince as he refused to be typecast by the music industry's limiting definitions of masculinity and femininity, of straightness and queerness, of authenticity and artifice, or of black music and white music.
Jay-Z by Michael Eric Dyson; Pharrell (Contribution by, Foreword by)
Call Number: ML420.J29 D97 2019
Publication Date: 2019-11-26
'Made in America' examines the rapper's role as a poet, an aesthete, an advocate for racial justice and a business, man, but devotes much of its energy to Hova the Hustler." --Allison Stewart, The Washington Post.
John Coltrane and Black America's Quest for Freedom
Call Number: ebsco ebook collection
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
John Coltrane's unique and powerful saxophone sound is commonly recognized among scholars and fans of Black American music and jazz as having a "spiritual" nature, imbued with the performer's soul, which deeply touches musicians and listeners worldwide. This revered and respected musician created new standards, linked tradition with innovation, challenged common assumptions, and relentlessly pursued spiritual goals in his music, which he aimed openly to use as a means to help listeners see the beauty of life.
The Meaning of Soul by Emily J. Lordi
Call Number: ML3537 .L67 2020
Publication Date: 2020-08-14
In The Meaning of Soul, Emily J. Lordi proposes a new understanding of this famously elusive concept. In the 1960s, Lordi argues, soul came to signify a cultural belief in black resilience, which was enacted through musical practices--inventive cover versions, falsetto vocals, ad-libs, and false endings. Through these soul techniques, artists such as Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, and Minnie Riperton performed virtuosic survivorship and thus helped to galvanize black communities in an era of peril and promise.
More Myself by Alicia Keys; Michelle Burford (As told to)
Call Number: ML420.K3745 A3 2020
Publication Date: 2020-03-31
An intimate, revealing look at one artist's journey from self-censorship to full expression As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions.
Music by Ted Gioia
Call Number: ML3916 .G59 2019
Publication Date: 2019-10-15
In Music: A Subversive History, Ted Gioia reclaims the story of music for the riffraff, insurgents, and provocateurs. Gioia tells a four-thousand-year history of music as a global source of power, change, and upheaval. He shows how outcasts, immigrants, slaves, and others at the margins of society have repeatedly served as trailblazers of musical expression, reinventing our most cherished songs from ancient times all the way to the jazz, reggae, and hip-hop sounds of the current day. Music: A Subversive History is essential reading for anyone interested in the meaning of music, from Sappho to the Sex Pistols to Spotify.
Music Is History by Questlove
Call Number: ML3477 .Q47 2021
Publication Date: 2021-10-19
In Music Is History, bestselling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past fifty years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song's significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity.
My Black Country by Alice Randall
Call Number: ML3524 .R34 2024
Publication Date: 2024-04-09
Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents "a celebration of all things country music" (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music. Country music had brought Alice Randall and her activist mother together and even gave Randall a singular distinction in American music history: she is the first Black woman to cowrite a number one country hit, Trisha Yearwood's "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)". Randall found inspiration and comfort in the sounds and history of the first family of Black country music: DeFord Bailey, Lil Hardin, Ray Charles, Charley Pride, and Herb Jeffries who, together, made up a community of Black Americans rising through hard times to create simple beauty, true joy, and sometimes profound eccentricity.
Original Gangstas by Ben Westhoff
Call Number: ML3531 .W475 2016
Publication Date: 2016-09-13
Ben Westhoff explores how this group of artists shifted the balance of hip-hop from New York to Los Angeles. He shows how N.W.A.'s shocking success lead to rivalries between members, record labels, and eventually a war between East Coast and West Coast factions. In the process, hip-hop burst into mainstream America at a time of immense social change, and became the most dominant musical movement of the last thirty years. At gangsta rap's peak, two of its biggest names -- Tupac and Biggie Smalls -- were murdered, leaving the surviving artists to forge peace before the genre annihilated itself. Featuring extensive investigative reporting, interviews with the principal players, and dozens of never-before-told stories, Original Gangstas is a groundbreaking addition to the history of popular music.
Prophets of the Hood by Imani Perry
Call Number: ML3531 .P47 2004
Publication Date: 2004-11-30
At once the most lucrative, popular, and culturally oppositional musical force in the United States, hip hop demands the kind of interpretation Imani Perry provides here: criticism engaged with this vibrant musical form on its own terms. A scholar and a fan, Perry considers the art, politics, and culture of hip hop through an analysis of song lyrics, the words of the prophets of the hood. Recognizing prevailing characterizations of hip hop as a transnational musical form, Perry advances a powerful argument that hip hop is first and foremost black American music.
