Blaxploitation: A Brief Overview  
written by Mekeva “Keva” McNeil of Analog Enlightenment 
for the upcoming Podcast series Put Your Weight On It (debuts June 2013)

Like to Hear It...Here It Go...

The Civil Rights Era was still lingering in the air as the decade of the 70’s began to take its reign. Only a few years prior were black folks fighting for their humanity at the risk of being beaten and tormented. The year was 1971,  Marvin Van Peebles wrote and scored the film Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song. Simultaneously, Gordon Park’s Shaft was in production. The not yet coined “blaxploitation” film genre was on the rise. 
These films made a way for black actors, writer, musicians, and directors to take their turn at the helm to create something that belonged to the people. There was a “no holds bar” attitude that emanated from the narratives through the renegade characters that were seen as heroes.  
There were over 300 hundred films made within a 5 year span.  Blaxploitation films cost anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000 to make which was considered low budget.However, these films grossed millions of dollars.


What’s In A Name?

The term “blaxploitation” was seen as pejorative.  It is, obviously, a hybrid of the words black and exploit. Many opponents of these films felt that black folks were being exploited and did not care for the “stereotypical” representations of blacks on the screen. Junius Griffin, who was the president of Beverly Hill’s NAACP was responsible for coining the namesake that now easily identifies that imperative time in black cinema.
Many people were not up in arms over the blaxploitation labeling. There was was the sentiment of empowerment held by the black community.  A sense of pride imbued black audience members who had the opportunity to see black men and women in control, wielding authority. They got to see black men and women taking control of and adapting to often touchy situations.
Another way to spin the term blaxploitation comes from the fact that the studios producing the films exploited them as a means of revenue. Due to white flight, whites moving to the suburbs, many hollywood studios were suffering.  Sweetback, Shaft, Superfly, Foxy Brown, etc. were raking in major money. Ultimately, studios took that money and made more white films with it. Therefore, exploiting the success of the black genre for their financial gain.


The Heart and Soul is Music

The blaxploitation era would not be what it is without music.  Tremendous contributions were made via artists such as James Brown, Issac Hayes, JJ Johnson, Curtis Mayfield and countless others. The soundtracks were tailored specifically for a movie.  It packed explosive funk with breaks, horns, orchestration, guitar riffs, and unforgettable bass lines.  Much of what we hear (mainly through sampling) in hip hop today emerged from the brilliant sounds created during that brief, yet productive,  period in time. Music created an emotion that carried the films. People were able to relate to the narrative through a constructed conceptual system of rhythms. Whether through a theme, chase, or love song...the blaxploitation soundtrack was a congruous element of storytelling. The blaxploitation era has made great cultural contributions to the black community by shaping identity and defining much of what is relevant to our music today.