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Solange’s Son Posted Some Of His Music To Social Media And Fans Weren’t Impressed

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solange
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Solange Knowles is one talented lady. Completely aside from being Beyonce’s sister — something that likely both benefitted and hindered her own music career over the years — Solange has been a groundbreaking musician, film director, and even art curator over the past few years. Her work is a lightning rod of empowerment and representation for Black women, and she’s always looked super cool doing it. Rumor has it that she’s also nice with her hands when people disrespect her big sis.

However, while talent might be genetic and/or generational, it’s not always a given no matter how gifted your family is. Solange’s son, Danieal Julez J. Smith Jr., seemingly proved as much recently when he posted a video to social media showing off his own music. Let’s just say… It didn’t go well. On Sunday, the 17-year-old, who goes by the stage name Julez, posted a snippet to TikTok in which he raps along to one of his songs in his studio. Here it is:

@jeluzsmith

😎🗣🔥🎵

♬ original sound – Julez Smith

There are a few issues here, mainly that the beat seems to be a loose guideline for young Julez. The mix is something that can probably be addressed at a later date, but between Julez’s listless delivery and generic bars, fans on Twitter had plenty to say about how much work the young aspiring rapper will need to put into becoming a commercially viable artist in his own right. Maybe he can tap Uncle Jay-Z for help? (Considering the relationship between Jay and Solange, let’s drop that pin somewhere between “unlikely” and “impossible.”)

Fortunately for him, these are all correctable mistakes, and he’s only 17 — he’s got plenty of time (and now, plenty of … ahem… “constructive” criticism) to get started on fixing them. Besides, I used to work at a Boys & Girls Club recording studio and I’ve heard way worse from kids his age. Still, it’s probably going to be awkward when his little cousin Blue flexes her Grammy Award at the family reunion while giving him that signature side-eye of hers.

The Music That Helped Young Women Get In Touch With Their Blackness

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Monae Solange Jamila
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From pioneers in the music industry like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Jill Scott to modern-day icons like Solange, Janelle Monáe, and Ari Lennox, Black women often create music as both an ode to their Black womanhood and social commentary of injustices rooted in misogynoir. Since the music industry has had a history of not treating them kindly, Black women have created a niche, a safe space within their lyricism that provides listeners with the chance to connect with their Blackness. These albums offer a light at a seemingly dark end of a tunnel, whether that reflects an unappreciated love of your culture or a reminder of solidarity.

It’s important to remember that Black women are not a monolith and exist in a multidimensional space within the music industry to explore genres like pop, rock, alternative R&B, and more, without being pigeonholed into a stereotypical genre that has been identified with Black culture. Artists like Rico Nasty and Willow Smith provide young Black listeners with representation of an alternative style of music with their captivating stage presence. Aluna Francis, who is known for her former electronic music duo AlunaGeorge, is an advocate for more Black dance artists to be given equal opportunities as their white counterparts throughout EDM, and she recently created her own festival, Noir Fever, to oppose this whitewashed space. Black women like Orion Sun and Arlo Parks are delivering warm melodies intertwined between the realms of indie and neo-soul. As they all create music that strays from the traditional route of R&B or hip-hop, listeners are reminded that they are multifaceted beings that can combine their knack for storytelling with their all-too-relatable cultural identity.

While existing in a predominantly white or male genre, Black female artists can build a connection for their listeners through empowering or emotional anthems that affirm Black identity and image, such as Beyoncé’s era during Lemonade. The conversation surrounding “Formation” and the singer’s unapologetic vocalization of her culture felt like a familiar feeling that most Black women can relate to. Public displays of Blackness for Black women are complex and can be a result of observing the participation of well-known Black figures like Beyoncé. Along with the Houston singer, neo-soul musician Jamila Woods expresses her adoration for Black beauty and, essentially, a manifesto to Black womanhood in her work. While weaving in the names of notorious Black writers, artists, and poets like Eartha Kitt and Zora Neale Hurston, Woods flawlessly tackles emotion policing and commemorates Blackness in her 2019 album LEGACY! LEGACY! Intertwining her identity and lyricism wasn’t a new concept for the Chicago singer, since her 2017 album HEAVN attested as the answer to questions like, “What does it mean to be a Black woman?”

