Isaac Hayes died last week at the age of 65. I remember growing up with Isaac (so much so I feel he wouldn’t mind my referring to him by his first name) and felt he was not just a part of the Black culture in the 1960s and 1970s, but was one of the architects of ‘the’ culture. He gave the 1970s a soundtrack and it had a whole lot of soul. A funny illustration of this was the 1988 movie, “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” by Keenan Ivory Wayans and his family. I catch it on cable occasionally and it still cracks me up. Isaac was also in that film in a supporting role. It spoofed the “blaxploitation” films of the 1960s and 1970s. One of the first, and I believe one of the best films of that day, Gordon Parks’ “Shaft” in which Isaac wrote and won a “Grammy” for the soundtrack of one of the best original movie scores of today or yesteryear.
I remember as a teenager my dad; also a huge Isaac Hayes fan took me to one of his concerts when we lived in Connecticut. I still remember the excitement I felt as I listened to his music. I was hanging out with what I considered at that time some of the “coolest” adults around. His music seemed to fill my soul, touched my heart and moved my body and my spirit.
What people not of the Black culture (White people) in those days probably couldn’t relate to was the impact he had on “us” as a people. Black was just becoming “beautiful” and his “Hot Buttered Soul” album of 1969 found him dressed in his signature dark glasses wearing only chains, made a huge statement. We, as a people, where breaking out of the chains of oppression we had been bounded by. Later his 1971 mega hit “Black Moses” went further as a statement of social unrest. The album cover opened up to find Isaac looking very much like he was crucified on a cross. You just had to love his mettle to take that position. It was a new day as a ‘people’. Black folks had begun to see that WE had to empower ourselves; no one else (White people) was going to do it for us. It was time to stop crying about what had been done to us and to begin to not ask, but to demand, the respect each and every person had as an inalienable right as productive citizen of this country. Our ancestors were the builders of this country’s infrastructure.
Most of the “young bloods” don’t know that Isaac Hayes and a few other “soul artists” of the past began rap. I can still hear “Walk on By” or “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and remember the rap that went with them. In my estimation he was one of the “grandfathers” of the rap genre and has never gotten any recognition for this work to my best recollection. It’s too bad, because he made an impact on the music that is a viable part of the American culture.
The children of today know Isaac Hayes as the voice of “Chef” in the animation show, South Park”. I for one, never got “South Park” but others did. When channel surfing I would hear that unmistakenable voice and knew instantly who was speaking. Today’s youth may not know of his musical contributions, but those of us who are considered “Old G’s” do.
Thanks Isaac, you made our world better and taught us that everyone needs their own theme music. Why? Because Isaac was a “bad mother…shut your mouth”.
Namaste’
