Mixtape

 Kirianna Wright

Dr. Harris

African American Literature

11/28/2024

Final Project

The afterlife of slavery is historically significant when thinking about how it continues to affect Black lives. As defined by Saidiya Hartman, “This is the afterlife of slavery- skewed life chances, limited access to health and education, premature death, incarceration, and impoverishment.”  There are several sub-aspects that are in connection with the afterlife of slavery that are still prevalent in Black communities today because they have been passed down throughout generations. Several of these will be mentioned in the following tracks, including skewed life chances, impoverishment, hyper sexualization, premature death, toxic masculinity, feminism, etc.

1. ‘Don’t Forget About Me’-August Alsina

As the songwriter grew up in poverty, he had skewed life chances and worse odds before he was even born. He grew up in impoverishment, with no way to get a ‘real job’ since he did not graduate high school. The songwriter also mentions his deceased brother who met a premature death due to gang activity.

2. ‘Changes’-Tupac

This song explores several elements of the afterlife of slavery. Disproportional odds are hard to not recognize when you grow up in the ‘hood’ or ‘ghetto.’ Being poor, while facing starvation, and facing racial oppression is highlighted throughout the lyrics. Incarceration, specifically with the focus being on how much higher the rate of Black males in comparison with their racial counterparts, is also discussed throughout the lyrics.

3. ‘Brenda’s Got a Baby’-Tupac

This song broaches the topic of impoverishment and also skewed life chances. The fictional ‘Brenda’ of the song also grows up in the hood and ends up getting pregnant as a teenager. Due to lack of education and familial concern, Brenda faces several hardships before trying to sell drugs and eventually resorting to prostitution before meeting her premature death.

4. ‘Peng Black Girls’- ENNY (ft. Jorja Smith)

This song explores another side of the afterlife of slavery in connection with Black femininity and societal stereotypes. Black women are not able to conduct most mundane tasks without being scrutinized and over-analyzed in the process. Unrealistic standards are forced onto Black women while simultaneously, they are expected to never amount to anything.

5. ‘Vanish’- Giveon

This song portrays the aspect of toxic masculinity in connection with Black men. It is often the case when in a relationship, the feelings contrary to their actual emotions are portrayed. Often, this results in unhealthy relationship patterns.

6. ‘Angel”- Halle

After slavery, femininity has been an unstable concept in association with Black women. Along with ‘Black’ not being associated with women at all, Black was also seen as ugly/dirty. This song reshapes that stereotype and feeds into seeing ‘Black’ in synonymity with beauty.

7. ‘Video”- India Arie

A lack of bodily autonomy and bodily choices is still present among Black women today. Since slavery, the fight to attain social and sexual liberties has been prevalent. Since Black women are often seen as more masculine, things that are normal for other races is often taken negatively in association with Black women. This song restructures those ideals a bit by emphasizing that femininity remains even against these social norms.

8. ‘Redemption’- Jazmine Sullivan

This song explores the aspects of skewed life chances and toxic masculinity. The story being told in this song is like certain Black communities where drugs are being sold. It further emphasizes that starting out in a community with harsh environmental factors makes it even harder to go against the gradient.

9. ‘Nosetalgia’ (ft. Kendrick Lamar) - Pusha T

This song is another example of skewed life chances and impoverishment. 3 generations of drug dealing is talked about and selling crack is seen as a way to ‘get right’.

10. ‘Blame on Me’- Layton Greene

This song touches on the aspect of unstable familial foundations and single-parent households which is also an aftereffect of slavery. The songwriter talks about experiences in her childhood that shaped her and that she had to experience. 

11. ‘S.E.X.’- Lyfe Jennings

This song describes another sub-aspect of the afterlife of slavery which is the oversexualization of Black girls. During slavery, Black females were often oversexualized while dehumanized in a way to justify heinous acts done to them by slave masters.

12. ‘Boys Do Cry.’- Piff Marti

This track is another step in dismantling stereotypes in association with concepts portrayed in “toxic masculinity” ideologies that are widely spread among Black males. Habits formed during slavery as survival tactics were generationally passed down and seem to now negatively affect the Black community.

13. ‘I’m Not Racist’- Joyner Lucas

This song explores racial stereotypes and racist ideologies that have been passed down since slavery. It discusses the aspects of skewed life chances, impoverishment, single-parent households, racial oppression, etc.

Playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/57dV66cT9A5VFGsOWYVGAE?si=kjeQ2LXnTOWmi6F6ay0dvA&pi=u-ZwauMLumTT6B

*non-explicit version was not available for 1 song