How The “Tethered Mix” Became Music’s Worst Nightmare

Feb 28

Feb 28 How The “Tethered Mix” Became Music’s Worst Nightmare

Words: Connie Mangumbu

If there ever were a more viable Oscar nomination for music alone in a feature film, it would be now, with special consideration to the fact that Jordan Peele and the now illustrious Monkeypaw Productions are two-times snubbed at the academy for best picture.

Although both films in Peele’s cinematic universe, ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’ were highly decorated, ‘Best original Screenplay’, Peele’s induction into the writers’ guild for Get our starring Daniel Kaluuya and NAACP Image Award for outstanding writing in a motion picture, for obvious reasons, the genre is oft overlooked by major awards from critics. Typically deemed as low brow and a genre of acquired taste, largely condemned into a niche abyss and discredited for its obvious geniuses.

Now, here we are two years on and the duo are back at it again and this time, Peele and Abels have the Beyhive and Destiny’s Children all the way F’d up.

““Say my name, say my name
If no one is around you
Say baby I love you
If you ain’t runnin’ game” ”

When Fred Jerkins Iii, Kelendria Rowland, Lashawn Ameen Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Beyonce Knowles, Latavia Roberson, Letoya Luckett penned this 1999 R’n’B classic, I’m sure, (okay, but as a Destiny’s child, now, Beyhive adult, I’m fair to speak on behalf of the fandom) never would have imagined that their precious Darkchild bop about good for nothing men would be the soundtrack to the remake of Candyman directed by Nia Dacosta, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, with Tony Todd and Vanessa A. Williams reprising their roles as the title character and Anne-Marie McCoy. The thriller depicts the story of a graduate student who goes on to investigate the urban legend of candyman the ghost of the child of a slave murdered in the the late 19th century. The Cabrini-Green housing project residents believed that looking into a mirror and “saying the name” five times would summon the hook-handed killer.

Now, we get it Jordan… Say my name… okay great choice but to ruin (in a good way) club fave even in the year 2020? Sir! Chopping and screwing it to where we can’t even here the “darkchild” ad-lib in the intro without shivering? That’s cruel.

Words: Connie Mangumbu