Happy Home
2007 · Blacksmith 0902663160 1 8 · Brooklyn, New York
- Artist
- Talib Kweli
- Title
- Happy Home
- Release
- Liberation
- Year
- 2007
- Label
- Blacksmith # 0902663160 1 8
- Format
- Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Genre
- Hip Hop · East Coast Hip Hop · Conscious Hip Hop · West Coast Hip Hop
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation — Civil Rights Songs
Talib Kweli, East Coast Hip Hop / Conscious Hip Hop artist, born Talib Kweli Greene on 3 October 1975 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, member of Black Star with Mos Def. Songs referencing Vietnam included "Get By" (2003) (with Kanye West, JAY-Z, Mos Def, and Busta Rhymes), "Happy Home" (2007 (with Madlib), "History" (2009) (with Mos Def), and "Learn Truth" (2013) (with R.A. the Rugged Man).The song "Happy Home" (Blacksmith Music # 0902663160 1 8) - a collaboration between Talib Kweli and Madlib - West Coast Hip Hop artist, born Otis Jackson Jr., born on 24 October 1973 in Oxnard, California, USA. It told the story of Talib Kweli's father, Perry Greene growing in the 1960s Civil Rights and Vietnam era - it described him escaping the segregated South, to the hippie New York folk scene: "through the Segregated South... Perry was out, livin' like a hippie in the sixties... headin' to The Village to see Bob Dylan". His father then received the draft call: "got this draft card in the mail". It contained a Civil Rights message, noting the draft resistance of Muhammad Ali: "the champ said, I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong" - Ali had asked why he should fight brown people in Vietnam when black people did not receive equal rights at home. This had an impact on his father, encouraging him to become politically active: "people bleeding on TV is so tragic, creating the catalyst for the people to get active". It concluded with Talib Kweli taking on the responsibilities and duties of his ancestors: "now I'm standing on the shoulders of my ancestors".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Back in the days it was hard for black actors / They had to lighten they skin with makeup like Max Factor / My grandfather Stan wasn't Nothin' But a Man / He fell in love with Jivote so he took her by the hand / They had two sons, Stanley and Perry / They go together like Brandy and Sherry or coke and Marion Berry / Simply put they don't always get along / They used to travel as a family doing shows singing songs / But this was through the Segregated South / And before someone got punched in they segregated mouth, Perry was out / Livin' like a hippie in the sixties, Pop's chillin / Headin' to The Village to see Bob Dylan, when he was top billin' / But Perry was not feelin' complete, he had to get on his feet / He said, "God willin', I can get into this school, that's smarter for real / Plus I got this draft card in the mail" / The champ said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong" / Momma leaning on caskets they shootin' blacks, faggots, and Catholics / People bleeding on TV is so tragic / Creating the catalyst for the people to get active / Got into NYU and took classes / The world was changing he knew he couldn't look past this / Who knew goin' to school would make him want to give his name to a girl / And have children that would change the world... I go out in the world and represent the family name / They used to hang my people from a tree like a candy cane / Now I'm standing on the shoulders of my ancestors / And I'm throwing up the sign of the times…
About the artist
Talib Kweli, East Coast Hip Hop / Conscious Hip Hop artist, born Talib Kweli Greene on 3 October 1975 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, member of Black Star with Mos Def. Songs referencing Vietnam included "Get By" (2003) (with Kanye West, JAY-Z, Mos Def, and Busta Rhymes ), "Happy Home" (2007 (with Madlib ), "History" (2009) (with Mos Def ), and "Learn Truth" (2013) (with R.A. the Rugged Man ).
Themes
VC · Civil Rights · Draft · Muhammad Ali · TV War · Bob Dylan · Draft Resistance