The Score: How Ethical AI and Blockchain Can Preserve the Enduring Legacy of Black Music and its Influence on Fashion

People don't understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it. - Billie Holiday

Recently, a friend’s 12-year-old child, Daniel, excitedly shared his AI song-making capabilities with me using the SoundRaw AI music generator. In this moment, I couldn't help but recall practicing chords for hours to compete for first chair in the flute section after enduring countless classical music theory and appreciation lessons by an overzealous symphony instructor, and how much easier life would have been if I had an app to generate "original" music for my final assignment. On the flip side, I felt sorry for Daniel because his creative identity and understanding of the legacy and history of the music, art, and design giants will be skewed by what an AI app can generate. How will he view Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Mozart, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Beethoven, Alberta Hunter, Scott Joplin, and others?

Well, he plays the French horn in the marching band, and it happens to be Black Music Month, so I sent him a copy of "The Black Horn: The Story of Classical French Hornist Robert Lee Watt" by Robert Lee Watt and explained that AI apps are cool tools, but true creativity, artistry, and authenticity come from the soul, music theory, and practice. The lesson was short-lived because a few minutes after thanking me for the gift, he proceeded to demonstrate to me on FaceTime how he slays zombies while wearing his Apple Vision Pro.?

I can't tell my future, so I'm going to tell my past. - Ma Rainey

The Resonance of Black Music and the African Diaspora

It’s undeniable that the rich tapestry of black music has left an indelible imprint on the landscape of our culture and style, so making sure this is remembered is important as we embrace new forms of music and design creations with advanced technologies. African American spirituals emerged from the atrocities of slavery in America. Drawing upon the devotional music of Christianity as well as the rhythms and structures of African musical heritage, these soulful songs expressed the struggles and faith of the enslaved. Passed down orally over generations, spirituals served as a powerful vehicle for enslaved people to affirm their humanity, communicate, seek solace in the divine, and bear witness to the harsh realities of bondage. By blending sacred texts with the idioms of African music, spirituals forged a unique cultural tapestry that has endured as a cornerstone of the African American experience.

What are these songs, and what do they mean? I know little of music and can say nothing in technical phrase, but I know something of men, and knowing them, I know that these songs are the articulate message of the slave to the world. - W.E.B. Dubois | The Souls of Black Folk

Even in captivity, the enslaved developed sophisticated styles and traditions. Often while singing hymns, that contained hidden messages about their enslaver, the enslaved would simultaneously cornrow each other’s hair. The hair styles were imbued with deep cultural significance. The cornrows were often parted and braided in a manner to serve as a coded means of communication, allowing the enslaved to share vital information, marking landmarks and hiding seeds to help nourish them on their escape journey.

Rooted in ancient African cultural traditions, the head wrap or turban holds deep meaning for Black women. Historically, the concept of wrapping cloth in a circular motion to cover one's hair dates to 13th century Mesopotamia, where head coverings were mandated as symbols of status. Even as enslaved Africans were stripped of their culture and bodily autonomy and forced to wear head wraps to suppress their allure from their slave owners, the accessory retained profound spiritual and communal significance due to a variety of styling techniques. Today, the head wrap remains a vibrant expression of identity, creativity, and resilience - intertwined with the rich tapestry of Black music and self-expression. From the proudly tied turbans of jazz and blues icons, to the stylized head wraps that adorn the stages of neo-soul, contemporary R&B and hip-hop artists, this timeless accessory continues to be a beacon of cultural pride and overcoming in the Black community. Even in the face of oppression, the creativity and resilience of Black people manifested through their aesthetic expressions.

When I sing blues, I think of life, sorrow, and pain. They come from my experience and my heart. - Bessie Smith

The birth of the blues around the 1860s solidified the foundation for the enduring influence of Black music. Pioneers of the genre like Bessie Smith, Dr. Mamie Smith, and Ma Rainey instinctively understood the power of personal style to captivate an audience. Smith often performed in elegant, form-fitting dresses that highlighted her voluptuous figure, while Ma Rainey favored sequined gowns that shimmered under the stage lights. This blend of glamour and grit would go on to influence the flapper dresses and cloche hats of the 1920s, ushering in a new era of feminine allure.

What is music to you? What would you be without music? Music is everything. Nature is music (cicadas in the tropical night). The sea is music, the wind is music. The rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Music is the oldest entity. The scope of music is immense and infinite. It is the ‘esperanto’ of the world. - Duke Ellington

As the blues gave way to the brash, improvisational stylings of early jazz, Black musicians continued to shape the cultural and fashion landscape. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s saw jazz superstars like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway embodying a sophisticated, urbane aesthetic with their impeccably tailored suits, pocket squares and fedoras. This "Harlem Dandy" look, with its roots in African sartorial traditions, spread beyond the confines of the neighborhood, helping to redefine men's fashion nationwide. Women jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday also made their mark, donning elegant gowns and fur stoles that exemplified the opulence of the era.

As the 20th century progressed, black musical forms evolved from the early jazz of the 1920s, rhythm and blues of the 1940s, to the rock n' roll of the 1950s, yet the influence on fashion remained a constant. One such pioneering figure who embodied the glamour and elegance of Black Hollywood in the early 1950s was singer and actress Dorothy Dandridge. As the first African American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, Dandridge captivated audiences with her poise and style, inspiring a new generation of women to embrace the power of fashion as a means of self-expression and cultural representation. Icons of the 1950s, like the legendary Billie Holiday used her platform as a renowned jazz singer to bring powerful social commentary to the forefront, recording songs like "Strange Fruit" that vividly depicted the lynching of African Americans by comparing their bodies hanging from poplar trees to macabre fruit. The haunting lyrics and Holiday's emotive performance transformed "Strange Fruit" into an iconic civil rights protest anthem, which the equally legendary Nina Simone would later cover to continue shining a light on racial violence and discrimination.

