Being Black- The '80s – Details, episodes & analysis

theGrio Black Podcast Network is proud to announce that Being Black: The '80s has received a Lovie Awards nomination. Click here to vote in the Arts, Entertainment & Sports category to help Touré bring home the win!

Being Black: The '80s has been nominated for a Signal Award! Help us win the People's Choice award for best Limited Series: Music, by voting here: https://tinyurl.com/bb80sSignal 

Stevie’s legendary song “Happy Birthday” was originally part of the long, hard battle to turn Dr. King’s birthday into a national holiday. When Dr. King was assassinated, his approval rating with white people was very low. At that point, he was not beloved by them. It took a lot of careful, steady, thoughtful, diplomatic work by Coretta Scott King to change his image and win over politicians. Stevie Wonder was committed to that struggle and this song is just one of the things he did for Dr. King. In this episode, we talk to King's daughter Bernice as well as the engineers who worked with Stevie on the song. We talk about how they got us to having a King holiday and what that fight meant to Stevie. And why he usually records in the middle of the night.

Guests:

Dr. Chrissy Greer, Professor, Fordham University 

Jelani Cobb, Professor, Columbia University 

Lon Neumann, Recording Engineer, Happy Birthday

Gary Adante, Lead Engineer, Happy Birthday

Dr. Bernice King, CEO The King Center 

Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Journalist

Credits:

Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday 

• Writer: Stevie Wonder
• Label: Motown Records
• Publisher: Black Bull Music Inc, Jobete Music Co Inc

Public Enemy - By the Time I Get to Arizona

• Writer: Chuck D, Neftali Santiago, Mandrill, Stuart Robertz, G-Wiz & C-Dawg
• Label: Def Jam and Colombia Records
• Publisher: Sony Music Entertainment

Stevie Wonder sings "Happy Birthday" Martin Luther King, CSPAN

Stevie Wonder on creating Martin Luther King Day 1983, CNN

Public Enemy, Arsenio Hall (1993)

Martin Luther King, Jr. on Income Inequality and Redistribution of Wealth, Insaaf Blog

Harold Washington, CBS Chicago

Republican President Reagan’s Jaw-Dropping Press Conference the Day Martin Luther King Holiday Was Passed, Mediaite

Public Enemy Chuck D Interview, ABC News (1992) 

“I’m Coming Out” was meant to be a gay liberation song but the song’s writer and producer Nile Rodgers didn’t tell Diana Ross that. Which led to a whole thing. It’s a crazy story. The origin of the song is fascinating but more interesting is how disco in general was part of the gay rights movement. We chart the rise of disco and look at the way it dovetailed with the struggle for LGBTQ rights and how being gay is so different for Sylvester than for Tyler the Creator. 

Guests:

Wesley Morris, Critic, New York Times

Craig Seymour, Music Critic and Activist 

Nile Rodgers, Record Producer and Chic Founder

Bill Coleman, Artist Manager 

DJ Jellybean Benitez, Deejay

Nelson George, Filmmaker and Author 

Credits:

Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out 

• Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers

• Label: Motown Records
• Publisher: Chic Music, Inc

Chic - Le Freak

• Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers
• Label: Atlantic Records
• Publisher: Chic Music & Cotillion Records

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

• Writer: Sylvester & James Wirrick
• Label: Fantasy
• Publisher: Bee Keeper Music, Tipsyl Music

Barry White - You’re The First, My Last, My Everything

• Writer: Peter Sterling Radcliffe, Tony Sepe & Barry White
• Label:  20th Century Fox Records
• Publisher: SaVette Music Co.

Diana Ross - Love Hangover

• Writer: Pam Sawyer & Marilyn McLeod
• Label: Motown Records
• Publisher: Jobete Music Co. INC

A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie

• Writer: Perry Kibble & Janice Marie Johnson
• Label: Capitol Records
• Publisher: On Time Music, INC

Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby

• Writer: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte
• Label: Casablanca, Oasis
• Publisher: Saturday Music and Cafe Americana

Grace Jones - Pull up to the Bumper

• Writer: Sly Dunbar, Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell, Sly & Robbie & Grace Jones
• Label: Island
• Publisher: EMI Music Publishing Ltd

Candi Stanton - Young Hearts Run Free

• Writer: Dave Crawford
• Label: Warner Bros.
• Publisher: Ghati Music Inc

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

• Writer: Dino Fekaris & Freddie Perren
• Label: Polydor Records
• Publisher: Perren-Vibes Music Co. 

Tyler the Creator - I Ain’t Got Time

• Writer: Tyler, The Creator
• Label: Columbia Records
• Publisher:  Columbia Records & Sony Music Entertainment

Tyler, The Creator Used To Be Accused of Homophobia, Now Raps About “Kissing White Boys”, Genius

Tyler The Creator And Funk Flex Have an Honest Conversation Plus, Hot 97

“She Works Hard for the Money,” is Donna Summer’s classic that was born when she saw a waitress sleeping during her shift and thought, damn she works hard for the money. In this episode we talk about the birth of the song with Summer’s husband and we talk about Black women’s economic issues and how Black women can accrue more wealth and what society needs to do for Black women and how sisters can get more venture capital funds so they can start and grow their own businesses. 

