ABSTRACT
For Black people around the world, music serves as an expression of identity, history, culture, struggle, and liberation. This chapter examines how two of the most iconic Black artists of the twentieth century—Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Bob Marley—used their musical platforms and personae to narrate the unique histories of Nigeria and Jamaica, respectively. With a focus on the lyrics of these two maestros, the chapter explores the local and global implications of the unique political stances that characterized Kuti and Marley by comparing the ways in which they challenged the status quo of colonial and imperial oppression.