The flamboyant stage attire of artists like Little Richard and Chuck Berry, with its vibrant colors, exaggerated silhouettes, and eye-catching embellishments, helped popularize the "teenager" as a distinct consumer demographic. In the 1960s, the artistic sensibilities of Motown acts like the Jackson 5 - marked by a sophisticated, hippie-influenced aesthetic - found parallels in the gritty, rebel style of funk and soul counterculture artists such as Jimi Hendrix. These musical movements were reflected in the fashion trends of the era, including colorful suits, platform shoes, and bold, graphic prints.

There’s no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were. - Nina Simone

In the early 1960s, Nina Simone and Miles Davis captivated audiences with their iconic fusion jazz performances. Nina Simone also became a style icon who raised awareness of social issues and systemic racism through songs like "Mississippi Goddam." Additionally, the rise of disco music was brewing, with artists like Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor creating danceable hits that became the soundtrack of the 1970s. The rise of hip-hop in the 1970s and 80s ushered in a new era of talent and style, as artists like Run-DMC and LL Cool J defiantly championed a streetwear-inspired style that flaunted Black culture to mass audiences. The rise of an aesthetic defined by bold, urban style elements - chunky gold chains, oversized outerwear, and iconic Adidas tracksuits - would go on to revolutionize mainstream fashion, ushering in the ascendance of luxury streetwear courtesy of Dapper Dan's logomania movement and solidifying Hip-Hop's status as a transformative cultural force in the 21st century.

The influence of black music on fashion has continued unabated into the 21st century. Contemporary R&B and hip-hop artists like Rihanna, Beyoncé, and A$AP Rocky have built empires not just through their music, but through their boundary-pushing fashion choices. In the last two decades, numerous iconic Black musicians have ventured into the fashion industry. Notable examples include Pharrell Williams' Billionaires Boys Club and his current role as Louis Vuitton Men's Creative Director, Rihanna's iconic Fenty brand, Beyoncé's Ivy Park, Kanye West's Yeezy, and Drake's Ovo. Additionally, the music industry has influenced the rise of talented Black designers, such as the late and extraordinarily gifted Virgil Abloh.

Blockchain and AI: The History Behind the Prompt

As we explore the potential of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain to enhance convenience, speed, and innovation, we must also consider how to preserve the raw talent, creativity, and authenticity that have shaped our history. The goal should be to create new histories while honoring the essence of the past, for it is this foundation that enables true innovation. The fashion industry is increasingly embracing the power of technology, AI-driven tools are opening new avenues for reproducing and reinterpreting the iconic styles of bygone eras. Computer vision AI algorithms can be trained on archival imagery to identify the precise silhouettes, fabrications and embellishments that defined the aesthetic of specific musical movements. This data can then be used to help designers generate new garments that capture the essence of those styles, enabling contemporary designers to pay homage to the sartorial legacies of blues, jazz, soul and beyond.

Beyond mere reproduction, AI can also be leveraged to blend disparate style influences in novel and unexpected ways. By analyzing the underlying visual patterns and design principles that unite diverse musical genres, machine learning models can uncover unexpected synergies and hybridize them into fresh, future-facing fashions. In this way, the digital realm can become a canvas for continually evolving the fashion lineage first laid down by pioneering Black artists.

Blockchain technology also holds immense potential for preserving the heritage of Black music's influence on fashion. By creating decentralized, tamper-proof records of iconic looks and the stories behind them, blockchain can ensure that these sartorial legacies are safeguarded for future generations. The transparency and traceability enabled by blockchain technology can help combat counterfeiting of designs. By leveraging blockchain to record trademarked patterns, designs, and artistic works, communities can quickly verify the provenance and rightful ownership of their creative assets. This empowers them to more effectively safeguard their intellectual property against unauthorized use or exploitation.

Innovations in natural language processing, like the upcoming Juneteenth launch of ChatBlackGPT, a large language model specifically trained on texts related to Black history and culture, can also play a vital role in educating people about the rich history behind black music's influence on fashion. By generating engaging narratives and insights that seamlessly weave together musical and cultural traditions, these AI-powered tools can make the exploration of this heritage more accessible and immersive for learners of all backgrounds.

The fashion industry continues to grapple with the complex challenges of sustainability and authenticity, yet the strategic application of transformative technologies to develop digital product passports offer a promising solution. This approach will not only address the industry's sustainability and authenticity concerns, but also provide deep storytelling capabilities, enabling the recognition of the creators behind the notes and the seams and help to preserve heritage. In this case, it can help to celebrate and honor the profound influence of Black music on global culture and style.

By digitally preserving and reimagining this iconic aesthetics, a new generation of designers and creators can ensure that the sartorial influences of artists like Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Marvin Gaye, and Josephine Baker continue to resonate for years to come. It's important that our children not only stay informed about the latest technological advancements, but also develop an understanding of the historical context and creative foundations that underpin such progress. Merely following the trends of the moment risks overlooking the rich tapestry of ideas and pioneers that have paved the way. A balanced education should equip the next generation with both digital fluency and an appreciation for the history behind the prompt.