Popular Music and Race in America : Redbone by Childish Gambino

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Redbone by Childish Gambino

Before we begin analyzing the song, we must find the meaning for the word “Redbone” and its multiple definitions. As a slang term, “redbone” distinguishes a lighter-skinned black person of mixed race. Redbone, the correct terminology, is a black person who has red undertones in their hair and skin. Usually light or light caramel but not always. They just have reddish hair and skin. Now it’s used to describe a look that occurs in African Americans. Each culture has their own term for this look. In Cuba its: ‘Haba’ or ‘mulatto’. Usually a light complexion. However, the term today, is used in Black culture for any light, super high yellow girl/woman, mulatto looking woman who is Black.

An example to help you put a clearer mental picture would be Beyoncé. She utilizes her image immensely in her visual album Lemonade.

On a surface level “Redbone” is about paranoia and infidelity in a relationship. It speaks about loving a woman, a redbone one to be specific. However, there can be read to be more than just a scandalous love affair going on.

The song soundtracks the opening credits of Jordan Peele's horror film Get Out. Speaking to HipHopDX, Peele explained why he chose the Childish Gambino track for his movie: "Well, first of all, I love the 'Stay Woke' [lyric] - that's what this movie is about," he said. "I wanted to make sure that this movie satisfied the black horror movie audience's need for characters to be smart and do things that intelligent and observant people would do."

What comes to my mind with this song taking it from the context of the film, is that it is speaking about how it feels to be a young black male, fitting into stereotypes such as the line, “My peanut butter chocolate cake with Kool-Aid”. However, it is the main stanza which jumps out at me if I think of the song in the context of race and being a young black male in America.

Ooh, now stay woke

Niggas creepin’

Now don’t you close your eyes

Too late

You wanna make it right, but now it’s too

Late

Here the lyrics can be interpreted as the marginalized group in society (African-Americans) must stay aware and always alert of their social standing; but also, there is a reference being made to the white-nationalist mindset. The mind set that now people are starting to apologize for the wrong doing that was forced upon a group of people, saying sorry for slavery, division of the social classes, and disparity created amongst the supposed land of the free. At this point it is too late to be saying these things to people which have been attacked by police brutality, given unfair opportunities in education, and have a higher incarceration rate than any other group. You can try all you want to make a wrong a right, but sometimes that time for apologies is way past due.

It is with this observation that Redbone suddenly can be seen under a completely different lens, which sheds light on how popular artists such as Childish Gambino are able to incorporate hot social topics into their music.

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Survey Responses: Brown Sugar by Kendrick Lamar

Answer to Question One: I listened to Brown Sugar. I have heard this song many times before, however I am quite embarrassed to say that I had never really paid attention very closely to the words, especially the verses. Once I did I was shocked by the obvious racial and offensive language that was being used. I began to contemplate the reasons by Mick Jagger would have chosen these lyrics. Why, out of all the things he could have written about, did he choose to focus slavery and the horrible things that occurred as a result. Once that train of thought began it did not stop. I am still so confused about what kind of statement he was trying to make. When this song was written, during the late 60s, early 70s, there was a tremendous amount of violence occurring toward the African American community. Why would the Rolling Stones want to so blatantly add on to this horrible violence and discrimination by writing a song that essentially glorifying slavery? Then I began to think that perhaps he was trying to make some kind of positive political statement about how horrible that time was. This song is the first track from their album "Sticky Fingers" and I question why they would want to begin their record with such offensive lyrics. I wonder what people at the time thought of this track. I wonder why it was not met with more opposition and criticism (perhaps it was, I am not particularly knowledgeable about that subject).

Answer to Question 2: This song references a slave ship, cotton fields, a slave market in new orleans, and contains the line "hear him whip the women just around midnight". Brown sugar itself is a racial phrase referring to African Americans. Essentially every lined makes some kind of offensive racial reference (cajun queen, just like a black girl should, etc).

Answer to Question 3: I was incredibly surprised. Most of this was because I cannot wrap my head around the songwriters' purpose in creating this song. For what reason did Mick Jagger and Keith Richards feel this was appropriate content for an upbeat, popular song. I realize that, especially during this time, rock and roll bands often used controversial topics in their songs like drugs and sex, but this song really seems to test those limits. I would like to research more in depth how this song was perceived during the time it was released to see if it was met with the same kind of response it would probably be met with by most people today if someone like Harry Styles, for example, decided to release a song containing similar lyrics.

Survey Responses: DNA. Kendrick Lamar

Question One: Discuss your thoughts on at least one (1) of the following songs listed: "Redbone" by Childish Gambino, "Brother Louie" by Stories, "DNA" by Kendrick Lamar, or "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones. You may be as descriptive and deep in your observation as you would like, and you are welcome to state your opinions on the topic of the song chosen.

Answer: DNA by Kendrick Lamar is a poignant cornerstone of black identity. Kendrick Lamar eloquently creates not only a song that anyone can enjoy but one that represents and highlights the overlooked beauties and intelligences of black people.

Question Two: It what ways (if any) did the song you listen to make references to racism or reflect on black identity?

Answer: Kendrick Lamar highlights the greatness in black identity (royalty inside my DNA). He uses a typical source of racism (DNA) and turns it around. All throughout history, racist bigots have used false claims about black people’s DNA to argue that they were subhuman. Kendrick Lamar uses the historical racism of “different” DNA as a catalyst for pride and identity for black people.

Question Three: Were you surprised or offended in anyway at these references towards race? If so, why?

Answer: No. As a white woman, I feel no offense or surprise to Kendrick Lamar’s DNA. Race needs to be talked about. Black pride needs to exist to counteract the abundance of racism that still permeates our flawed country today.