“King Holiday,” Listening 25 Years Later

King Dream Chorus & Holiday Crew

“King Holiday”

(Polygram Records) 1986

“Who do we thank for teaching us that we all have the strength to love?” asked Ricky Bell of New Edition on “King Holiday.” Rhetorically, Bell asked on behalf of his generation learning vicariously about the Civil Rights Era through elders and outdated textbooks. Barely older than him, Teena Marie responded earnestly, her vibrato timbre demonstrating why she had props among (mostly Black) fans: “We thank the prince of non-violence for showing us the way.”

Shortly after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, American music ceased being colorblind.

As Hole In Our Soul author, Martha Bayles writes, “The first reaction of soul performers to the increased militancy following King’s assassination was to alter the content of message songs.” Gone were blameless, brotherhood credos; ‘70s soul artists questioned the deeds of mankind and championed Black power. Bayles suggests these messages alienated soul artists from ubiquitous mainstream airplay, but that, coupled with segregated radio and Billboard charts, crippled exposure.

Eighties’ Black media noticed rapper, Kurtis Blow’s growing crossover potential, calling Blow the “King of Rap.” When Dexter King asked Blow to co-write and produce “King Holiday” in celebration of his father’s birthday, it was momentous for hip-hop. Similar to the trend of charity songs like USA for Africa’s, “We Are the World” and “Sun City” by Little Steven, it promoted Dr. King’s birthday becoming a U.S. holiday for the first time on January 20, 1986. The downside: The group’s ungainly name. Who could remember that The Fat Boys, Run D.M.C., Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Whodini were “The Holiday Crew;” or that Teena Marie, New Edition, Stephanie Mills, Stacy Lattisaw, J.T. Taylor of Kool & The Gang, Lisa Lisa with Full Force, El Debarge, and Whitney Houston were “The Holiday Chorus?”

Despite, it doesn’t explain why the song is so scarcely recalled by Black media and is one of the most obscure charity songs—ever. A progenitor to ‘90s posse causes like West Coast All Star’s “All in the Same Gang,” “King Holiday” is a classic, time capsule performance of what hip-hop sounded like—feel good tent revivals for the streets. Not only were MCs exciters, they performed together like a basketball team handing off, like when Melle Mel said, “Now, now, now/Every January on the third Mon-day/We pay homage to the man who paved the way,” and then each Fat Boy expanded the stream-of-conscious rap. Highlighted by Darren “Buff” Robinson’s trademark clapping cowbell and 808 beat box, the rapper’s voices took on inflections of preachers. Houston’s voice, youthful and enrapturing, climaxed “King Holiday” into a jubilant chorus joined by Keith Pringle and the Pentecostal Community Choir. Her part was the longest, probably because she was the song’s only crossover artist.

By March of 1986, the song peaked at #30 on the Black Singles chart. Proceeds were supposed to go to the Center for Non-Violent Social Change, Inc. but the website fails to list the song in its “Making of a Holiday” timeline. While message songs aren’t as prevalent today, this one shows hip-hop giving a damn.

By Mildred C. Fallen

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGKW3O6EpMo