Genre: Hip Hop, Rap
- BLACK PARADE
Beyoncé
Beyoncé & Derek Dixie, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Black Parade is a Black Pride anthem by Beyoncé earned her 2021 Grammy nominations for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year as well as best R&B song and best R&B performance.
The Top 40 single is featured on the 2019 release of The Lion King: The Gift and has elevated Beyoncé in her ever-growing list of Grammy Nominations that has her now gaining on the legendary Paul McCartney.
The single has marked a very special year for Beyoncé. While the US dealt with racial tension and protests sparked from the murder of George Floyd, Beyoncé used her platform for good. The single, (which was released on what is known as Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States), was released as a charity to raise money for Black-owned businesses in need. The single was paired with an online directory of Black Owned businesses called “Black Parade Route”
The song itself has a very unique sound that is both reflective and introspective. The melody is very rhythmic and creates a soundscape that is very cinematic. It’s no surprise that the track was used in the credits of Beyoncé’s Black Is King and was also added to the deluxe edition of The Lion King: The Gift.
The production quality is particularly impressive and the work of producer Stuart White and engineer Colin Leonard are apparent throughout the track. The four Grammy Nominations for one song is impressive and well deserved.
Lyrics
Ah
I’m goin’ back to the South
I’m goin’ back, back, back, back
Where my roots ain’t watered down
Growin’, growin’ like a Baobab tree
Of life on fertile ground, ancestors put me on game
Ankh charm on gold chains, with my Oshun energy, oh
Drip all on me, woo, Ankh or the Dashiki print
Hol’ up, don’t I smell like such a nag champa incense?
Yeah, pure ice (Ice), ice (Ice), buss down
Uh, flooded (Flooded), flooded (Flooded), on my wrist, out
Ooh, goin’ up, goin’ up, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like
Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me
Yeah, I can’t forget my history is her-story, yeah
Being black maybe that’s the reason why they always mad
Yeah, they always mad, yeah
Been past ’em, I know that’s the reason why they all big mad
And they always have been
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever mama say so, mama say
Here I come on my throne, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin’ slick to my folk (My folk), nip that lip like lipo (Lipo)
You hear them swarmin’, right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Yeah, yeah, I’m for us, all black
All chrome (Yeah), black-owned (Yeah)
Black tints (Yeah), matte black (Yeah, yeah)
Roll by, my window down, let ’em see who in it
Crack a big smile (Ding)
Go figure, me and Jigga, fifty ‘leven children
They like, “Chick, how?”
I charge my crystals in a full moon
You could send them missiles, I’ma send my goons
Baby sister reppin’ Yemaya (Yemaya)
Trust me, they gon’ need an army (Ah)
Rubber bullets bouncin’ off me (Ah)
Made a picket sign off your picket fence (Ah)
Take it as a warning (Ah, ah)
Waist beads from Yoruba (Woo)
Four hunnid billi’, Mansa Musa (Woo)
Stroll line to the barbeque
Put us any-damn-where, we gon’ make it look cute
Pandemic fly on the runway, in my hazmat
Judgin’, runnin’ through the house to my art, all black
Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat
(Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat)
Hold my hands, we gon’ pray together
Lay down, face down in the gravel
Woo, wearin’ all attire white to the funeral
Black love, we gon’ stay together
Curtis Mayfield on the speaker (Woo)
Lil’ Malcolm, Martin mixed with mama Tina (Woo)
Need another march, lemme call Tamika (Woo)
Need peace and reparation for my people (Woo)
Fuck these laid edges, I’ma let it shrivel up (Shrivel up)
Fuck this fade and waves I’ma let it dread all up (Dread all up)
Put your fists up in the air, show black love (Show black love)
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever mama say so, mama say
Here I come on my throne, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin’ slick to my folk (My folk), nip that lip like lipo (Lipo)
Hear ’em swarmin’, right? (Zz) Bees is known to bite (Zz, zz)
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
We got rhythm (We got rhythm)
We got pride (We got pride)
We birth kings (We birth kings)
We birth tribes (We birth tribes)
Holy river (Holy river)
Holy tongue (Holy tongue)
Speak the glory (Speak the glory)
Feel the love (Feel the love)
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
I can’t forget my history, it’s her-story
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
Honey, come around my way, around my hive (My)
Whenever mama say so (Hey), mama say (Hey, hey)
Here I come on my throne, sittin’ high (High)
Follow my parade, oh, my parade (Hey, hey, hey)
Talkin’ slick to my folk (My folk), nip that lip like lipo (Lipo)
Hear ’em swarmin’, right? (Zz) Bees is known to bite (Zz, zz)
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, black parade
