Virginia Henrici, Isabella Hunt, Miniya Jefferson

Period 3

Soundtrack Project: Chapters 5-10

Chapter 5 // Empire State of Mind- Jay Z and Alicia Keys

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we selling rock

Afrika Bambaataa sh*t, home of the hip-hop
Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back
For foreigners it ain't fair they act like they forgot how to add
…
In New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

The song, Empire State of Mind, composed by Jay Z and Alicia Keys, delves into the

diversity of NYC and the multitude of opportunities availability. Much like the song, Malcolm X

is absolutely enamored with New York in chapter 5 and he wants to emerge himself into the

cities culture. Malcolm begins to learn about the history of Harlem and how it came to be

predominately black- and also why hustling is such an integral part of daily life; the stock market

crash. These lessons correlate to the lyrics lyrics of the song, “melting pot” describes the cultural

diversity of the city and “corners where we selling rock” exemplifies the prominence of drug

culture within the city. Malcolm gets sucked into all of this during chapter 5, he’s “inspired” by

the fast-pace life around him, and the cool streets make him feel like a “brand new” person.

Chapter 6 // Hustler Musik/ Money on My Mind- Lil Wayne

Money's the motivation

Facing the avenue
Back touching the wall
Got the weed, got the gun
Gotta run when I hear the bird call
Damn, hop in that thing and merk off, swerve off
 Virginia Henrici, Isabella Hunt, Miniya Jefferson
Period 3

You know me, they call me Birdman Junior

Anybody-murderer if Birdman sponsor it
Phantom of the Opera
All black, guap tent, locked in
I can let them shots out, you can't get no shots in
Bulletproof
…
Baby you gotta know
That I'm just out here
Doing what I gotta do
For me and you
And we eating
So b**ch, why the f**k is you tripping
I'm taking these chances
My head to the sky
My feet on the ground
My fingers to the judge
If the money don't move
Then I won't budge, won't budge
No I won't budge, no
Lord

The song, Hustler Musik/ Money on My Mind, written by Lil Wayne, is much akin to

Malcolm X’s view of street life throughout chapter 6. During this time of his life Malcolm is just

learning the ropes of hustling in NYC. He learns everything from the men around him, and even

the prostitutes he begins to live with. There’s no doubt that Malcolm likes the hype- adrenaline-

associated with hustling, but his main motivator is money. Malcolm desperately needed money

after he was fired from the bar and hustling was the best option, as Lil Wayne writes in his song,

“money’s the motivation.” Around this time is when Malcolm surrounds himself with hustlers

who care about their reputations above their own lives. Lil Wayne confronts this issue in the

song, saying he feels bulletproof. Malcolm felt bulletproof as well, as is clearly shown in

subsequent chapters, but chapter 6 was the root of his dedication to reputation and not personal

safety.
 Virginia Henrici, Isabella Hunt, Miniya Jefferson
Period 3

Chapter 7// Cocaine // The Internet

Do you wanna do some cocaine?

Baby just ignore the consequence,
You look like you could use a little confidence.
So follow me into a better dream in paradise.
And now that you know what this feeling's like,
You know you can have it for the rest of your life.
Just follow me, just follow me

The song “Cocaine” sung by the group The Internet, closely relates to Malcolm X’s

actions in chapter 7 of his autobiography. This song is appropriate to use because in chapter 7,

Malcolm X starts to stop using and selling “reefers” and starts doing some cocaine while in an

effort to find a new hustle. The reason he stops selling reefers is because the drug administration

is starting to catch on and become familiar with him and his routine for selling drugs all around

town. One of his many hustles includes small robberies in which he used cocaine as a way to

keep himself level headed and keep from becoming paranoid once he does the deed of robbing

people. When the group “The Internet” uses the lines “Do you wanna do some cocaine? Baby,

just ignore the consequence” it shows what Malcolm X’s attitude may have been when he was

using it. He was taking it to remain level headed in which he could ignore the consequences of

getting caught or panicking once he actually robs people in fear of being caught. The subtle tone

of the song also reflects his mind once he used the narcotics in an effort to remain calm.

