The Life of Black Man - Mixtape

 Kainan Finley 

12/2/2024 

ENGL 2016-45498 

The Life of Black Man  

I decided to use the theme "The Life of a Black Man" for my mixtape, in which I talked about the challenges and tribulations that black men had faced throughout their lives. Rap, R&B, contemporary rap, alternative, and musicals are some of the genres I'll use. Through the use of black artists like Michael Jackson, Common, and Tyler the Creator who have spoken out and connected to these issues, these genres helped me in expressing my concept. In my mixtape I separated my mixtape into three different sections. The first section is “a Black man's life” which is a general conception of what black man have had to go through using songs like “You Can't Win” by Micheal Jackson from The Wiz which shows how black men have always bene told they are less than they are and not knowing their true greatness. The second section is “ Police Brutality as a Black Man which is how most black men feel having to deal with police brutality just because the color of their skin using songs like “Trapped” By Tupac where he talks being trapped in the streets where he grew up because he's scared to go outside be himself like most black man during this time. The third section is “Parenthood” this section talks about what black man go through entering parenthood expresses how they’re hope they do better for their child like their father didn't for them, this is shown in the song “Like father like Son” by common.

A Black Mans Life 

For this section of my mixtape, I used songs Black Man in America by October London, Wiseman by Frank Ocean, You Can't Win by Michel Jackson and Coming from Where I'm From by Anthony Hamilton. These songs stuck out to me for these sections because each song took on a different take on a different place in a black man's life. October London’s song Black Man In America is general conception of being a black man he speaks on having to keep calm while working in the workforce dealing with racist men speaking about having to get back to his family while pushing down who is for the white man, he talks about being the soul provider for his family while only making “8.50 a hour". Wiseman by Frank Ocean is a song that contributed to Afrofuturism because he mixed the bible verses in the intro to relate how black men should act in society. The verses” Wiseman closes mouth Madman closes fist” and “Sad man cannot cry
In place where man can see” these verse stuck out to me because it shows how black men have been told to be quiet and be calm nit showing in emotion not being able to truly express themselves therefore being a “Wiseman”. You can't Win by Micheal Jackson shows what black men have been told their whole lives that they can't win just because of the color of their skin they can't express themselves they are objectified to one thing. Coming from Where I'm From by Anthony Hamilton was a song that suck to me because it gave a story about his life and other black men losing their father and having to grow up fast because he's a man while trying to find love while not truly knowing what love is.

Police Brutality as a Black Man  

This Section of my Mixtape I used songs American Funeral by The Star Cast, Water Guns-Todrick Hall, A Change Gone Come by Sam Cook, Trapped by Tupac and Turtle Race by Rod Wave. These songs stuck out to me because they talk about how police brutality affects the black community but black men specifically and how they feel having to deal with such horrible circumstances. American Funeral by the Star cast was a rendition of Alex da Kid’s song of the same name I chose this song because it was more emotionally charged being sung by woman pleading to America stop killing their black men. Water Guns by Todrick Hall is a song that uses Afrofuturism because he mixes the fictional world of “OZ” to America. “And We can Fly away on a balloon to another land...Too Much Blood on these yellow Brick Streets” he mixes the tow world while still giving put an important message that we must stand against police brutality. Change Gone Come is an Afrofuturistic song because Sam cook is expressing his hopes and dreams of better days in America than we live in saying how he doesn't want to die because he's “Don't know what's up there beyond the sky”. Trapped by Tupac talks about he feels trapped in his own home because he can't truly be happy or safe because of the police in his town and how it angers him that he can't fight back because he’ll look like the bad guy. Turtle Race by rod wave was a song that uses Afrofuturism without the artist using, in the song he talks about how he's lost a lot of his close friends to police brutality and the messed up justice system saying that were all in a “Turtle Race” and this will be our inevitable end if we don't get our Criminal Justice System together.

Parenthood 

For this section of the mixtape, I used songs Like Him by Tyler the Creator/ Lola Young, Like Father Like Son by the Game/Busta Rhymes, Retrospect for Life by Common/Lauryn Hill and Therapy Session by BigXthaPlug. I used these songs for this section of my mixtape because each song took on a different aspect of how black men feel when it comes to parenthood and their relationship to their father. In the song Like Him by Tyler the Creator he compares his relationship to his father like living with ghost because he was never around, but he always knew he was there like many black boys without a father while constantly being compared to him. Like Father like Son by The Game he talks about his relationship with his father while hoping his relationship with son isn't the son, he expresses his hope of being a father while being scared that he's not going to be able to a good father. In the song Retrospect for Life by common talks about doubts about being a father and his doubts about being a father how being a father should be a man comparing himself to a god and how God wouldn't do the things he's doing to not being a father or acts as a father. Therapy Session by BigXthaPlug talks about his relationship with his kids and how he sees their future and how he hopes to be there with them in their future hoping he doesn't become a bad father even though he's there for his kids. 

Link to Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2usRJUeOFEwcP5vO8gTej3?si=88863202f3ae4e73