Music and Afro-Futurism

By Jade Robinson

I’ve been taking this class called “Afro-Futurism” and some of the most interesting approaches to this Afro future is the music. We’ve listened to music like Miles Davis, Janelle Monae, Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce etc. It amazed me how I can hear a song for the second or third time and finally understand or find the deeper meaning within the music. These artists have also been known to tell a visual story along with their melody and lyricism.

The two artists who I can relate to the most are Kendrick and Beyonce. We specifically watched Kendrick’s “Alright” music video along with Beyonce’s Lemonade visual album (All Night). My professor pointed out the message with these two videos: Our future will be glorious. Both artists use culture, the history of Black people and the future to tell a story. A story of Redemption and a story of Hope.

Kendrick Lamar’s video “Alright” shows almost a dystopian city, where there is chaos and mayhem and here he is in the sky flying; showing everybody else (Black people) they can fly too. Magic is possible. The entire song is an affirmation.

“Do you hear me, do you feel me? We gon’ be alright”

Although in the end he is shown to be shot down from what it looks like, a policeman. Kendrick falls to the ground and appears to be dead. Just when the music video is about to end, the screen goes back then the shot is back on his face. He opens his eyes and smiles at the camera. This smile is in correspondence with the lyrics. We gon be alright.

Now, Beyonce’s visual album/short film Lemonade was an homage to the film Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash. The film celebrates Black womanhood along with Black culture and the preservation of tradition. Beyonce’s music video “All Night” focuses on redemption, beginning with Beyonce explaining the making of “Lemonade” in her grandmother’s tradition. The passing downs of this important tradition is shown along with a group of Black women living amongst each other, existing and nurturing each other. This music video along with the entire film is a call to action: Let us Heal. Coming back to this music video after 6 years of its release was refreshing and learning a different perspective on how Beyonce chose to visually present her album was astounding.

Afrofuturistic music doesn’t just mean the use of futuristic technology. This theme includes talking of the future and the past while using Black culture to tell a story. And it is hope wrapped in all three.