Chapter 8 // Ride Like the Wind // Christopher Cross

I was born the son of a lawless man

Always spoke my mind with a gun in my hand
Lived nine lives
Gunned down ten
…
Gonna ride like the wind
And I've got such a long way to go (such a long way to go)
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll ride like the wind
Ride like the wind
 Virginia Henrici, Isabella Hunt, Miniya Jefferson
Period 3

This song relates to many elements of Malcolm X, especially in chapter 8 and in how his

childhood has influenced him. Cross sings “I was born the son of a lawless man,” similar to

Malcolm’s life in which his father did not listen to orders and prompted the development of

dangerous situations for his family. The next line encompasses Malcolm’s feelings that he

always had to defend himself against the racist white world, shown by the quote “always spoke

my mind with a gun in my hand.” This offstandish attitude was influenced by how his father

experienced so much violent discrimination, leading to his death. Another relevant line, “gunned

down ten,” depicts the situation in chapter 8 in which Malcolm just barely avoids getting shot by

West Indian Archie. The chorus echoes the same situation as when Malcolm was being pursued

by the cops, Italian racketeers, and West Indian Archie all at the same time, and had to flee to

Boston with Shorty to evade the potential consequences of his actions. Although the song is

about running to Mexico, it is still applicable in a general sense. Malcolm spends a good deal of

time trying not to be caught for all of his wrongdoings, and must disappear from his world of

crime, or “ride like the wind” from it. The song encompasses Malcolm’s tendency to take risks

and become consumed with various whims, such as drugs and the nation of Islam, but then

discover that life is not for him and must drift away from it.

Chapter 9// Meet the Flockers // YG

First, you find a house and scope it out

Find a Chinese neighborhood, cause they don't believe in bank accounts
Second, you find a crew and a driver, someone who ring the doorbell
And someone that ain't scared to do what it do
Third, you pull up at the spot
Park, watch, ring the doorbell and knock
Four, make sure nobody is home (knock knock)
They gone, okay it's on
Don't be scared n***a you in now
 Virginia Henrici, Isabella Hunt, Miniya Jefferson
Period 3

This Rap, “Meet the Flockers” by YG, shows Malcolm X’s character and mentality of the

him and the people that he associated himself with before he got caught and was put into jail.

This song relates strongly to the events in chapter 9. In chapter 9, Malcolm X is thinking about

any way to make some type of money and finding some hustle and being able to stick to it.

Malcolm is unemployed, Rudy works for a white man and Shorty is a starving musician.

Malcolm X constructs a group of people that he works well with to rob people to make their

money. In this song selection, YG raps, “You find a crew, and a driver someone who ring the

doorbell and someone that ain’t afraid to do what it do”. These particular lines relates to

Malcolm's crew and how he pieced it together strategically. Rudy knows all the white

neighborhoods in the area which can also relate back to the one of the lyrics in which YG says,

“First, you find a house and scope it out”. They also have two white women in their crew who

are responsible for being deceptive and making sure that the three black men do not look out of

place especially in the daytime. Malcolm and Shorty’s job is to take the possessions. This song is

quite interesting in the fact that it states exactly what this particular crew did. They would

“watch, ring the doorbell and knock ...[and] make sure nobody is home”. This song also connect

to the main character Malcolm X. It captures some of the way that Malcolm X did his thinking.

In the last line above, YG raps, “Don’t be scared N***a you in now” in which the first piece of

profanity is used. In this particular chapter, Malcolm X is said to have used a lot of vulgar

language it also was his plan to rob the homes. If Malcolm X was saying these words in the book

and his life, it could be inferred that he would be reassuring his crew that everything is going to

go good. This particular part is also extremely significant in it being the climax of the book in

which these events occur right before Malcolm X and his crew gets caught and is sent to jail.

Hence the title of the chapter, “Caught”.

 Virginia Henrici, Isabella Hunt, Miniya Jefferson
Period 3

Chapter 10// Yes I’m Changing // Tame Impala

I was raging, it was late

In the world my demons cultivate
I felt the strangest emotion but it wasn't hate, for once
Yes I'm changing, yes I'm gone
There is another future waiting there for you
I saw it different, I must admit
I caught a glimpse, I'm going after it
…
They say people never change, but that's bullsh*t, they do
Yes I'm changing, can't stop it now
And even if I wanted I wouldn't know how
Another version of myself I think I found, at last

This song, “Yes I’m Changing” by Tame Impala shows the beginnings of Malcolm’s

large change in character, mainly depicted in chapter 10. While Malcolm is in prison he begins to

transition from his ways of crime and anger and channels this energy into his newfound craving

for learning and knowledge. The beginning of the song discusses “demons” and “hate”,

portraying his previous life in the world of crime, but the rest of it is about making a change. One

of the major themes in the book is how Malcolm transforms himself throughout his lifetime. The

entire song emanates this same message. Chapter 10 occurs before Malcolm’s full transition into

a different person, before his discovery of the nation of Islam, connecting to the quote “there is

another future waiting for you, I saw it different, I must admit, I caught a glimpse, I’m going

after it.” Although he has only made gradual changes, people who knew Malcolm before prison

could never visualize him picking up a dictionary, which is the first large step in Malcolm’s

transition; they would dupe the statement as false and think “people never change, but that’s

bullsh*t, they do.” In this section of the book, Malcolm is beginning to grow into himself and

discover his true potential, which is reflected very well in this song.