Often, Black women aren’t extended the grace to express or ponder their emotions of rage, anxiety, despair, and forgiveness. In a music industry that results in little to no consequences for misogynoir, labels like the “angry Black woman” are thrown at Black women who are deemed unruly and outspoken for simply voicing our concerns and frustrations. Following the release of her 2020 track “Song 33,” Chicago rapper Noname questioned the policing of a Black woman’s tone as she coined herself the “new vanguard.” As an artist who isn’t afraid to make a controversial statement, her advocacy for Black liberation and justice for incarcerated folks is intertwined in her music, which is vital to young Black listeners that are searching for an artist that is for the people. While combining Blackness with musical expression, artists provide listeners with a socially conscious space to connect with their identity via music. These spaces of Black liberation are often accompanied by a reclamation of sexual identity, which is an intimate experience found while listening to an album like Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales. The EP combines sexually charged anthems with honest conversations surrounding heartbreak, deceit,` and love in the form of interludes. With a fan base of predominantly Black women, this nuanced album could’ve been sealed and signed as a love letter to Black women who have ever felt shamed in conversations about sex and relationships.

Meanwhile, at the intersection of Black identity and queer culture, Janelle Monáe will continue to explore what queer Black womanhood can be. The ArchAndroid and Dirty Computer are separate yet similar bodies of work where Monáe freely expressed her sexuality, womanhood, and Blackness. “Make Me Feel” was labeled the epitome of a bisexual anthem as the sexually liberated singer danced with notable actress Tessa Thompson in the playful neon music video. While tackling stereotypes of being too manly and incessant mansplaining, Monáe speaks her mind while sitting on her throne in the “Django Jane” music video. Throughout her expansive career, Monáe has given young Black queer women representation of on-air sexual fluidity, validity, and, overall, fun.

While finding meaningful music that coincidentally is worthy of being added to a playlist, there’s an unexplainable feeling of joy that can be shared when an artist seems to be speaking to the listeners throughout an entire project. For example, Houston-born artist and creative Solange Knowles is frequently praised for her third studio album, A Seat At The Table, which embodied her ethereal self while opening conversations about healing from trauma, dealing with microaggressions and policing. As she expressed her feelings of anger and vulnerability in the Lil Wayne-assisted song, “Mad,” it’s undeniable that she wrote this song with the intention of speaking to Black women and the policing of our anger. Tracks like “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “F.U.B.U.” with lyrics like “This sh*t is for us / Don’t try to come for us,” it felt as if Solange reached into the conversations of Black women with an anthem to reassure us that these feelings of rage and frustration are normal. As she lamented about her tales of sexing, drinking and spending her pain away, Solange shared her methods of coping in “Cranes In The Sky.” These themes aren’t limited to A Seat At The Table, since she continues her ode to Blackness and her Texan roots in her consequent album, When I Get Home.

Although Black female artists can be viewed as palatable for white audiences, it feels as if the act of creating songs like Solange’s “F.U.B.U.” or Monáe’s “Django Jane” is intentionally delivering a love letter to Black women listening at home. The art of storytelling has successfully been mastered by Black female artists that can produce stories of liberation, intersectionality, and self-love. Embracing your Black identity can be as minor as feeling represented within the lyrics of a beloved song or resonating with an artist’s political stance to create an empowering anthem. Often, our adored artists are influenced by their fellow Black predecessors and funnel their messages of self-love and unapologetic Blackness to their listeners.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

How Three Artists Galvanized Black Women To Assume Their Place In The Self-Care Movement

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SZA Ari Lennox Solange
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Self-care, as it relates to Black women, is best defined by poet and writer Audre Lorde. “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence,” she wrote. “It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

The implications of Black women caring for ourselves above all else are, as Lorde said, political. As the world continues to expect more and more from us, we owe it to ourselves to take care — whether we are given the room to do so, or have to create it from nothing. The rise of self-care gave way to three records in the last decade of R&B music: A Seat At The Table by Solange, CTRL by SZA, and Shea Butter Baby by Ari Lennox. These records carved out three distinct paths in the same lane, creating space for Black women in the idea of preserving the self.

