African American: African American songs

Akon-Beautiful

African American music has evolved completely. Its roots come from the slavery era when slaves would sing songs to pass the time in the fields. This music included titles such as Sing Low Sweet Chariot. These types of songs gave rise to negro spirituals. The next form of music which has its roots in African American culture was blues and Jazz. Some famous African American blues and jazz artists were Charlie Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Nat King Cole. African American music has since evolved in many different Directions. Hip Hop, R&B, and Rap are rooted in African American culture. Some of the more famous African American artists of today include 50 cent, Snoop Dog, Jay-Z, Beyonce, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Rhianna, Chris Brown, Lil John, Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West, Xzibit, and Kid Cudi. The African American musical community has many negative connotations behind it which have been reinforced by song lyrics and more explicitly, the murder of black rappers Notorious B.I.G and Tupac. Gang violence, derogatory lyrics dealing with women, sex, drugs, and alcohol have given some of these rappers poor reputations but the talent they display in there rhythm and poetic lyrics is undeniably amazing. (other famous African American singers who did not fit into the Hip Hop category include Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and the list goes on and on)

Some of the lyrics in these songs are explicit but the song shows what modern day African American music is like. They give good examples of negative lyrics but also show the talent of these musicians. None of the actions,words, or expressions used in these songs are condoned by the individuals who created this blog.