Black History Month is not only a time to remember and celebrate the past, it is an opportunity to reinforce its connection to our present. With education — especially as it pertains to Black history and culture — under attack in Washington, I’ve been thinking about the necessity of maintaining our collective connection to the past. Day-to-day, I celebrate the significant figures, moments, and artifacts of Black history as a writer and on the radio.
Throughout February, Raina Douris and I have done a weekly Culture Corner segment on The World Cafe, celebrating trailblazers and mavericks in Black music. From Sun Ra to Sylvester, we’ve spent the month giving props to Black artists who’ve carved a unique path in music and the segments have helped remind me of the true nature of my work. Black music, culture, and history are treasures that we must care for and steward properly. As reflections of our collective struggles and triumphs, our history is a treasure that cannot be buried by rhetoric, legislation, or executive order.
Marian Anderson With Franz Rupp – Marian Anderson Sings Spirituals
Philly-born opera legend Marian Anderson was — rightfully — one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th Century. A powerhouse singer with a broad stylistic range and a distinct timbre, Anderson could’ve sung the phone book and infused it with unparalleled power and emotion. For 1948’s Marian Anderson Sings Spirituals, Anderson, and pianist Franz Rupp dive into the great songbook of Black American spirituals. The result is a striking fusion of operatic singing and Black religious music. The entire album is gold, but “Sinner, Please,” “My Lord, What a Morning,” and “Crucifixion” are standouts for their fire and emotional depth.
Smoothwaffle – Triumph!
Triumph! is the latest album from Berlin-born / Philly-based artist Smoothwaffle and it’s one of the most unique rap records to come out in recent memory. Outfitted with lush jazz samples and a dark atmosphere, the album is a bizarre, hip-hop take on film noir. Songs like “Marty & Berlin…!” (featuring Moses Honey and Gabe Preston) and “She Gave Me The Glums” (featuring Rob Peace) balance bitter, self-effacing humor with a cinematic eye for lyrical detail. As sad and hazy as it is uplifting and energetic, Triumph! is a high artistic achievement from one of the city’s best.
Zenover – Pocket Operator Tape 1
Zenover is the musical nom de plume of rapper/producer Distant Starr, and Pocket Operator Tape 1 is the latest in his ever-growing discography of heat. Named after Swedish electronics manufacturer, Teenage Engineering’s portable sampler, Pocket Operator Tape 1 showcases Zenover’s mastery over the machine. The tape opens with “New Voyage”, a soaring instrumental hip-hop tune whose drums and main (synth?) sample are drenched in fuzzy distortion. “Dirty Street Walk” is a dark, back-alley jazz tune while “Give Praise” closes the record beautifully with its Gospel-like piano and pitched-down vocals.
Masterdon & The Def Committee – Live in Philly
A crucial artifact in both Philadelphia and New York hip-hop history, Mastodon & The Def Committee’s Live In Philly is a 1985 recording of the New York rap crew rocking in Philly. As Masterdon cuts up two copies of Hashim’s electro classic, “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul),” the Def Committee MCs rock the mic and work the crowd. Loud, brash, and unquestionably innovative, Live In Philly is a quintessential document of what East Coast hip-hop sounded like in the mid-80s.
Black Thought, Malik B, Pauly Yams – “Time For A Change”
Throughout the 90s, Philly rap legend, Pauly Yamz released a number of independent releases that have held up well. On the unreleased tune, “Time For Change.” Pauly Yamz recruits none other than The Roots co-leads, Black Thought and Malik B for a veritable cypher in the recording studio. With the three MCs showing off an undeniable chemistry, “Time for Change” is a slick hardcore hip-hop cut that’s hard as nails.
