{"id":6257,"date":"2025-02-07T11:44:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/parsons\/?p=6257"},"modified":"2025-02-07T11:46:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:46:18","slug":"parsons-playlists-afrofuturism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/parsons\/2025\/02\/parsons-playlists-afrofuturism\/","title":{"rendered":"Parsons Playlists: Afrofuturism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists<\/a>! Today\u2019s playlist is curated by Music Library Associate Melanie and features some music with an Afrofuturism aesthetic.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Afrofuturism<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Afrofuturism<\/a> is a genre that centers Black history and culture and incorporates science-fiction, technology, and futuristic elements into literature, music, and the visual arts. Often using current social movements or popular culture as a backdrop, Afrofuturism focuses on works that examine the past, question the present, or imagine an (often) optimistic future, and are meant to inspire a sense of pride in their audience.<\/p>\n

From Sun Ra<\/a>‘s cosmic jazz to Beyonc\u00e9<\/a>‘s homage to her roots in “Black Parade” to Janelle Mon\u00e1e<\/a>‘s sci fi themes of identity and liberation and beyond, afrofuturistic music highlights Black imagination, storytelling, and resilience. So enjoy some out of this world grooves by Black artists! <\/p>\n

Parliament – “Mothership Connection (Star Child)”<\/a><\/p>\n

Sun Ra – “Plutonian Nights”<\/a><\/p>\n

Alice Coltrane – “The Sun”<\/a><\/p>\n

Pharoah Sanders – “Astral Traveling”<\/a><\/p>\n

Labelle – “Space Children”<\/a><\/p>\n

Herbie Hancock – “Rockit”<\/a><\/p>\n

Public Enemy – “Welcome to the Terrordome”<\/a><\/p>\n

Janelle Mon\u00e1e (feat. Erykah Badu) – “Q.U.E.E.N.”<\/a><\/p>\n

Stevie Wonder – “Higher Ground”<\/a><\/p>\n

Earth Wind and Fire – “Getaway”<\/a><\/p>\n

Janelle Mon\u00e1e (feat. Big Boi) – “Tightrope”<\/a><\/p>\n

Kendrick Lamar – “Black Panther”<\/a><\/p>\n

Beyonc\u00e9 – “Black Parade”<\/a><\/p>\n

Betty Davis – “They Say I’m Different”<\/a><\/p>\n

Afrika Bambaataa and The Sonic Force – “Planet Rock”<\/a><\/p>\n

Erykah Badu – “The Healer”<\/a><\/p>\n

Funkadelic – “Cosmic Slop”<\/a><\/p>\n

Grace Jones – “Slave to the Rhythm”<\/a><\/p>\n

A Tribe Called Quest – “Electric Relaxation”<\/a><\/p>\n

Sun Ra – “Space is the Place”<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https:\/\/youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZexgVaxF7DIz4bnYkKqf04go&si=PBZ_AkQFoPRYipiy<\/a><\/p>\n