A collection about the sounds of Black Love
By The Renegade Editorial Team

On this day of love, the Editorial Team takes a moment to talk about their favorite Black love songs. From Stevie Wonder to Kendrick Lamar, from romance to self-love, we have a special spot for songs about the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Listen to the playlist here!

“Free Yourself” - Fantasia
By Janese Fayson

“If you don’t want me then don't talk to me!” No, Fantasia wasn’t the first woman to coin this phrase or even the first to feel this type of scorn, but she’s definitely the one who made it into a bop! 90s R&B has captivated millions, as it has sunken its neo-soul nails into anyone who gives it a listen. Lyrics about “scrubs” or “brown sugar” have kept R&B alive to this day. Fast forward to 2023 and R&B has taken an almost completely separate style and flow. Although inspiration can be found in many of the new works put out by Sza, Summer, Brent, you name it; we have definitely seen a shift. This is not to say that one version of this music is better than the other, just that one thrives on being the optime of classics, while the other is still being constructed for this new day and age. With Valentine's day approaching, it’s safe to assume not everyone has a boo-thang to hit the town with, or alternately hit the bed with… and that’s OK! In essence, this is why the song is so important. Self-love baby, it’s the greatest. The purest form of love. No need to put up with mixed signals and minimal effort, especially not on the day designated to love. So, come Valentine's day if your situationship still hasn’t hit your line or made plans, go ahead and put on some soul full R&B and bring this love-filled holiday in with yourself, or your girls; and alas, remember what Fantasia said.

Can You Stand the Rain - New Edition

By Jacquelyn Trotman

When I think of Black love, I immediately think of “Can You Stand the Rain”. My sister and I grew up listening to old-school R&B, and with New Edition being one of my parents’ favorite groups, this song was on at home all the time. The powerful vocals of each member blend together for a beautiful, unmatched harmony. However, it’s the message behind those vocals that make the song so iconic, and a perfect depiction of Black love. “Can you stand the rain?” is a question of whether or not another person’s love comes with conditions. Sticking around during the good times is easy—anyone can do that. It’s those tough moments of adversity, vulnerability, and self-questioning when we really need someone by our side. Black love means weathering the storm. It means loving wholeheartedly and without conditions. Over the years, this song has given me a standard by which I can evaluate the relationships in my life, whether they be romantic, platonic, or familial. While it’s great to be with someone when everything’s going well, at the end of the day, I want someone who can stand by me in the rain. Beyond giving me a sense of nostalgia for a time I never lived in, “Can You Stand the Rain” is a reminder of the unconditional love that I deserve and have to give.

Purple Hearts – Kendrick Lamar
By Vanessa Walker

Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers at large feels like listening in on a therapy session, tackling healing on a cultural and deeply personal level. What I admire about Purple Hearts in particular is the way it closes the first half of the album with a hopeful outlook on self-growth and love. The song carries a balanced vibe with chill, yet uplifting instrumentals that help us slow down and allow these piercingly meditative lyrics to sink in. It comes in loaded with spiritual acknowledgments, crediting God as the source of love and us as distributors of this divine gift.
It builds verse by verse, from Kendrick stepping up to be a better partner despite the toxic culture around him, to Summer Walker acknowledging her worth and the need for a quality of love that matches that, then closing with Ghostface Killah’s prophetic words on love’s divine power. The end of Kendrick’s verse speaks to me most profoundly (I bless one day that you attract somebody with your mind exact / a patient life, flaws, bless ‘em twice, and they’ll bless you back). It registers as something of an affirmation, that someone worthy will come, who shows me deeply honest love even as we’re both working to be who the other deserves. It’s work that comes with great responsibility, but when we love each other the right way we can set healing in motion and reach heavenly levels of connection we never thought possible.

“Overjoyed” - Stevie Wonder
By Jordyn Alisa Williams

Stevie Wonder’s Overjoyed reinforces that the beauty of love is in its horror. Love requires taking a risk, making that first move, and being open to rejection, all of which are intimidating, to say the least. These feelings of uncertainty are tests for how far we will go to demonstrate our admiration for our loved ones. In Overjoyed, Stevie fantasizes about a charmed life spent with his lover. This fantasy, however, will forever live in his dreams as his love interest is not willing to take a chance on him. As lovers, we yearn for shared intimacy with that special someone, so what do we do when we can’t have them? I guess the only answer is to move on. But Stevie Wonder still begs the question, what could have been?
You too might be/ Overjoyed, over loved, over me.

