Richardine Bartee
21) Mary J. Blige – Not Gon’ Cry – Share My World
Circling back to number seventeen, I believe marriage is questionable when you’re with a con-artist.
22) Ben E. King - Stand By Me – Rhino Hi-Five: Ben E. King - EP
We are capable of being best friends until the end. Leaning on one another during times of need, sometimes, our best friends become our unofficial family members. Some other songs that give a similar sentiment: Missy Elliott’s ‘Best Friends’ featuring Aaliyah and ‘Lean On Me’ by Bill Withers.
23) Santigold – Shove It – Santigold featuring Spank Rock
Sampled in ‘Brooklyn We Go Hard’, a song that became larger than the original, Santi White’s ‘Shove It’ featuring Spank Rock - among others - signified the resurgence of the experimental music craze that occurred in the late 00s. People, who weren’t ‘supposed to’ make music of a specific genre because of their skin tone and cultural background, started to blend and interpolate sounds. (See other notable artists from that era who made it big: MIA and Diplo.)
24) Lenny Kravitz – I Belong to You – 5
Knowing who you ‘belong’ to you is considered to be the sexiest thing to a couple. Belonging to one another - or feeling like you are in tune with another person to the point of unity - can have healthy side effects. We want to feel complete, and I think there’s a way to come into relationships as complete individuals. It makes your union that much better.
25) Kelis – Young, Fresh N’ New – The Hits
Escapism is a real thing that we deal with as young people, who are too young to move out or that aren’t financially enabled. Feeling the pressure placed on you by relatives (or peers) isn’t exclusive to non-Black people. Kelis did a lovely job at capturing that feeling of rebelliousness and what it feels like to be an outcast in your own home.
26) Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You – Channel ORANGE
For a long time, we have listened to love songs written by and performed by gay men, who (mostly) were closeted because of societal norms (then). Now, not so much. Frank Ocean is a symbol of this moment.
27) Eve – Satisfaction – Eve-Olution
Self-worth and knowing what you want to do are the best things you can have in this life! There will be naysayers. They come with the territory, but you must persevere. JAY Z and Eve, both in (near) billion dollar marriages, are a long way from their humble beginnings because of their work ethic and the relationships they were able to foster and maintain. Sometimes, we face ‘hate’ from our people. Only the strongest of us will make it through.
28) Little Richard – Long Tall Sally – The Georgia Peach
His signature screams and the way he played the piano gave birth to Rock & Roll. Does it still surprise you that the innovation of new sounds, made its way back to the state of Georgia? Little Richard is from Macon, Georgia. He is eighty-five years old now. I would love to meet him. His popularity shattered the myth that Black performers could not successfully perform at “white-only venues”. According to HB Barnum, Little Richard brought everyone together. Now, when you go to mainstream shows with predominantly Black artists on the lineup, most of the audience is White.
I know a lot of people know ‘Tutti Frutti’, but I like Long Tally Sally because of how it gives love to the taller women of the world. Honestly, you should read more about the living legend if you haven’t. He is phenomenal, queer, and innovative. He and James Brown are the reason why a lot of what is happening today is happening in the entertainment business for Black people.
29) MC Lyte – I Cram to Understand U (Explicit Remix Version-1990) – Ain’t No Other
She wasn’t the one to herald Street Rap over Jazz-influenced beats, but she’s one of the best to do it from her era. Unlike anybody else who has ever touched the mic, she laid her ground about sexism and misogyny early on like her successors Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott.
30) Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See – When Disaster Strikes
During the fun days of Hip-Hop/Rap music amidst its thick Gangster Rap era, Busta Rhymes released an animated video for his song, ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See’. It showed that we are capable of fluidity, creativity, and party music that didn’t involve the usual tactics. Let me put this in context for you. You have got to remember: 2Pac died in 1996. Biggie died about six months later. Busta Rhymes released this single in August 1997. Perfect timing to ease the pain that the community felt.
