Black History Always — Music For The Movement Vol.2 — EP Review

Compilation | Cover Songs | R&B

Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music

Disclaimer: I feel that it would be unfair of me to “review” this EP in the typical sense, given its primary purpose. Consequently, I will not be rating this project.

2020 was a very impactful year for a widespread realisation, that racism is still rampant across the world, and the only way to stop it is to come together, and become actively anti-racist. It was a year that, rightfully so, celebration of black excellence erupted across many platforms, but the art form that really seemed to embrace this a tonne was music.

Following the inhumane death of George Floyd, which became a big part of the catalyst that renewed many people’s sense of anti-racist activism, the people over Hollywood Records, a California-based record label of the Disney Music Group, founded by Michael Eisner in 1989, made it their mission to display a truly raw sense of black excellence in music, through their first volume of the Music For The Movement series, carrying the subtitle of I Can’t Breathe.

Reminding us that this is a movement, and not a moment, Hollywood Records close this year’s Black History Month (which in the United States, spans from the 1st of February, to the 1st of March), with a musical celebration of black history, that carries the sentiment that black history should be honoured always. Said musical celebration is the second instalment in the Music For The Movement series; Black History Always.

This EP, and furthermore the Music For the Movement series in general, came to my attention thanks to the amazing hip-hop artist that is Freddie Gibbs, whose music I have been thoroughly enjoying for quite some time now. But with his cover of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Winter In America”, I had the pleasure of hearing Gibbs take a more vocal approach, while the production perfectly balances a current and modern feel, with a clear instrumental homage to the original song.

And while “Winter In America” is arguably my favourite cover track to be part of Black History Always, each of this EP’s tracks feel both purposeful and enjoyable. We even get a cover of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” from Tinashe and TOKiMonsta, which even in the scope of how much of a popular song it is to cover, still stands as a uniquely enjoyable take on the hit single, and once again feels very current.

And what better way to really have listeners heard on-board completely, than a spoken word piece? In the case of Black History Always, we get that from the musical family that is Infinity Song. Weaving the importance of being truthful as a storyteller, and not withholding knowledge for personal gain, shines as brilliantly as the rays of the sun drawn on this EP’s cover art.

In short, this EP really seems to get that sense of urgency towards racial equality forward perfectly, and I feel myself being taken back to the season of Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of last year. There was something about the sense of unity that really felt truly beautiful in those moments, and the same can be said for this amazing project.

Given its nature of carrying various artists, this project might have slipped under the radar easier than most projects from a singular artist. That being said, if this is the first you have heard of this EP, I implore you to give it a listen. You won’t regret it.

Favourite Tracks: Eden | Winter in America | I’m Every Woman

Hollywood Records | Brent Faiyaz | Tobe Nwigwe | Freddie Gibbs | Infinity Song | Tinashe | TOKiMONSTA