“Torn” - LeToya
By Geraldo Reid

The essence of romantic relationships exists as a means of having an important person in one’s life to which they can confide. It often begins as what is commonly known as the ‘honeymoon period’ which quickly dissipates into a form of easement, which is unacceptable for some. This creates issues and complications that neither party consciously foresaw. This period can be described as a pivotal stage of a relationship, as it could prove superficial or fatal. However, it could organize the future, creating a better understanding of what to do when a problem arises. Alluding to the former, this song by LeToya Luckett describes a relationship experience by one party that is confusing. “Torn between the two” is the story of her frame of mind. She is in a paradox of staying in the relationship but also wanting to leave. The idea of being in a relationship is to create long term memories. This comes with projecting positive thoughts, that don’t leave room for negative ideas to creep in. With negative thinking, by fixating on whatever it is, it gets worse, leading to inevitable heartbreak. The theme of Valentine’s Day is a reminder to make their life, and in turn your life, special. Ultimately, always attempt to make each other happy.

“All I Do” - Stevie Wonder
By Anwuli Adeola Onwaeze

“You made my soul a burning fire/ You’re getting to be my one desire/ You’re getting to be all that matters to me” Have you ever been so consumed with the feeling of love that you could only think of one person, not knowing if they feel the same way? This Stevie Wonder classic perfectly wraps that feeling in a 5-minute musical gift. Wonder easily has one of the best love song discographies ever, but this song magnifies every little thing that makes all of his other ballads special. Despite its release in 1980, the unfiltered passion is penned by a 16-year-old Stevie but recorded for his 1980 album Hotter Than July. The song is bursting at the seams with that adolescent excitement that comes out when you fall in love. This Valentine’s Day you may be basking in this feeling Wonder speaks of, or still waiting on someone who will experience that with you. Whatever it is, give this tune a listen and your spirit will definitely be uplifted.

The E-board's Honorable Mentions

Worth My While - Bootsy Collins
Cater 2 You - Beyoncé
Charlene - Anthony Hamilton
Do 4 Love - Snoh Alegra
Superpower - Beyoncé
Happy - Ashanti

Renegade's Valentine's Day Song Picks

The Term Ghetto: First They Mock then Copy

The term ghetto was first used to describe the Italian slums in which the Jews were restricted to live in, deriving from the word “borghetto”. When the term transferred to the United States it became the definition of the quarter of the city a heavily populated area where minority or segregated groups live, sadly becoming the reality for many disadvantaged and marginalized African American neighborhoods.

But what is the weight of this word? It depends on who is saying it. For a long time in the Black community ghetto was a word that weighed us down because we knew it was used as a tool to depict the actions, environments, and styles of the less fortunate black community. But it still gets a little confusing because depending on the context ghetto can mean a multitude of things. “That’s so ghetto”- Stop being ignorant and reflect your black excellence queens and kings. Here ghetto is being used as a negative connotation; you're acting below your character.“I’m from the ghetto”- I’m reppin my set, and I’m from the slums. Here ghetto is describing a place or origin where one has learned to survive in the midst of chaos, here it’s used simply to describe class.

Now it seems as though we have taken back the word ghetto. Once again, Black people are re-translating the meanings of words that were once used to degrade us and change them to have new meanings. Where the man uses “ghetto” to demean our culture and make us feel inferior now we’ve reclaimed the word “ghetto” to mean innovative. Let me break it down for you. During your childhood, if you used to cut rolls of paper towel in half to use it for toilet tissue, that is ghetto as hell, meaning your family just single handedly found a way to save money and live better when toilet paper isn't available. If you added water to your dishwashing soap when it got low, that doesn’t mean your family is ghetto or too cheap, it means they knew that they could get the rest of the soap out and save more money. Wearing long acrylic nails is ghetto, ghetto enough to be the latest nail trend among celebrities like the Kardashians. I hope yall see where I’m going here, embrace the word ghetto and remember that first they mock you then they copy you.