Solange’s A Seat At The Table, released right before the 2016 election, remains a monument of the time. The record’s centerpiece songs, such as “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “Weary,” were instantly topical, acting as a comfort blanket to protect against the increasingly fraught energy surrounding, well, everything. Originally conceptualized as an homage to her family’s Southern roots, and taking up space through documenting Black personhood, Solange lays out all of her failures and triumphs on her fourth record, giving way to truths that are ultimately universal. Her pillowy voice, warm bass, and delicate neo-soul keyboard sounds provide a soft place to land as we confront all of the things that are ugly in this world.

Solange gave the Black image a distinct place in the self-care movement as we know it today: the album cover features her best Mona Lisa, smiling slyly with multicolored hair pins holding the perfect waves framing her face. She presents the idea that before we can care for ourselves, we have to be sure that we are safe. Solange asserts this idea on “F.U.B.U” (which stands for “For Us By Us”), envisioning a world in which it is safe for Black women to rest, to live.

Establishing self-care as both a political and artistic act set the stage for SZA — Solange’s protege of sorts, and the adored singer behind CTRL, her well-loved debut and one of 2017’s most successful albums.

SZA’s video for “The Weekend,” directed by Solange herself, was a beautiful, slow-moving affair. The sleek, minimal track is about a mixed-up love affair, with multiple people vying for the time and attention of one person. This sounds like normal R&B fodder: a relationship gone wrong, a narrator who is upset at the way they’ve been treated. But, “The Weekend” became a beacon of sorts (and a platinum hit without being a single) — it is an admission of weakness if you look further. SZA admits that she is lonely, wanting to replace all of the someone elses in question.

CTRL was not a planned concept. After signing a major deal, SZA wrote and recorded as much material as possible, condensing it down to fourteen songs. And this is evident in the way it plays out; CTRL is a confessional booth, a diary, the ear of a best friend.

On “Supermodel,” the album’s show-stopping, sparse opener, SZA lets us know that she wants to be beautiful for us, and she has a hard time believing that she can. This admission of her lack of confidence establishes honesty as another important tenet of self-care. The album’s closer, “Pretty Little Birds” is a beautiful manifestation for good after everything that SZA has told us went wrong. She has covered the good, the sensual, the messy. She tells us that everything that she needs from her lover, and from us is to see and to be seen. When SZA sings, it is deeply about the self, with feelings examined from each angle with a goal in mind: to grow.

By the time Shea Butter Baby arrived in 2019, Ari Lennox was gaining attention for being the first woman to be signed to J Cole’s Dreamville label. Self-care had been largely established as a worldly, commodifiable interest, rather than a way to create comfort. Shea Butter Baby served as a balm to this concept, a reminder that the journey to self is messy.

Shea Butter Baby is distinctly feminine, the album’s title track featuring Cole himself serving as an ode to the beauty that is Black self-care on a physical level, silk sheets and soft, shiny skin. But, self-care is more than skin deep and Lennox makes sure that we do not forget this. On “Speak to Me,” Lennox is at her most vulnerable, wishing to know the truth about where she stands with someone who she loves. The delicate punch of “I Been” tackles the allure of escapism, Lennox so desperately wanting to be somewhere else while everything is going wrong. On “Static,” the album’s closer, Lennox implores us to save ourselves from drowning beneath all that is unimportant — reminding us that we are in control of our own destinies. Shea Butter Baby finds and cherishes the freedom that it takes to care for the self.

