James Brown’s ‘Say It Loud’ Gets New Remix
DJ Carl Cox offers a new take on ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.’
James Brown’s classic funk track “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” has just been reimagined by British DJ Carl Cox. A major recording of the Civil Rights era, the track has lived on through decades thanks to its powerful message and unimpeachable music. Cox’s remix of the track is available to stream now.
“Remixing ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud’ isn’t about the past — it’s about keeping the fire alive,” says Cox. “James Brown laid the foundation, the rhythm, the message, the pride. His legacy still moves dancefloors and minds worldwide. This is respect to the Godfather, to Black History, and to the power of music that unites us all.”
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Recorded in 1968, “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” debuted in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The summer of 1968 would become one of the most tumultuous in U.S. history. “I was in Los Angeles and there was all this infighting, this crime and all,” Rev. Al Sharpton would later recall Brown telling him of the song’s genesis. And he said, ‘I looked and I said to myself, ‘We’ve lost our pride.’” Brown wrote the song later that night—literally composing the lyrics on a napkin in his hotel room—and released it within the same month. “In the spur of the moment, it became a song that literally changed the social dynamics of the United States,” said Sharpton. Brown later wrote in his autobiography, “The song cost me a lot of my crossover audience. The racial makeup at my concerts was mostly black after that. I don’t regret it, though, even if it was misunderstood.” “Say It Lout — I’m Black And I’m Proud” would peak at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the outlet’s R&B chart for six weeks.
Cox has had a long career in electronic music, first coming onto the scene in the 1980s and eventually hosting a renowned residency at Space Ibiza. Though this is the first time he’s lent his skill to a remix from the Godfather of Soul, he’s put his spin on music from a wide range of artists, including acts like Moby, Sofi Tukker, and Yello.