Punk Women by David A. Ensminger (Editor); Katy Otto (Foreword by)
Call Number: ML82 .E58 2021
Publication Date: 2021-05-01
In this exhaustive anthology, David Ensminger delves underground to explore the oft overlooked community of badass women who shaped the punk scene. There's a common thread of women being excluded and gatekept from the hardcore music scene, but this anthology challenges that notion and shows that women have still been able to overcome, kick ass, and shred alongside the best of them. X-Ray Spex with Poly Styrene.
Race Music by Guthrie P. Ramsey
Call Number: ML3556 .R32 2003
Publication Date: 2003-06-01
This powerful book covers the vast and various terrain of African American music, from bebop to hip-hop. Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr., begins with an absorbing account of his own musical experiences with family and friends on the South Side of Chicago, evoking Sunday-morning worship services, family gatherings with food and dancing, and jam sessions at local nightclubs.
Rebel Dance, Renegade Stance by Umi Vaughan
Call Number: ML3486 .C82 V38 2012
Publication Date: 2012-10-17
Rebel Dance, Renegade Stance shows how community music-makers and dancers take in all that is around them socially and globally, and publicly and bodily unfold their memories, sentiments, and raw responses within open spaces designated or commandeered for local popular dance. Umi Vaughan, an African American anthropologist, musician, dancer, and photographer "plantao" in Cuba--planted, living like a Cuban--reveals a rarely discussed perspective on contemporary Cuban society during the 1990s, the peak decade of timba, and beyond, as the Cuban leadership transferred from Fidel Castro to his brother.
Representing Black Music Culture by Bill Banfield
Call Number: ML410 .B2084 A3 2011
Publication Date: 2011-10-07
In this collection of essays, interviews, and profiles, William Banfield reflects on his life as a musician and educator, as he weaves together pieces of cultural criticism and artistry, all the while paying homage to Black music of the last 40 years and beyond. In Representing Black Music Culture: Then, Now, and When Again?, Banfield honors the legacy of artists who have graced us with their work for more than half a century.
Revenge of the She-Punks by Vivien Goldman
Call Number: ML82 .G64 2019
Publication Date: 2019-05-07
A discussion of the Patti Smith song "Free Money," for example, opens with Goldman on a shopping spree with Smith. Tamar-Kali, whose name pays homage to a Hindu goddess, describes the influence of her Gullah ancestors on her music, while the late Poly Styrene's daughter reflects on why her Somali-Scots-Irish mother wrote the 1978 punk anthem "Identity," with the refrain "Identity is the crisis you can't see." Other strands feature artists from farther afield (including in Colombia and Indonesia) and genre-busting revolutionaries such as Grace Jones, who wasn't exclusively punk but clearly influenced the movement while absorbing its liberating audacity. From punk's Euro origins to its international reach, this is an exhilarating world tour.
The Routledge History of Social Protest in Popular Music by Jonathan C. Friedman (Editor)
Call Number: ML3918 .P67 R68 2013
Publication Date: 2013-06-19
The major objective of this collection of 28 essays is to analyze the trends, musical formats, and rhetorical devices used in popular music to illuminate the human condition. Signifying freedom : protest in nineteenth-century African-American music. A soul message : R & B, soul, and the black freedom struggle. Songs for freedom : music and the struggle against apartheid.
She Begat This by Joan Morgan
Call Number: ML420.H427 M67 2018
Publication Date: 2018-08-07
An NPR 2018 Great Read Celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the acclaimed and influential debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill with this eye-opening and moving exploration of Lauryn Hill and her remarkable artistic legacy.
Somebody Scream! by Marcus Reeves
Call Number: ML3531 .R44 2008
Publication Date: 2008-03-18
For many African Americans of a certain demographic the sixties and seventies were the golden age of political movements. The Civil Rights movement segued into the Black Power movement which begat the Black Arts movement. Fast forward to 1979 and the release of Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight. With the onset of the Reagan years, we begin to see the unraveling of many of the advances fought for in the previous decades. Much of this occurred in the absence of credible, long-term leadership in the black community.
Third Coast by Roni Sarig; Julia Beverly (Photographer)
Call Number: ML3531 .S27 2007
Publication Date: 2007-05-01
Third Coast is the first book to deal with Southern hip hop as a matter of cultural history, and the first to explain the character and significance of down South rapping to fans as well as outsiders. It tells the story of recent hip hop, marking how far the music has come sonically and culturally since its well-documented New York-centered early years.