These three records charted distinct journeys for each of these artists on the same course to understand the self. The portraits of Black womanhood that each of these records paint represent different people at distinct points in time, striving to understand what it is that makes us who we are. That quest for closeness to the self is what makes self-care so important, and what makes each of these records a crucial snapshot of what that means for us. These records highlight the need to seek community, growth, and comfort: all necessary pieces to the self-care puzzle.

Banned! Solange’s Top 5 Rare Black Books Critical Race Theory Haters Don’t Want YOU to Read

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Solange - Banned Books

Solange Knowles announced last week the launch of her free digital library curated with rare books and art by Black creators.  Here are the top 5 most revolutionary books in her collection that haters of “Critical Race Theory” do NOT want you to read. Solange Knowles Books On The Banned List Solange Knowles is expanding the […]

Solange Debuts Her Short Film, ‘Passage,’ With Help From Dionne Warwick, KeiyaA, And More

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Solange is a woman of many talents, so it’s only right that she was asked to put together a video that shined a light on the finalists for the 2021 International Woolmark Prize. According to the award’s website, The International Woolmark Prize “celebrates outstanding fashion talents from around the globe who showcase the beauty and versatility of Australian Merino wool. It is the world’s most prestigious award for rising fashion stars.” The 2021 finalists for the award include Bethany Williams, Kenneth Ize, LECAVALIER, Matty Bovan, Thebe Magugu, and Casablanca.

The singer’s short film, titled Passage, features a cast of celebrities who wear clothing designed by the finalists for the International Woolmark Prize. Dionne Warwick rocks clothing created by Magugu while Dominique Jackson from FX’s Pose is found in work by Kenneth Ize. Rapper SahBabii and singer KeiyaA also appear in the visual directed by Wu Tsang. In a lengthy statement, Solange spoke about Passage and her inspiration behind the film.

In continuing Saint Heron’s world-making practice, Passage further explores my interest in theatrical production through the translation of identity, spirit, philosophy and creation. Whether it be through album artwork, stage design, or filmmaking, I’ve always sought to create new visual languages that encompass the expressions my other works cannot communicate. I’m inspired to expand these processes through the Saint Heron Agency with a wider scope of collaborations and projects. To reflect on and honor the creative process with the 2021 International Woolmark Prize finalists, Passage aligns with Saint Heron’s mission to reverence creation as life, from abstraction to being. I’ve been a longtime fan of Wu Tsang’s work and to be able to work alongside her, the Saint Heron team, and all of the incredible artists and designers in the film, really fortifies the ethos of collaboration and communal creative exchange that we wish to continue to embody.

You can watch the film in the video above.

Dionne Warwick is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Solange Launches The Saint Heron Creative Agency To Highlight Overlooked Artists

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In 2013, Solange launched her label and website, Saint Huron, to highlight the artists she wanted to bring attention to. Today, she took things a step further, turning Saint Huron into a full-on creative agency. Meanwhile, the Saint Huron website has been updated to function as a sort of digital mood board which will highlight a new artist every week.

In addition to visual stories, the site will also feature interviews with Shala Monroque and artist Cassi Namoda, and conversations between poets, authors, and artists like Helga Davis, Okwui Okpokwasili, Barbara Chase-Riboud, and Ilyasah Shabazz.

As far as physical endeavors, Saint Huron also announced plans to hold a series of gallery exhibitions, an artist-in-residence program, a permanent art collection, a non-profit library, and art films. Saint Records will continue to release music, as well.

In a press release, Solange said: “Worldmaking has been a huge part of my practice. The idea of leaving behind cities, meccas, and universes that were occupied and celebrated by bodies, voices, celebrations, and rituals to be discovered down the line. As we transition to an institution, the answer and the vision become abundantly clear. We are creating a legacy where we not only continue the work we have already built but preserve collections of creators with the urgency they deserve. Together we want to create an archive of stories, and works we deem valuable. We want to open up these works publicly and make them accessible to students, and our communities for research, engagement, and consumption, so that the works are integrated into our collective story and belong and grow with us. We are creating an embodiment of living testaments to the glory of expression, and how that recharges and reaffirms the reverence we hold for our own cultural and artistic worth. We look forward to furthering the pursuit of authenticity that empowers the stories of our people.”

