Buddy Calls out America's Appropriation of Black Culture on "Black 2"
A sequel to his 2018 song featuring A$AP Ferg.
Buddy is back with a timely new track dubbed “Black 2,” a sequel to his collaboration with A$AP Ferg from 2018. This time around, the Los Angeles born and raised rapper is as direct as possible, calling out Americans systemic appropriation and profit off of Black culture while not rightfully acknowledging it’s importance to economic growth, the arts and even athletics.
The “Black 2” album cover is a direct homage to the famous photograph taken by Don Hogan Charles for a March 1964 issue of Life Magazine of Malcolm X pulling back the hotel curtains with his left hand and holding a M1 Carbine in his right — this time it’s Buddy wearing the suit and tie. The track is upbeat and contrasts the subject matter as Buddy grows more frustrated throughout the song. His first verse begins by rattling of a number of cliches:
Everybody wanna be an athlete (Athlete)
Everybody wanna rap on beats (Rap on beats)
Everybody wanna eat watermelon and fried chicken (Yeah, yeah)
But, sorry, it’s a black thing (It’s a black thing)
Last year, Buddy released Harlan & Alondra: Deluxe Edition to further critical acclaim. Earlier this year, he teamed up with friend and fellow Los Angeles rapper Kent Jamz for Janktape Vol. 1. At the top of last year he also delivered a memorable NPR Tiny Desk Concert followed by numerous standout features on the GRAMMY-nominated Revenge of the Dreamers III. The chorus of “Black 2” is especially poignant aimed at the culture vultures and appropriators alike:
Grew up in the west bumpin’ Dogg, Pound and Jigga
Everybody wanna be black, don’t nobody wanna be a n*gga, uh
Feel like Malcolm X, peekin’ outside my window
Everybody wanna be black, but don’t nobody wanna be a n*gga
Stream Buddy’s latest and watch the music video for his original “Black” release below. Be sure to revisit HYPEBEAST’s “Buddy Is Having the Time of His Life” feature from HYPEBEAST Magazine: The Rhythms Issue. In more music news, Fivio Foreign returned with a new music video for “Issa Vibe”.
