Can I talk my sh*t for a minute since it’s Black History Month?
Well, back when African slaves were brought to the land now known as America they lost most of their African culture. In places like South Carolina, and parts of Georgia and Florida, slaves were able to maintain a good bit of the Gullah Geechee culture, which originated in the regions of West and Central Africa. And recently, Jackson, Mississippi rapper SilaS made a song in honor of our Geechee folks with “Gullah Gullah Island.” While SilaS maintains that the song was inspired by a cartoon of the same name, it’s still an inspiring track for us Black folks.
Over a neck-snapping backdrop provided by Donchedidit, the Jackson rhymeslinger gets busy with utopian thoughts of an all-black island. On this imaginary island, Blacks are safe from crooked cops and crime. Also, there’s no drugs –but you can blow Loud, though. And most importantly, every home is filled with a mom and pops.
“I remember watching the show as a kid and it was like, all black everywhere, black love, black businesses, and a successful black family. So I wanted to incorporate that into the sample which already came from the show and just make something positive to let people know that it’s possible to be successful as a black person and be positive,” SilaS said to VIBE in an email.
“Gullah Gullah Island” has gotten love Tupelo (Mississippi) natives Rae Sremmurd, and it comes from SilaS The Day I Died project.