The Nostalgia Mixtape Sama'an Ashrawi

Legendary rapper, college professor, one half of the mighty UGK, and Sama'an's personal mentor, Bun B joins the campfire to tell the story of his career (and his marriage) through five of his songs.

[00:01:50]
Chapter 0: Trill Foreword by Jon Caramanica

[00:11:20]
Chapter 1: Findin' Love While Ridin' Dirty

[00:23:10]
Chapter 2: It's Dark and DMX Knows My Lyrics

[00:35:56]
Chapter 3: Tupac and UGK, The Collab That Almost Was

[00:40:25]
Chapter 4: Sometimes A Knowles Checks on *You*

[00:51:02]
Chapter 5: Losing My Shit Wiv Da Mandem At Glastonbury

Read along with the annotated transcript at:
http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/the-bun-b-episode/

Donate to The Nostalgia Mixtape if you're feelin lucky:
http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/donate/

From our episode In Support Of Black Liberation, Aaron Stephens shares two songs in his live performance: his original tune, "Do Something," and a cover of Bob Marley's "Small Axe."

Buy Aaron's music here:
https://aaronstephens.bandcamp.com/

Listen to the full episode here:
http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/in-support-of-black-liberation/

"Do Something" Lyrics:
Some people want
Some people need
Some people give expecting to receive
We’re earning wage they’re waging war
We made them rich, but they want more
But we won’t sit around and do nothing about it

Let’s do something
Do something about it
March on those lawns and shot it
We want change

They sway our media and news
Force feed us whatever they choose
We’re booking hearses and they’re booking flights
I don’t know how they go to sleep at night
But we won’t sit around
And do nothing about it

Let’s do something
Do something about it
March on those lawns and shot it
We want change

Things won’t change if we just sit around asking why
There are people in pain and we’re watching them die

No justice, no peace

"Small Axe" lyrics:
Why boasteth thyself
Oh, he-vil man
Playing smart
And not being clever, oh no
I said you’re working iniquity
To achieve vanity yeah, if a-so a-so
But the goodness of Jah-Jah
I-dureth for-i-ver

[Chorus]
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Sharpened to cut you down (Well sharp)
Ready to cut you down, oh, yeah

[Verse 2]
These are the words
Of my master, keep on telling me, oh
No weak heart shall prosper, oh no they can’t, eh, eh

[Bridge]
Whosoever diggeth a pit, lord
Shall fall in it, shall fall in it
Whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall bury in it, shall bury in it

[Chorus]
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Sharpened to cut you down
Ready to cut you down

[Bridge]
Eh, whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it, fall in it, eh
Whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall bury in it, shall bury in it

[Chorus]
If you have a big tree
We have a small axe
Ready to cut you down (Well sharp)
Sharpened to cut you down, oh

[Outro]
If you are the big tree, let me tell you this
We are the small axe
Ready to cut you down (Well sharp)
Sharpened to cut you down, oh, yeah

From our episode In Support Of Black Liberation, Christelle Bofale shares her cover of Solange's "Borderline (An Ode To Self Care)," accompanied by Jake Smith on guitar.

Buy Christelle's music here:
https://christellebofale.bandcamp.com/

Listen to the full episode here:
http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/in-support-of-black-liberation/



Christelle's Statement + Lyrics:
Christelle: I just wanted to give a quick message to anybody Black, and, that message is: just an acknowledgement of how tired you might be right now. I know a lot of us are just, plain and simple, exhausted. And that’s okay. It’s totally okay to need a break. I want to remind you and to encourage you to take care of yourself. To prioritize taking care of yourself. Work it into your routine as best as possible. That, I think, is imperative to maintaining your sanity. I just want you to remember that you are someone who is worthy of softness, and gentleness, and tenderness, and I want you to provide that for yourself. I’ve had to remind myself of the same thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the news, every single day, it’s just so painful and traumatic.

So, I love you, and I hope that hearing this song will inspire you to invest in your needs. Whatever it is that you think you’re hungry for… Find it. Feed it to yourself. Nourish yourself. Replenish yourself.

Take care, and stay safe.

