Just
after I graduated from college, I attended a hip hop concert. This was not my first time attending a concert, but it was the first time I actually observed the diversity in the
crowd. Let me set the stage. Common performed that night at the N-Club,
which was a small venue. As more and more
people piled into the club, I started noticing the diversity of the crowd. This was surprising to me because Common, at
that time, was still more of an underground artist. This was before his theatrical exploits, and
before he became a household name. It was
at this moment that I really began to appreciate the power of good music. Good music unites people from different
religions, races, socioeconomic backgrounds and many other categories. Although this was my first “woke” moment as
it relates to music and race, it certainly was not my last.
Maybe eight years later, I had a
similar experience. Only this time, I was
in Washington, D.C. There were about seven
of us who planned to go out this particular night. I was new to D.C., so I had no idea what to
expect at the club. Mainly, I had two
questions for my boy: (1) what is the dress code; and (2) what kind of music do
they play? Knowing the vibe for the
night is always important to me. If the
club only plays house music, I have to prepare myself for that kind of vibe. In this case, the club was new, so nobody in
our group had any first-hand experience.
When we finally arrived at the club,
I noticed it was an upscale club, which usually means the music will be super
weak. To get the evening started
properly, we went to the bar to get a few rounds of drinks flowing. All the while, I listened to the house music the
DJ was spinning (I felt myself turning into the Hulk because I hate house music). I remember thinking: “We
should have just went to a hole-in-the-wall type of spot that would have played
hip hop music.” Then, for some reason, I
looked towards the back of the club. I
cannot remember if I was looking for a restroom, or if something or someone captured my attention. Either way, I saw a room
in the back of the club labeled “Hip Hop Room.”
Of course, I made it my business to
see what the room had to offer. When I walked
into the room, I felt right at home. It
was almost like this room was a separate club inside the bigger club. There were all types of people in this room
from all walks of life. It kind of blew
my mind because North Carolina is by no means a diverse state. Everybody was dancing and reciting
lyrics. People had the look in their
eyes that projected: “I am here for the culture.” During the few hours I spent in this club, I did
not spend a lot of time thinking about the diversity of the crowd. But, when I woke up the following morning, I reflected
on the experience. I knew that despite
the clear differences between the people in the room, one thing made us brothers
and sisters for the night: Music (specifically,
hip hop).
For many people, music truly is a
safe haven. I learned my love of music
from my dad who always listened to soul music when I was growing up. He could vividly remember where he was in
life when a song or album was released. Music
is a space where you can become lost in a memory. A great song can evoke emotions such as love,
lust, happiness, fear, sadness, or many other emotions. You can listen to an upbeat song and actually
start to feel more energetic. Or, you
can listen to a slow-paced song and feel lazy, sleepy, or even sad. There are some songs that actually are unofficial
signals of a season or a holiday. Let’s
be honest: has summer truly arrived if you have not heard “Summertime” by Will
Smith? Or, is it Christmas if you have not heard “Silent Night” by the
Temptations?
It is pretty clear that music is
powerful and that it helps connect people.
But, can music transcend race? I
have always believed people—regardless of race—have far more things in common
than not. Indeed, I believe racism and
bigotry are learned behaviors. Because
we are more alike than not, it reasonably follows that the same music that
moves me can also move a Japanese man in California, or a 60-year old White woman
from Idaho. Although hip hop was clearly
founded by Black folks, its biggest consumers are White folks. If this fact does not underscore the power of
music, I am not sure you can be persuaded.
Do I think music is the key to world
peace? No. Do I think music can solve the race relations
issues we experience in this country?
Surely not. I am a realist, so I know
that the racial issues we have in this country are deep and complex. There are no easy answers to these problems,
but we can at least enjoy the moments when we forget about race and lose
ourselves in the music. This is the beauty
of music and this is one of the many reasons I love it so much.
Peace
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