Something's wrong, man.
Just don't be one of these
people that's surprised
that black folks got issues.
Them the people
I can't deal with.
I'd rather talk to somebody
that don't agree with me
than somebody that's had
they eyes closed.
"Hey, did you know
black people--
Why are black people angry?"
Motherfucker,
we been angry.
This ain't new.
You think this just happened
last couple of years?
Black folks been trying to
tell y'all forever
that they had some issues
and we sat--
We invented the blues!
(laughter and applause)
What more of a sign
did you need?
We literally invented
an entire genre of music
based on sadness,
that's how sad we were.
And we--
the blues was created here.
That is
an American art form.
That is not native African--
Go listen
to old African music.
The shit is happy
'cause we was free.
(cheers and applause)
Go back.
Every old African song.
♪ We have freedom
in Africa ♪
♪ Freedom in Africa ♪
♪ Freedom, got freedom
in Africa ♪
Soon as we got off
the slave ship.
(imitating blues guitar)
(imitating harmonica)
We've been sad.
How the hell
are you surprised?
"Yeah, but,
they're not patriotic.
"Black people don't like
the national anthem anymore.
What is..."
That ain't no shock
to you, man.
You wanna know
what black folks feeling?
Just listen to their music.
Our music tell you
everything that's going on
in the black psyche.
It's a beautiful...
telegram.
(applause)
And nowhere in the history
of black music
is there
a hit patriotic song.
That ain't what we do.
I mean, we'll cover a song,
but, like,
we don't write
no original patriotic songs.
Black artists ain't never--
'Cause we got a conflicted
relationship with the country.
You can't write
no honest patriotic song.
You gotta leave that
to white artists.
They done had a good time.
You had a good time
in America,
you damn right you should be
writing a patriotic--
♪ And I'm proud to be
an American ♪
♪ Where at least
I know I'm free ♪
(cheers and laughter)
They be serious.
You couldn't possibly expect
that level of patriotism
from a race of people that have
had so many issues, you can't.
It's not realistic.
Black people don't--
We don't sing about America.
We sing
about specific cities
where you can have
a good-ass time.
That's what we do.
We don't talk about
the country.
We can tell you
where the party at, though.
We can do that.
Look, I can't tell you
nothing about America,
but let me tell you about
the city where the heat is on
all night on the beach
'til the early morn.
Welcome to Miami,
that's where you got to go.
You ever been to California?
Oh, my God, boy, you got to
go down to California, boy.
Boy, California knows
how to party.
The city of L.A.,
the city of good ol' Watts
and the city of Compton.
They keep it rockin'.
Write that shit down,
I'm trying to tell you.
They keep it rockin'.
Black people don't do
patriotism.
Maybe "Georgia on My Mind."
That's the closest
we probably come.
Maybe that, maybe that.
That's a good song, it's warm,
it's about the country.
Ray Charles,
"Georgia on My Mind," good song.
But... the key word
in that song
is "on my mind."
Ray Charles was just thinking
about Georgia.
He didn't tell you
to go there.
Georgia's like every other
part of the South.
It's got some pockets you
should not be in after dark.
If you'd have asked
Ray Charles to be more specific
on where in Georgia to go,
he'd have said to go to Atlanta
where the players play
and they ride in them thangs
like every day.
(cheers and applause)
(chuckles)
My Uncle Derek tried to
shut me down on that one.
"What about James Brown
'Livin' in America'?
"That's patriotic, James Brown
singing about America.
It's original and he black."
♪ Livin' in America ♪
♪ Eye to eye ♪
♪ Livin' in... ♪
It's a good song,
but keep it real, man.
James Brown wrote that song
for "Rocky IV",
and as soon
as he finished singing it,
Apollo Creed
died in the ring.
It's a sad song.
It's a sad song.
How can you hear "Livin' in
America"' and not think about
Apollo Creed just falling
lifeless to the--
Michael B. Jordan
lost his daddy that day.
If anything, "Livin'
in America" is not patriotic.
It's the opposite.
It's a secret message
to black people.
James Brown is one of
the most masterful musicians
to ever walk this earth, dude.
It's a brilliant song.
(cheers and applause)
That song ain't got nothing
to do with America.
That entire song,
"Livin' in America"
is a secret message
to black folks.
All you gotta do, listen
to the end of the song.
Very end
of "Livin' in America,"
all James Brown do is just
start naming cities.
That's it, end of the song.
♪ Livin' in America ♪
♪ New Orleans,
Detroit City ♪
♪ Dallas, Pittsburgh ♪
♪ Kansas City, Atlanta ♪
He just naming safe places
for black folks.
That's-- that's it.
