“Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
Sold in the market down in New Orleans
Skydog slaver know he's doin' all right
Hear him whip the women just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should”

Those are the opening lyrics to the classic rock anthem, Brown Sugar, written and performed by rock veterans The Rolling Stones, who have recently withdrawn the song from their US tour setlist due to allegations of the song’s controversial choice of detailing topics relating to the imagery of the slave trade and other taboo subjects which may provoke feelings of disgust. Guitarist Keith Richards, whilst having confirmed the band has withdrawn the song, is perplexed as to why the song is met with much negativity since the song seeks to expose the horrors of the slave trade and nothing else. Record producer Ian Brennan has called for a more sensitive and conscious approach when engaging with songs that deal with such difficult subjects and has said, “The Rolling Stones insistence on continuing to perform the song was not only insensitive, but a prime example of entitlement”, calling the song to be removed from the airwaves. Through the terrain of political correctness, The Rolling Stones have fallen foul of their taste through playing a song that contains many taboos not many artists seem to touch. 

The cancellation of the popular song comes at the same time Black Lives in Music released a survey which claimed its respondents’ in the industry had experienced some forms of direct or indirect racism. 71% of the respondents claimed to have experienced racial microaggressions while 88% of all black professional musicians agreed that barriers existed in progressing in the industry. It also noted that black female performers were more likely to suffer disproportionately in terms of earnings and give into pressure to change their act. Interviewing one respondent, they claimed that when bringing up the fact black female performers endure this level of inequality in the industry, they are written off as “ungrateful and (that) they have an inferiority-complex” when trying to highlight their talent and worth in the industry. Thereby, there may be some discrimination rooted in the industry which needs to be addressed in order to alleviate these inequalities.

Undoubtedly, the music industry is overall an intensive and competitive industry, but it is hard to grasp that the industry is rooted in systematic racism as well as thrusting a racialised lens onto an industry as dynamic and large. After all, there are plenty of successful black musicians in the UK alone which can challenge this consensus. For instance, British rapper Stormzy has reached huge heights in the UK music industry from headlining Glastonbury 2019 to having two successive albums reaching the Number one spot in the United Kingdom. Just recently, singer Arlo Park’s debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, won the Mercury Prize in 2021 - an annual award which is given to the best British or Irish album selected from a shortlist of artists. Furthermore, Dizzee Rascal’s Boy in Da Corner, Skepta’s Konnichiwa and Dave’s Psychodrama have all been shortlisted and won a Mercury Prize of their own along with other black performing musicians. Not to mention established award ceremonies such as the Brit Awards who vocally celebrated its most diverse shortlist in its history. Rather than claiming the music industry is rife with systematic racism, talent, originality and recognition are tenets to succeeding. Highlighting problems of the UK music industry solely through the claims of systematic racism, whereby some black artists have reaped the successes of the industry, does no justice in solving some of the shortcomings many artists face in the industry on a daily basis. 

Doing so would seek to bring out the suggestion that black performers, especially women, would need to be protected in such a way that any form of criticism or difference of opinion would hinder their chances of exploring their talents and creative freedom. Whereby, music, as a universal language, needs to be treated as a chance for individuals to express who they truly are and not constrain themselves to the identitarian world view that their skin colour has a determining factor in their artistic craft. 

Returning to Brown Sugar, it may well be the song depicts horrifying imagery of slavery, sadomasochism and rape being channelled through an infused rock N’ roll track. But there is nothing to suggest the song condones or wants to resurrect a time of grave ordeal. After all, the song was written in 1969 – a time where civil disobedience, the Vietnam War and a real counter cultural revolution were taking place. The song perfectly encapsulates the spirit of artistic and creative freedom that was up against an established norm of the 1960s – a time where experimentation, protest and alternative ideas were being discussed and shared through the spirit music regardless of anyone’s background or creed. What mattered was a desire to explore ideas and create music that challenged contemporary orthodoxies, carrying on the spirit of social protest and disobedience.

Race was a characteristic which was traversed through the music of the 60s, channelling through the message of Martin Luther King Jr that people should be judged by the content of their character and not their skin colour. You only need to look at the popularity of the blues invasion of the UK and the appeal of Jimi Hendrix to showcase music’s ability to transcend the racial divides and build a harmony which is built on common interests rather than segregating people. Yet, the racialisation of people is returning through the academic theory of critical race theory, whereby literature, music and even ideas must be categorised in the context of race and oppression. Thereby, the music of classical composers, such as Beethoven, need to be contextualised in the context of race and social justice if we are to judge its merits and place in today’s social fabric. The same is the case for The Rolling Stones, as straight-old white men, to be appropriating themes and imagery which may trigger the likes of performers who look out for microaggressions and racism in music. 

The art of music is always going to have its critics. Many will dislike forms of music due to style, the kinds of culture and people who worship it. It is part of subjectivity and freedom that we should be allowed to listen and be exposed to as many forms of styles and music as possible – even if it means detailing some of the most uncomfortable and shocking truths of history. Thereby, we need to resist the censorship of music and not give into the authoritarian culture of banning music which deals with such taboos. It should be about freedom and artistic expression. And nothing more.

Callum Breese is a columnist for The Equiano Project.

Follow Callum on Twitter: @BreeseCallum