You're listening to Song Exploder, where musicians take apart their songs and piece by piece

till the story of how they were made.

My name is Tavwin.

Jamila Woods is a singer, songwriter, and poet from Chicago.

She's released two albums and she's collaborated with artists like Chance the Rapper, No Name,

and Macklemore.

In May 2019, she put out her second album, Legacy Legacy, to critical acclaim.

NME called it one of the albums of the year, Rolling Stone called it a revelation, and

Pitchfork named it Best New Music.

In this episode, Jamila and her producer Slat A break down a song from that album, Cone

Baldwin, named after the late author and civil rights activist James Baldwin.

My name is Jamila Woods, and I'm a singer and musician poet.

This song was inspired by James Baldwin's Letter to My nephew.

I was working as a teaching artist at a nonprofit, Young Chicago author's teaching poetry,

and I often return to reading James Baldwin.

The whole essay is written to his nephew, and he's kind of giving him perspective and advice

about the world, like navigating the world as a black man.

There is no reason for you to try to become like white men, and there is no basis whatsoever

for their impertinent assumption that they must accept you.

The really terrible thing, old buddy, is that you must accept them, and I mean that very

seriously.

You must accept them and accept them with love for these innocent people have no other hope.

...