February was officially recognized as Black History Month in 1976. Since then, many schools have celebrated the numerous Black civil rights leaders, social activists, and historical figures that have made major contributions to American history. Black musicians tend to be overlooked, especially ones in the rock genre so here are five bands with Black vocalists you may want to add to your next playlist.
Magnolia Park
Magnolia Park is a band mostly comprised of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). They are from Orlando, Florida, and to many, their sound is reminiscent of the early-mid 2000s rock sound. They recently released a new single titled, “I’ll Give You The Stars” performing it with fats’e and TITUS.
Body Count
A heavy metal band led by actor Ice-T, they have toured both nationally and internationally and are beloved by many. They came together because of their shared interest in heavy metal music. They formed in 1990 and were introduced at Lollapalooza in 1991 during Ice-T’s set. One of their most controversial songs is “Cop Killer”.
poptropicalslutz!
I first found them on TikTok after seeing their snippet of “bad habit (dramatic!)” was posted and immediately followed them after hearing this. Their sound is like Lil Uzi Vert meets Blink 182 and though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea at first, it will grow on them and they may eventually enjoy it. Their latest single is “WW3”.
Meet Me @ the Altar
Meet Me @ the Altar could not make anyone even more proud. Their music to many is bringing them back to their high school days, but to people of color, they are making them feel seen and represented in the world of rock music. Their latest EP is titled Model Citizen and it will not disappoint.
Wicked Wisdom
Jada Pinkett-Smith is known for many things (yes, we are all probably thinking the same thing), but many don’t know that she was and still is the lead singer of a rock band. They formed in 2002 and many were unsure and thought they were a joke but after performing at Ozzfest for the first few days, the band started gaining more fans. They are known for the track “Bleed All Over Me”.
