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

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MOHYELDIN: “For years, for decades really, white country music fans have sent a clear message: black artists do not belong in this genre. Which is racist, obviously, but also ironic, given how musicologists speculate that the precursor to the banjo, the cornerstone of country music, originated in Africa and arrived on American shores during the 17th century, with enslaved people taken from west and central Africa. According to Alice Randall, professor of African-American studies at Vanderbilt University, black country music goes back to the arrival of the first black child to an enslaved African woman in the Americas. Black people have always been a part of folk and country music: Ray Charles, Tracey Chapman, Charlie Pride, Darius Rucker. And to the conservatives who claimed that Beyonce is stealing your genre, you are making your point for her. This new album, 'Act II,' is the second installment of a three-volume project that is literally about reclaiming black roots in musical genres that have been co-opted and whitewashed. So do yourself a favor, go listen to 'Texas Hold 'Em.' It’s good country music, and to anyone who says otherwise, well, bless your heart."