HEAVY ROTATION: The revolution will not be televised

A playlist for making change

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‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,’ by Gil Scott-Heron

“The first change that takes place is in your mind. You have to change your mind before you change the way you live and the way you move. So when we said that the revolution will not be televised, we’re saying that the thing that’s going to change people is something that no one will ever be able to capture on film. It’ll just be something you see and all of a sudden you realize, I’m on the wrong page, or I’m on the right page but I’m on the wrong note.” —Gil Scott-Heron, speaking to Skip Blumberg for the award-winning Public Broadcast System series ‘The 90’s.’ Watch the full interview below.

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – Gil Scott-Heron

Poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron talks about what he meant by “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Shot by Skip Blumberg. Watch the full, unedited interview at Media Burn Archive: https://mediaburn.org/video/the-90s-raw-gil-scott-heron/ Or, watch The 90’s episode 306: Race and Racism, which aired on PBS in 1991: https://mediaburn.org/video/the-90s-episode-306-race-and-racism-red-white-and-black/ Subscribe to our channel!

‘We The People,’ by A Tribe Called Quest

When A Tribe Called Quest dropped this song on Nov. 11, 2016, the U.S. was reeling from the election of Donald Trump. Jayson Greene of Pitchfork called the song “a sliver-sized miracle, a crack of light illuminating the door in a dark wall. This is the function Tribe songs have always served — they point to a path through wilderness.” Q-tip muses on how black communities are marginalized, scrutinized and, eventually, colonized: “…living in a fish bowl / Gentrify here, now it’s not a shit hole.” 

A Tribe Called Quest – We The People…. (Official Video)

Official Video for “We The People….” by A Tribe Called Quest Listen to A Tribe Called Quest: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/listenYD Watch more videos by A Tribe Called Quest: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/listenYD/youtube Subscribe to the official A Tribe Called Quest YouTube channel: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/subscribeYD Follow A Tribe Called Quest Facebook: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/followFI Instagram: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/followII Twitter: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/followTI Website: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/followWI Spotify: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/followSI YouTube: https://ATCQ.lnk.to/subscribeYD Ask your voice device to play A Tribe Called Quest!

‘Make America Great Again,’ by Pussy Riot

In 2012, three members of the music collective Pussy Riot were arrested and accused of “hooliganism” by the Russian government. Member Nadya Tolokonnikova served some of her two-year sentence in a women’s penal colony, where she reported that prisoners worked 16-17 hours a day, and complaints were met with punishment. Since her release, Pussy Riot has continued to say exactly what they mean, like in this 2016 response to the election of Donald Trump: “Let other people in / Listen to your women / Stop killing black children / Make America Great Again.”

Pussy Riot – Make America Great Again. (Official Music Video)

PussyGrabsBack #NastyWoman (!) Because YOU decide elections and if we get together, we could blow this shit up, take action and reverse this erosion of rights. Because fuck it.

‘The Guillotine,’ by The Coup

Boots Riley was born into a family of social justice organizers in Chicago. His German Jewish grandmother fled Europe in 1938. Needless to say, Riley’s had a few things to say over the years about racial justice. Don’t let the title of this track scare you; just listen to the lyrics: ‘If you press your ear to the turf that is stolen,” Riley sings, “You can hear the sound of limitations exploding.” This isn’t about violence, it’s about dismantling a broken system.

The Coup – “The Guillotine”

“The Guillotine” by The Coup from the new album ‘Sorry To Bother You,’ out now Produced and Directed by Beau Patrick Coulon DP & Edit – Shawn Butcher AC – Daniel Worlock Gaffer/Grip – Adam Unruh www.agrip.net Muralist – Mona Caron www.monacaron.com Costume Designer – April Howard Assistant Costume Designer

‘This is America,’ by Childish Gambino

Donald Glover made a brilliant artistic statement about gun violence and racism in America with the video for this song, featuring Glover dancing through an escalating riot. The video offers layers of meaning to peel back and explore: Is the choreography intended to distract from the violence? Does Glover gun down the gospel choir as they sing “get your money black man” as a way of protesting the stereotypical black performance role he has taken on to earn money? It’s a visual feast meant to be picked clean to the bone. 

Childish Gambino – This Is America (Official Video)

Official Video for “This Is America” by Childish Gambino Listen to Childish Gambino: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/listenYD Watch more Childish Gambino videos: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/listenYD/youtube Subscribe to the official Childish Gambino YouTube channel: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/subscribeYD Follow Childish Gambino: Facebook: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/followFI/facebook Instagram: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/followII/instagram Twitter: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/followTI/twitter Spotify: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/followSI/spotify YouTube: https://ChildishGambino.lnk.to/subscribeYD Chorus: This is America Don’t catch you slippin’

‘Malcolm Said It,’ by Akala

The British rapper, journalist, author, activist and poet known as Akala (Kingslee James McLean Daleya) points out the throughline in the messages from black activists through the years — “Malcolm said it / Martin said it / Marley said it / Ali said it / Garvey said it / Toussaint said it” — then reminds us how hated they were in their lifetimes: “We love them dead when they speak no more / But they will endure, ideas are bulletproof.”

AKALA – MALCOLM SAID IT

AKALA – Malcolm Said it. FROM THE NEW ALBUM – THE THIEVES BANQUET) Subscribe here to never miss a GlobalFaction video – http://bit.ly/subscribe2GlobalFaction Backdrop Visuals for Akala’s recent Album Launch at the Tate Modern.

‘Get Up, Stand Up,’ by The Wailers

Bob Marley used simple, often joyful language to talk about oppression and the path forward: “We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game / Dyin’ ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, Lord / We know when we understand / Almighty God is a living man / You can fool some people sometimes / But you can’t fool all the people all the time / So now we see the light / We gonna stand up for our rights.”

Bob Marley & the Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up

Bob Marley & the Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up Album: Burnin’ (1973) ©Tuff Gong/Island Records (Universal)

‘Les Fleurs,’ by Minnie Riperton

Jordan Peele chose to use this song to close out his mind-bending, social commentary horror flick Us. The song is a breath of fresh air after a tense, deeply psychological movie — Peele has called the song a “palate cleanser.” While this track from 1970 certainly isn’t a traditional protest song, its lyrics are indeed cleansing, a reminder to constantly search for compassion, that most radical of emotions: “Inside every man lives the seed of a flower / If he looks within he finds beauty and power … Throw off your fears / Let your heart beat freely at the sign / That a new time is born.”

Minnie Riperton – Les Fleurs

From The Album ‘Come to my Garden’ 1970.

‘List of Demands (Reparations),’ by Saul Williams

“I want my money back / I’m down here drowning in your fat / You got me on my knees praying for everything you lack / I ain’t afraid of you / I’m just a victim of your fears / You cower in your tower praying that I’ll disappear/ I got another plan, one that requires me to stand / On the stage or in the street / don’t need no microphone or beat.” Hard not to think of Trump in his palace built by black hands, protected by armed guards, hiding with the lights out as the world outside demands change.

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Music video by Saul Williams performing List Of Demands(Reparations). (C) 2008 Fader Label

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