Malcom X mixtape

 Miles Crawford

ENGL

12/5/2025

Major Project

https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/teachers/lesson_plans/pdfs/unit11_6.pdf

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1c1kXLWL55JoLUQCJVPthI?si=I9d9cBI0QjK55TNDEKhd5Q&pi=O0o08ZHSRWOHN 

       This mixtape explores the differences between Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Malcolm X’s philosophies, drawing from the source text above. It looks at their early lives and how their beliefs developed. MLK focused on integration, nonviolence, and unity, while Malcolm X emphasized challenge, self-defense, Black independence, and unity defined by Black people. King’s approach to civil rights relied on moral appeal, Christian spirituality given his childhood, being the son of a minister and being a preacher himself . He wanted to unite Black and white Americans in a “beloved community,” believing that integration and shared values could change oppressive systems. Malcolm X, shaped by racial violence and family trauma, did not believe America would change through moral persuasion. He argued that Black people needed self-protection, economic and political independence, and the courage to question the nation’s myths about freedom. While MLK looked for partnership across races, Malcolm X prioritized unity within the Black community, believing they should control their own future, more-so on their own. Each song on this mixtape highlights one side of this divide or the tension between them, showing that their clashing ideals on how to reach civil rights is still repeated today. 

“Purple Tuesday” reflects this tension through emotional storytelling and trauma. The line “Life ain’t always what it seems” mirrors Malcolm’s realism, while the song’s dreamy production echoes MLK’s search for inner calm.

“Be Free” captures Malcolm’s urgency with the plea “All we wanna do is break the chains off,” a raw refusal to wait for moral awakening. It echoes Malcolm X’s beliefs through its raw grief and refusal to soften the truth to state violence. X insists that America recognizes the violence it inflicts, and other lyrics in the song promote it as well.

“Hold Me Down” blends Malcolm’s structural critique, quoting: “That wasn’t us, that was colonialism” with MLK’s calls for self-reflection and community responsibility. Its a song that speaks on the beauty, and the importance of helping one another out, unity. Holding each other down, you could say.

“Alright” embodies King’s spiritual endurance and collective hope, promising, “we gone be alright” despite oppression. It was a breath of fresh air, of hope for the community amidst chaos, “black lives matters” protests, amidst the looming threat or fear that we’d never reach peace.

“Love Yourz” echoes King’s insistence on inner dignity, with “No such thing as a life that’s better than yours.” It emphasizes his worldview, which at the time promoted gaining inner peace. Martin Luther King warned that the pursuit of status distracted from self-love and collective harmony, the quote “always gone be a bigger house somewhere” echoes that. 

“Freedom” becomes the bridge between both leaders: Beyoncé’s plea “Tryna find my peace of mind” reflects King’s faith, while Kendrick channels Malcolm’s fire. As one speaks about the struggles of pushing past oppression, the other speaks more toward exposing and fighting the source itself.

“We the People…” stands firmly on Malcolm X’s side. The satirical hook “All you Black folks, you must go” exposes the hostility Malcolm believed America masked behind democratic ideals.

“The Charade” echoes Malcolm’s critique of false freedoms, with the lyric “It’s a charade” underscoring the myth of equality. It speaks on how black voices are repeatedly dismissed, which echoes Malcolm X’s belief that America refused to recognize black suffering. It quotes “All we wanted was a chance to talk”.

“King James” challenges systemic injustice while urging communal uplift connecting to both Malcolm’s truth-telling and MLK’s calls for stewardship. It echoes Malcolm X’s beliefs that American violence should be confronted head on, that we should fight back, it’s in self-defense he believed in, after all. 

“I” by Kendrick Lamar embodies King’s belief in self-worth and transformative love. This song is a celebration of self worth, it all aligns with MLK’s preaching of restoring dignity and echoes of joyful resistance. Loving one’s self is an act of protest against a world that tries to devalue black life.

In contrast, “American Terrorist” by Lupe Fiasco reflects Malcolm’s radical honesty, questioning America’s violent foundations. Lupe criticizes America’s foundation of violence and hypocrisy, mirroring Malcolm’s intellectual tone and confrontational methods as it continues.

“Take Care of You” represents MLK’s emphasis on community care and love as resistance, softening the harshness Malcolm confronted. It’s not an overly political song, but it echoes his pushes for community building, for love between all.

“Reagan” by Killer Mike preaches unapologetically in Malcolm X’s way, naming political harm directly and refusing patriotic illusions. “I’m glad Reagan dead.” is an example, showcasing Killer Mike’s direct targeting of systematic oppression and political manipulation. The two share unfiltered criticisms of the world that tried time and time to tear them down.

Finally, “The Blues” by Vince Staples mirrors the danger surrounding Malcolm’s life and death. The line “I ain’t never been safe” parallels Malcolm’s awareness that speaking truth in a hostile system placed him in constant danger.