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Black Summer Anthems
These are some of the records that have become summer staples.
There’s always the conversation about what makes a song an anthem. And if we deconstructed every record that reminds us of how the sun feels on our skin or pairs perfectly with an ice cup, the ingredients can vary. Nonetheless, every summer has a soundtrack.
Some songs become anthems and go-tos for cookouts, family reunions or pretty much any Black function you can think of. Others take over day parties, festival DJ sets and car speakers with the windows down. Whether they're tied to a specific memory or evoke the airy, celebratory feeling of being outside, certain records just have a way of circling back year after year.
For decades, hip-hop and R&B have delivered many of those records. From the laid-back nostalgia of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's "Summertime" to the globally unifying "Essence" by Wizkid and Tems, Black music has consistently provided the songs that become part of summer's DNA.
Of course, no two summer playlists are exactly alike. The records that define one person's summer may be completely different from someone else's. But these songs have earned their stamp through longevity, impact and their ability to instantly transport listeners back to that one time and place.
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Whether they dominated radio, became cookout staples or were impossible to escape, these hip-hop and R&B anthems have become synonymous with summers from the 1990s through today. Think of this as your summer music time capsule.