Ayman: Beyonce’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ Is Reclaiming Black Roots in Musical Genres that Have Been Co-Opted and White Washed

MOHYELDIN You are welcome ░░░░░░░░ That is going to ░░░░░░░░ stuck in your head ░░░░░░░░ night and as I ░░░░░░░░ you are welcome That ░░░░░░░░ Beyonce s Texas Hold ░░░░░░░░ one of two songs ░░░░░░░░ has dropped in advance ░░░░░░░░ her much anticipated country ░░░░░░░░ stated to be released ░░░░░░░░ March 29th But not ░░░░░░░░ is thrilled about the ░░░░░░░░ s foray into the ░░░░░░░░ In fact one Oklahoma ░░░░░░░░ radio station sparked outrage ░░░░░░░░ week for initially refusing ░░░░░░░░ play Beyonce s new ░░░░░░░░ A fan who requested ░░░░░░░░ song received an email ░░░░░░░░ that read Hi We ░░░░░░░░ not play Beyonce on ░░░░░░░░ as we are a ░░░░░░░░ music station Well the ░░░░░░░░ s owner later told ░░░░░░░░ News that it was ░░░░░░░░ Beyonce had released country ░░░░░░░░ when the request was ░░░░░░░░ But let s take ░░░░░░░░ step back here for ░░░░░░░░ moment According to Forbes ░░░░░░░░ of Tuesday only eight ░░░░░░░░ the 150 stations that ░░░░░░░░ to Billboard s Country ░░░░░░░░ chart reported having played ░░░░░░░░ Hold Em in its ░░░░░░░░ day And None said ░░░░░░░░ had put her other ░░░░░░░░ 16 Carriages on the ░░░░░░░░ This is not the ░░░░░░░░ time the country music ░░░░░░░░ has been at odds ░░░░░░░░ Beyonce She faced an ░░░░░░░░ backlash in 2016 for ░░░░░░░░ to perform at the ░░░░░░░░ alongside The Chicks Let ░░░░░░░░ be very clear here ░░░░░░░░ is just the very ░░░░░░░░ flashpoint of the long ░░░░░░░░ ugly history of racism ░░░░░░░░ the country music establishment ░░░░░░░░ are probably familiar with ░░░░░░░░ recent episodes like when ░░░░░░░░ Little Nas X saw ░░░░░░░░ viral hit Old Town ░░░░░░░░ removed from Billboard s ░░░░░░░░ Country Songs on the ░░░░░░░░ that it didn t ░░░░░░░░ enough elements of today ░░░░░░░░ country music And there ░░░░░░░░ been even more foul ░░░░░░░░ even more outrageous controversies ░░░░░░░░ it was reported in ░░░░░░░░ that country superstar Morgan ░░░░░░░░ was caught yelling the ░░░░░░░░ word on camera he ░░░░░░░░ saw a 1200 percent ░░░░░░░░ in digital album sales ░░░░░░░░ just last year Jason ░░░░░░░░ filmed a music video ░░░░░░░░ his infamous grievance anthem ░░░░░░░░ Black Lives Matter outside ░░░░░░░░ Tennessee courthouse where a ░░░░░░░░ man was attacked by ░░░░░░░░ mob and lynched in ░░░░░░░░ For years for decades ░░░░░░░░ white country music fans ░░░░░░░░ sent a clear message ░░░░░░░░ artists do not belong ░░░░░░░░ this genre Which is ░░░░░░░░ obviously but also ironic ░░░░░░░░ how musicologists speculate that ░░░░░░░░ precursor to the banjo ░░░░░░░░ cornerstone of country music ░░░░░░░░ in Africa and arrived ░░░░░░░░ American shores during the ░░░░░░░░ century with enslaved people ░░░░░░░░ from west and central ░░░░░░░░ According to Alice Randall ░░░░░░░░ of African American studies ░░░░░░░░ Vanderbilt University black country ░░░░░░░░ goes back to the ░░░░░░░░ of the first black ░░░░░░░░ to an enslaved African ░░░░░░░░ in the Americas Black ░░░░░░░░ have always been a ░░░░░░░░ of folk and country ░░░░░░░░ Ray Charles Tracey Chapman ░░░░░░░░ Pride Darius Rucker And ░░░░░░░░ the conservatives who claimed ░░░░░░░░ Beyonce is stealing your ░░░░░░░░ you are making your ░░░░░░░░ for her This new ░░░░░░░░ Act II is the ░░░░░░░░ installment of a three ░░░░░░░░ project that is literally ░░░░░░░░ reclaiming black roots in ░░░░░░░░ genres that have been ░░░░░░░░ opted and whitewashed So ░░░░░░░░ yourself a favor go ░░░░░░░░ to Texas Hold Em ░░░░░░░░ s good country music ░░░░░░░░ to anyone who says ░░░░░░░░ well, bless your heart.”