"Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" is a funk song performed by James Brown, and written with his bandleaderAlfred "Pee Wee" Ellis in 1968. It was released as a two-part single, which held the number-one spot on the R&B singles chart for six weeks, and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100.[1][2] Both parts of the single were later included on James Brown's 1968 album A Soulful Christmas and on his 1969 album sharing the title of the song. The song became an unofficial anthem of the Black Power movement.[3]
"Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" was Brown's first recording to feature trombonistFred Wesley.
Lyrics
In the song, Brown addresses racism against Black Americans, and the need for Black empowerment. He proclaims that "we demands a chance to do things for ourself" and that "we're tired of beating our head against the wall and workin' for someone else." The song's call and responsechorus is performed by a group of young children, who respond to Brown's command of "Say it loud" with "I'm black and I'm proud!"[4] The song was recorded in a Los Angeles area suburb with about 30 young people from the Watts and Compton neighborhoods.[5]
The lyrics "We've been 'buked and we've been scorned/ We've been treated bad, talked about as sure as you're born" in the first verse of the song paraphrase the spiritualI've Been 'Buked. Several other Brown singles from the same era as "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud", notably "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)", explored similar themes of Black empowerment and self-reliance. The song's opening exhortation, "With your bad self", is an example of linguistic reappropriation, and added a new entry to Brown's long list of nicknames: "His Bad Self."[citation needed]
"'Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud' was a record that really convinced me to say I was black instead of a negro," remarked Public Enemy's Chuck D. "Back then black folks were called negroes, but James said you can say it loud: that being black is a great thing instead of something you have to apologise for."[6]
However in direct response to the song's message, Willie Cobbs wryly observed that Brown was a millionaire by that point, as Cobbs retort was "Sing It Low - I'm Black and I'm Poor".[7]
A slightly modified version of the bassline of "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" appears in long sections of the track "Yesternow" on the Miles Davis album A Tribute to Jack Johnson.
Jazz pianist Jaki Byard recites the title phrase at the onset of "Parisian Thoroughfare", the opening track of his album The Jaki Byard Experience. However, the recitation is only audible when the track is played at a high volume.
The song is referenced in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, inspired by Black Power protests, Will, the African-American male lead attempts to hold a protest (ironically, Will and his cousin Carlton are the only black people in the room) to get a popular teacher reinstated, he inspires "Cornflake", a white fellow student, who stands up and shouts passionately "Fight the Power Will! Sing it loud, I'm black and I'm proud", to which Will replies "See, my man Cornflake's got the spirit. He's a little confused but he's got the spirit".