Guests:

Bruce Sudano, Donna Summer’s Husband  

Omi Bell, CEO, Black Girl Ventures Foundation

Lauren Maillian, CEO, Digital Undivided 

Nina Banks, Professor Bucknell University

Credits:

Donna Summer - MacArthur Park

• Writer: Jimmy Webb
• Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc.
• Publisher: Canopy Music

Donna Summer - Hot Stuff

• Writer: Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer & Pete Bellotte
• Label: Casablanca Records
• Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music 

Donna Summer - Bad Girls 

• Writer: Joe Esposito, Edward Hokenson, Bruce Sudano & Donna Summer
• Label: Casablanca Records
• Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music 

Donna Summer - She Works Hard For the Money 

• Writer: Michael Omartian & Donna Summer
• Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc.
• Publisher: Phonogram International B.V.

Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent 

• Writer: Gwen Guthrie
• Label: Polydor
• Publisher: Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc

“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers is one of the ultimate songs about the Black spirit and the immense determination that has gotten us through life in America. I’m talking about a specifically Black determination that has powered our resistance and carried us through life in America. A sense of Black determination that we hear in Redemption Song as well as Sam Cookie’s “A Change Gonna Come,” Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” and Kendrick’s “Alright.” No matter how hard things have been we have always been certain that one day we would overcome.

 Guests:

Roger Steffens, Author, So Much Things to Say

Michael Eric Dyson, Professor, Princeton University

Credits:

Bob Marley and The Wailer's - Redemption Song 

• Writer: Bob Marley
• Label: Tuff Gong & Island Records
• Publisher: Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, Primary Wave/Blue Mountain

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

• Writer: Sam Cooke
• Label: RCA Victor
• Publisher: Kegs Music Corp. 

Kendrick Lamar - Alright 

• Writer: Kawan Prather, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams & Sounwave
• Label: Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment & Interscope Records
• Publisher: EMI April Music, New World Music, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music Publishing Group, PECF, BMG Firefly, BMG, Warner/Chappell, Top Dawg Entertainment, Sony/ATV Allegro, In Thee Face Music Publishing, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, BMG Gold Songs, Beat Bully Productions, More Water From Nazareth & EMI Pop Music Publishing

Still I Rise, Maya Angelou

Yvonne Orji, The Toure Show

#TrumpRally protesters chant "We gonna be alright", Chicago Reader

Star Stories with Touré is an animated series about the unpredictable and sometimes unbelievable backstage interactions with some of the most iconic men in music of the modern era.

These animated stories are unforgettable recollections of the larger-than-life experiences with music journalist Touré .

To hear the podcast visit: https://pod.link/1697986415

To watch the series visit: https://thegrio.com/starstories/

Touré played poker with Jay-Z one night in a swanky Manhattan penthouse suite. Each hand was worth thousands of dollars. Why was Touré in the game? He’s not rich enough for a game like that. It could have bankrupted him. The answer: He’s insane. Also, he was willing to risk everything to glean the very interesting bit of psychological insight he could get from being head-to-head in a hand of poker with Jay-Z.

Watch here:  https://thegrio.com/starstories/1368617/#sp=star%20stories

Credits:

The Takeover

Writer: JAY-Z & Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella Records

Publisher: Roc The World 

The Story of OJ 

Writer: JAY-Z, No I.D., Nina Simone, Gene Redd Jr. & Jimmy Crosby

Label: Roc Nation

Publisher: Carter Boys Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Virgin Records, EMI Longitude Music, New World Music, Warner Music Group, EMI Music Publishing Group, Filmtrax, Eleven East Music, Bucky Music, Rolls Royce Music Company, BMG, Let The Story Begin Publishing, EMI Waterford Music, BMG Monarch, Warner/Chappell, Delightful Music, Round Hill Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Carbert Music & Stephanye Music

NWA's Ice Cube talks about the influence of crack on their hit song “Dopeman” and the contradiction of how drug money destroyed the community and propelled his career. “Dopeman” Is one of the illest songs ever made because it takes you deep into the drug dealer’s perspective on selling drugs. The crack dealer was evil but we should still seek to understand what drove him and when we look into his soul we find that like the fiends he served, he too was an addict, but he was addicted to power and money. Crack dealers and their culture had a deep influence on hiphop culture and the Black community. In this ep we go into "Dopeman” with The D.O.C. from NWA and talk to several former drug dealers about how dealers changed the world around them.

Guests:

Nelson George, Filmmaker

Royce Da 5’9, Rapper

Biba Adams, Writer

The D.O.C., Rapper

Samson Styles, Journalist and Filmmaker

Kevin Chiles, CEO Don Diva Magazine

Jim Jones, Rapper

Credits:

NWA - Dope Man

• Writer: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Sugarfoot, Junie Morrison, Marshall “Rock” Jones, Greg Webster, Ralph Middlebrooks, Marvin Pierce, Norman Napier & Andrew Noland 
• Label: Ruthless Records
• Publisher: Ruthless Attack Muzick & Bridgeport Music 

NWA - Fuck Tha Police

• Writer: The D.O.C., Ice Cube & MC Ren
• Label: Universal Music Group, Ruthless Records & Priority Records
• Publisher: Universal Music Group

Notorious BIG - The Ten Crack Commandments

• Writer: The Notorious B.I.G. & DJ Premier
• Label: Bad Boy Entertainment
• Publisher: B.I.G. Poppa Music, Gifted Pearl Music, Justin Combs Music & EMI April Music

Alpo Martinez, FEDS Magazine