Episode notes

The Album: Curtis Mayfield’s Back to the World (1973) In 1973, Curtis Mayfield had already become one of the biggest soul stars in the world thanks to the success of his Superfly soundtrack. He could have doubled-down with another album of lurid and cautionary street tales but instead, he wrote an album that many think of as a soundtrack to a movie never made, chronicling a returning Vietnam War veteran who finds America to be a different kind of war zone. Back to the World showcased Mayfield at his best — as a musician, composer, arranger, singer, producer, guitarist and songwriter — and decades later, we can still hear some of its influence reverberating in the dozens of artists who sampled from this album’s lush music.

The Bay Area’s Lyrics Born brought this album to us to talk about. As part of the Solesides/Quannum crew that dates back to the mid-90s, LB has represented a much admired indie hip-hop ethos and he’s been embraced by fans around the world. In our conversation, we talked about Mayfield’s commitment to social issues, his gifts as a songwriter and whether or not “Right On For the Darkness” is, in fact, about a blind person.

More on Lyrics Born

More on Back to the World

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Back to the World unless indicated otherwise):

Back to the World

Future Shock

Mac Mill: Straight Dangler

The Impressions: Keep On Pushing

Curtis Mayfield: Eddie You Should Know Better

The Impressions: I’ve Been Trying

Back to the World

Keep on Trippin’

Right On For The Darkness

Wiz Khalifa: Glass House

Right On For The Darkness

Gang Starr: Take A Rest

Mase: What You Want

Filthy Phil: The Payback

Willie Wright: Right On For The Darkness

Future Shock

Can’t Say Nothin’

If I Were A Child Again

Curtis Mayfield: So In Love

Cissy Houston: Warning-Danger

Aretha Franklin: Something He Can Feel

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

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