Black History Music Pt. 21

In celebration of Black History Month, the Ear Candy Update intends to celebrate landmark recordings by black artists that have shaped the collective consciousness, mentality, and sense of cool the world over. Next, Curtis Mayfield's "Super Fly."

Early Curtis was ever the optimist, penning the Civil-Rights jams "People Get Ready" and "Keep On Pushing." with his exceedingly important band The Impressions. In 1970 he unleashed a piece of boiling apocalyptic funk called "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go."

His choice to provide the soundtrack to a Blaxploitation film didn't come as a surprise as the subject matter was familiar for Mayfield - himself a child of Chicago's public housing projects. The music itself certainly was a surprise. The eternal optimist cast his high-powered observational gaze toward the street level, creating a swirling album that packs more drama than the film itself. 

Curtis doesn't celebrate this lifestyle, but he simply tells it like it is in his gorgeous, never duplicated falsetto. He doesn't show empathy for the choices of the film's characters but rather takes the mantle of a ghetto reporter with an unflinching pen.

“Broken home, father gone
Mama tired, so he's all alone
Kind of sad, kind of mad
Ghetto child, thinkin' he's been had”

As the film follows Youngblood Priest trying to hustle up his final score, Curtis keeps his eye fixed on the film's overarching themes and the supporting characters, including the street itself. There's a glamour to the street saga - several organized criminals including Freeway Rick Ross have cited the film as a major influence. While the film takes a non-committal stance, Curtis is more skeptical. 

"I'm your mama, I'm your daddy
I'm that nigga in the alley
I'm your doctor, when in need
Want some coke, have some weed
You know me, I'm your friend
Your main boy, thick and thin
I'm your pusherman"

There are consequences to these crimes. Every violent act either is a consequence in and of itself or comes with debt that must be repaid. The masterstroke here is that Curtis is able to relay these tales with a deeply rich vein of instrumentation that creates a brilliant dynamic. Even in the darker moments, Curtis is able to lift us up. The stinging brass that punctuates tracks like "Freddie's Dead" (courtesy of Harry "Slip" Lepp) and the bottomless low end (Joseph "Lucky" Scott) are the musical counterpoints we need to maintain balance. 

Curtis pleads with us to remember Fat Freddy, a good man, but weak in the spirit, forced by Youngblood into a lifestyle he couldn't survive and then discarded so easily. 

“Everybody's misused him
Ripped him up and abused him
Another junkie plan
Pushing dope for the man
A terrible blow
But that's how it goes
A Freddie's on the corner now
If you want to be a junkie, wow
Remember Freddie's dead”

The album's impact is felt vividly to this day - directly informing releases from Eminem, Chance the Rapper, UGK, Erykah Badu, T.I., and Biggie. "Shaft" came first. This is better, but Curtis wouldn't be the kind to thump his chest. 

"I don't take credit for everything I write. I only look upon my writings as interpretations of how the majority of people around me feel." - Curtis Mayfield