Black Music Month: How Black Music Shaped the Way We Live

In honor of Black Music Month, journalist Mimi Brown takes listeners on a powerful audio journey through the cultural blueprint that is Black music. “Word. Style. Power.” explores how iconic songs didn’t just shape playlists — they shaped the way we speak, dress, move, and resist.

Through six pivotal moments — from Missy Elliott’s futuristic fashion in “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” to the global rise of Afrobeats with “Essence” by Wizkid and Tems, to Beyoncé’s country reclamation in Cowboy Carter — Mimi breaks down how Black artists have defined language, fashion, and politics across generations.

Each track in the piece was chosen not just for its musical impact, but for the cultural shift it sparked — whether it was the invention of the word “bling,” the worldwide echo of “We gon’ be alright,” or the unapologetic joy of crunk music taking over dance floors.

Listen now!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
From the Runway to the Revolution, Black music has shaped
the world's fashion, language, politics, and identity. This Black Music Month,
we're taking you want a ride through six powerful moments
where music didn't just move the culture, it created it.
So let's break it down, one error, one beat, and
one shift at a time. Beep Fool got the key

(00:23):
to the g In nineteen ninety seven, Missy Elliott dropped
the rain sup A Duba Fly and instantly changed the
visual language of hip hop inflatable suits, vinyl fits, futuristic goggles.
She wasn't following fashion, she was forecasting it. Missy made
it cool to be weird, wild and one of one.

(00:45):
Ords like sup A Dupa Fly, flip it, misthang became
cultural cues signaling individuality, boldness, and originality. Then in nineteen
ninety nine, New Orleans rapper BG dropped bling bling, and
with one hook, a whole new word entered the culture.
It wasn't polished in a boardroom, It came from the block,

(01:05):
and before long bling was everywhere in commercials, on red carpets,
and even in the dictionary. It was more than slang.
It was a symbol of status, style and shine. And
just like that, hip hop once again proved when black
artists speak, the world listens then imitates. By the early
two thousands, Atlanta had the mic and it was Krunk

(01:28):
with get Low Little John brought an energy that was
impossible to ignore. Base heavy beats, call and response hooks,
and ad libs that became part of our everyday speech.
Words like Krunk, turn up, Okay, and Yeah Wrench's hype.
They represented a kind of joy and release born from
the black Southern experience awes. But when the world needed healing,

(01:51):
hope and truth, they passed the mic to the West coast.
In twenty fifteen, Kendrick Lamar gave us all right, the
four words that moved the world. We're gonna be all right,
dup homie you. But if God got us, then we
goal be all right right. It became a protest anthem
chanted in the streets of Ferguson, Minneapolis and all across

(02:11):
the globe. It was a declaration of survival and a
sound of resistance. It spoke to centuries of struggle and hope.
It made it clear hip hop is one of the
most powerful tools of protests on the planet. And let's
not forget the sound that's been shaking speakers around the world.
Afrobeats Essince the smooth, soulful Anthem by whiz Kid and
Tims didn't just top charts, it made history, the first

(02:34):
Nigerian song to crack the Billboard Top ten. It marked
a turning point from Legos to London to la The
beat was African and the world was dancing to it.
And just when you thought black music had touched every genre,
Beyonce took the mantle and brought it home. With Cowboy Carter,
Beyonce didn't just experiment with country, she reclaimed it western,

(02:54):
where black cowboys Southern roots. Her visuals weren't costumes, they
were correction. She reminded the world that black cowboys are
real and that black Southern stories have always belonged in
American music, from Missy Elliott to Kendrick Lamar. Black music
isn't just the soundtrack, it's the source. And this is
how we celebrate Black Music Month, not just by playing
the hits, but by remembering who set the tone in

(03:16):
the first place. I'm Mimi Brown on the Black Information
Network