Marcus Garvey, the leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) founded in 1914 continues to have a mark on young people and popular music. Dancehall DJ Popcaan’s latest album “Great Is He” sees the “Next To Me” artist in a mirror frame dressed in a European hat similar to the style worn by Garvey in the 1920s.
While he was not directly involved in the music industry, his genealogy, ideas and philosophies have had significant impact on music and musicians around the world. Here are four ways Marcus Garvey has impacted the music industry globally.
Inspired the Rastafarian movement: Garvey’s advocacy for black pride, black liberation, self-respect and determination inspired the Rastafarian movement, which has had a profound impact on one fo the most popular music genres in the world reggae music. With Bob Marley in the lead In 2022 Reggae music was the tenth most listened genre around the world according to IFPI’s Engaging With Music Report 2022. The music report from the globally respected music measurement organization is based on a survey of more than 33 thousand respondents from several countries. In fact the top streaming artist in reggae music are directly influenced by Garvey and make no qualms about mentioning him in their music.
Promoted Pan-Africanism: Garvey’s vision of a united Africa and the diaspora influenced many early musicians like Fela Kute to incorporated African rhythms, themes, and instrumentation into their music. In the 1960s Afrobeat music did not become popular as according to Chris Blackwell the artist didn’t speak English.
That is no longer a problem as African music has made a 180 degree flip with artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tems leading the hybrid renaissance of Afrobeats and other Afro-fusion music.
As talk of the globalization of music continue, several international music labels have sent their A&R to the African continent to find talent amidst the success of the genres originated from the continent.
PwC had forecasted that Nigeria will be among the fastest-growing Entertainment and Media industry globally. In their report they said the country will earn $14.8bn in 2025, up from its current revenue of $7.7bn, riding on an 85% growth of its internet access segment.
Statista also projected that Nigeria’s music market grew from 26 million U.S. dollars in 2014 to 34 million U.S. dollars in 2018, and that by 2023 the revenue is expected to reach 44 million U.S. dollars.
Burna Boy’s 2022 album Love, Damini debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. Charts and debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart after selling 25,000 units in the United States in its first week. He has the distinction of having the highest charting album of all time by a Nigerian.
Burna Boy also made the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time as a solo or lead artist, with Last Last entering at No. 86. and climbing 14 spots this week to No. 72. Even with his success Burna drops politically concious lyrics on songs like “Dangote,” which has 22 million views on YouTube.
Garvey encouraged black entrepreneurship:
Garvey encouraged black entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency, inspiring many musicians to start their own record labels, studios, and other businesses. Jay Z Like Garvey, speaks of the disenfranchised society afforded to him at birth and made a conscious decision to come up out of the slums and make it as a “Business man.” Black entreprenuership throughout the U.S. and most of the world is seen as redemption. Jay Z has build a bullion dollar empire through Roc Nation where he signs two of the biggest artist of this generation, Kanye West and Rihanna, who has become billionaires themselves.
His RIAA certified Platinum album “4:44” is a dedication to black entrepreneurs,“Y’all out here still takin’ advances/Me and my niggas takin’ real chances,” Jay tells us on “The Story of O.J.”
With a net worth surpassing 1.3 billion dollars, Jay Z again professes Garvey philosophies on “Legacy,” “We gonna start a society within society/That’s major/Just like the Negro Leagues…Generational wealth that’s the key.” On “Family Feud,” he said “What’s better than one billionaire? Two. ’Specially if they’re from the same hue as you.”
On Mr. Carter he flows in tribute to Garvey, “Jay Z Now my name’s being mentioned with the martyrs The Biggies and the Pacs and the Marleys and the Marcuses Garvey, got me a molotov-cocktail flow Even if you box well, can’t stop the blows.”
Garvey celebrated black beauty:
Many black artist who have become the standard of beauty like Beyonce wouldn’t have been seen as such due to racism against black people during Marcus Garvey’s time. However he dedicated his life to advocated for racial pride and the idea that black is beautiful. Among other things Garvey said, “reject images and ideas that portrayed the African race negatively,” “honour people of African descent who contributed positively to their history,” “teach children of African descent to love their physical features.”
Artist like Beyonce and Rihanna profit heavily from the black beauty industry which is closely linked to the music industry. A Mckinsey report showed that In 2021, even with the lack of equity in the industry, black people spent $6.6 billion on ‘beauty’ which is 11.1 percent of the total U.S. beauty market.
Garvey celebrated black beauty and encouraged musicians to celebrate the beauty of blackness in their music and performances.
Rihanna 34, is the youngest self-made billionaire in America- and from the Caribbean with a staggering net worth of USD 1.7 billion, up from 1.4 billion in 2021 according to the Forbes list. Rihanna became America’s Richest Self-Made Woman in 2022 as the co-owner of Fenty Beauty and holds a 30% stake in her other brand, Savage x Fenty lingerie.
Mckinsey’s report said “Black people’s experience within the beauty industry is markedly more frustrating than that of other people and filled with multiple friction points that non-Black consumers, entrepreneurs, and brands are less likely to face.