You can find more information here.

Solange Reveals She Was ‘Quite Literally Fighting For’ Her Life While Making ‘When I Get Home’

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This Monday marked exactly two years since Solange surprise-released her acclaimed LP When I Get Home alongside a cinematic short film, which she is sharing a remastered director’s cut of through The Criterion Channel. Both the film and the LP are very personal to Solange, as the singer was undergoing health issues at the time. Her health situation was apparently much more serious than she had previously let on, as the singer has now revealed that she was “quite literally” fighting for her life.

Reflecting on When I Get Home‘s two-year anniversary, Solange took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement about how the project “changed” her life:

“When I first started creating ‘When I Get Home’ I was quite literally fighting for my life…in and out of hospitals (s/out park plaza on Binz! 🙂 with depleting health and broken spirits asking God to send me a sign I would not only survive, but that if he let me make it out alive, I would step into the light whatever that meant. He begin speaking to me. Half the time I didn’t know where it was coming from. I only knew I had to open the door and honor it. I didn’t see naann a thing I imagined. I didn’t know who I was speaking to on ‘I am a witness’. When I listen back, I hear a woman who had only an inkling of what the journey entailed, but didn’t have a clue of why or what the journey would look like. This project has shown me, once you open that door, you can’t go backwards. Believe me I’ve tried saying ‘nah I’m just playing’ so many times, ha. I’m not a big fan of talking about sh*t I don’t know yet. I didn’t do much talking during this time because of that. I’m really down for showing the process, and staying quiet when it hasn’t all yet being revealed. I make work to answer questions within me, for survival. Sometimes I am asking myself that same question many ways. Sometimes it takes me years. I have to honor that time. This Houston ting moves slow y’all. One day, I’ll tell y’all about the days I’ve had since I opened this door. The things I’ve uncovered. The life long healing I’ve begin. The great divine joy and love I’ve experienced. The stories of my past I’ve survived that I had stored all up in my body…. till it said…. no more. The re-learning. The reckoning. This album led me to all of it. Life has now become before WIGH and after WIGH. I’m so grateful for you guys allowing me the space and time.”

This isn’t the first time Solange has addressed her health problems. Back in January 2020, the singer announced she would be canceling a handful of tour dates at the Sydney Opera House due to “the physical demands of the shows.”

Find Solange’s Instagram post below.

Solange Is Dropping A Remastered Director’s Cut Of Her Artistic ‘When I Get Home’ Film

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The Criterion Channel

Solange’s latest album, When I Get Home, was a surprise release in 2019, and what fans also didn’t expect was the film that accompanied it. Now, the film has been given a new coat of paint in celebration of its two-year anniversary, as Solange is shared a remastered director’s cut of it via The Criterion Channel.

The Criterion Channel describes the film, “Accompanying her acclaimed 2019 album of the same name, the film taps imagery of her hometown’s (Houston, TX) culture with flights of surrealism spotlighting Black cowboys, space, futurist worlds, and ritualistic movements that characterize evolution as a recurring presence. Solange explores concepts of origin, fear, safety, and reclamation through the power of ancestral roots and the creation of one’s own kaleidoscopic universe.” It’s not clear how or if this version of When I Get Home differs from the director’s cut that was released in 2019 aside from having been remastered.

When Solange initially announced the album, she was feeling amped up, tweeting, “Y’all! I’m filled w so much joy right now!!! Wow! I can’t thank y’all enough for this moment and for all the feelings i feel in my body! I’m bringing home w me everywhere I go yalll and I ain’t running from sh*t no more. Your love lifts me up so high. Thank you!”

Revisit our review of the When I Get Home album here.