Lyrics:
We been lovers on a mission
We been lovers on a mission
But whats love without a mission
We been lovers on a mission
So let’s take an intermission

You know I have a lot to think
And you know I gotta go ahead and take some time
Because the last thing that I want
Is thinkin that it’s time that I leave the borderline

So let’s take it off tonight
Break it off tonight
Baby let’s know when to let go
Know when to let go

Take off tonight
Break it up tonight
Baby I know you’re tired
Know I’m tired

Let’s take it off tonight
Break it off tonight
Baby it’s war outside these walls
Baby it’s war outside these doors, yeah

Safe place tonight
Let’s play safe tonight
Baby I know what you’re fighting for
Baby you know what I’m fighting for

You know I have the world to think
And you know I gotta go ahead and take some time
Because the last thing that I want
Is thinkin that it’s time that I leave the borderline

So let’s take it off tonight
Break it off tonight
Baby let’s know when to let go
Know when to let go, oh

Take off tonight
Break it off tonight
Baby I know you’re tired
You know I’m tired

Take it off tonight
Break it off tonight
Baby I’ve been more than a woman
We’ve been lovers on a mission

Safe place tonight
Let’s play it safe tonight
Baby we’ve been lovers on a mission
So let’s take an intermission

A statement from us + exclusive live performances by Christelle Bofale and Aaron Stephens, in support of Black Liberation.

Buy their music at:
https://christellebofale.bandcamp.com/
https://aaronstephens.bandcamp.com/

Read an annotated transcript of this episode at:
thenostalgiamixtape.com

Abridged Transcript:
[00:00]
Jamel Johnson clip.

[00:47]
Nina Simone “Mississippi Goddamn” excerpt.


[02:34]
Our statement:
We at the Nostalgia Mixtape, and yours truly, Sama’an Ashrawi, stand firmly in support of Black Liberation, and any demands that come along with it.

We hope that, more than anything else, listening to our podcast will give you an appreciation for just how much of a beautiful spectrum the Black experience is. If you’re not Black, we hope that appreciation will make you a more confident fighter for Black liberation. And if you are Black, we hope that all the different stories you hear on episode of the Nostalgia Mixtape will make you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

[04:25]
Solange - “Almeda” (Sango Bounce remix)

Sama’an: Big love to our favorite ethnomusicologist, Sango, for letting us use his flip of Solange’s “Almeda.”

[07:22]
Josh White - “Jim Crow” (1941)

[11:40]
Coldplay & Femi Kuti - “Arabesque” (2019)

Fela Kuti:
Music is the weapon, music is the weapon of the future.

[12:23]
Statement from Christelle Bofale:
I just wanted to give a quick message to anybody Black, and, that message is: just an acknowledgement of how tired you might be right now. I know a lot of us are just, plain and simple, exhausted. And that’s okay. It’s totally okay to need a break. I want to remind you and to encourage you to take care of yourself. To prioritize taking care of yourself. Work it into your routine as best as possible. That, I think, is imperative to maintaining your sanity. I just want you to remember that you are someone who is worthy of softness, and gentleness, and tenderness, and I want you to provide that for yourself. I’ve had to remind myself of the same thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the news, every single day, it’s just so painful and traumatic.

So, I love you, and I hope that hearing this song will inspire you to invest in your needs. Whatever it is that you think you’re hungry for... Find it. Feed it to yourself. Nourish yourself. Replenish yourself.

Take care, and stay safe.

[14:36]
Christelle Bofale - "Borderline (An Ode To Self Care)"

[20:45]
Aaron Stephens - "Do Something"
Aaron Stephens - "Small Axe"

[28:05]
Janet Jackson - "Free Xone"
Archie Bell & The Drells - "Tighten Up"

Bonus content! Taped live at Soundworc Studios in Burbank, California, Hamish Anderson performs a short acoustic set for his appearance on The Nostalgia Mixtape.

Set List:
- "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" (Bob Dylan cover)
- "Winter" (original)

More episodes at thenostalgiamixtape.com

Melbourne, Australia-based guitarist Hamish Anderson on how a Bob Dylan classic inspired "Winter," the first song he ever wrote, and how The Beatles' "Back in the USSR" made him want to pick up a guitar in the first place. This episode features two live performances from Hamish.

Donate to The Nostalgia Mixtape on Venmo @SamaanAshrawi or CashApp - $SamaanAshrawi.

Bonus content at:
thenostalgiamixtape.com