Mixtape Topic: Self Love

 Langston Saulsberry 

Dr. Harris  

ENGL2017

30 April 2025

Mixtape Topic: Self Love 

This mixtape will traverse the topic of embracing self love and being comfortable within yourself using chapter 3 “ The Issue Of Self Love”  In the book “Salvation Black people And Love” as the primary text. hooks states that self-love is not just a personal journey but it is also an essential component of social change. By embracing self-love, individuals can heal from past traumas, build stronger communities, and work towards a better and healed society.https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/self-love/pl.u-yZyVEAmuYGgpLrE 

Songs & contributions 

  1. “Crooked Smile” by J. Cole

  • Contribution: J. Cole’s song “Crooked Smile,” is a reflection of his own insecurities, specifically speaking about his imperfect teeth, and he completely rejects the idea to fit into societal beauty standards. He honors his flaws as a part of what makes him unique. In the song Cole says “We ain’t picture perfect but we worth the picture still.” bell hooks talks about how systemic oppression and societal norms often led to individuals, especially within the black community, to internalize feelings of insufficiency. In chapter 3 “The Issue Of Self Love” she advocates for self-love as a way to resist the harmful narratives and embrace your authenticity. 

  1. “Love Yourz” by J. Cole 

  •  “Love Yourz” incorporates the importance of valuing and appreciating your own life and to focus on what you do have, not what you don’t. Regardless of its imperfections or challenges Cole highlights that true happiness comes from within. In the song Cole states “ No such thing as a life that's better than yours.” Both J. Cole and bell hooks encourage individuals to find fulfillment in their own lives, promoting a mindset of gratitude and self-acceptance.


  1.  “How To Love” by Lil Wayne

  • This song tells a story of an individual struggling with self-worth due to past traumas and emotional pain. The song highlights the difficulty of learning to love yourself and others when you feel the burden of insecurities and unresolved wounds. Wayne states in the song “ You had a lot of crooks tryna steal your heart/ never really had luck, couldn’t never figure out how to love.” This goes to show that if we do not heal from those past traumas it will show when we want to build healthy relationships with others. bell  hooks talks about how personal trauma can hinder individuals from fully loving themselves and others. She emphasizes that healing is a necessity to grow within yourself and grow in meaningful relationships. 

  1. “Closer” by Goapele 

  •  Contribution: Although the song focuses on more of an individual aspiration, the message is about resilience and hope, resonates with hooks’ call for healing through love and connection within the black community. 


  1. “Change” by J. Cole 

  • Contribution: The song addresses themes of self reflection, growth, and desire for positive change. hooks  believes that love is a source of love and hope and self reflection is needed for the growth within yourself. 

  1.  “Free Mind” Tems

  • Contribution: This song explores the journey towards emotional freedom and healing, both hooks and Tems share a commitment to themes of self-reflection, resilience, and the transformative power of self love they both talk about overcoming struggles to find peace.

  1.  “Conceited” by SZA

  • Contribution: this song expresses a strong sense of self-confidence, self-worth, and empowerment. SZA emphasizes the importance of valuing oneself and prioritizing your needs and desires. In salvation hooks emphasizes that understanding love as a force for personal and collective growth can transform an individual and a community.

  1.  “Count Me Out” by Kendrick Lamar

  • Contribution: “Some people live better in denial, I’m not one of em.” Kendrick says this in the song and this highlights being committed to self-awareness and confronting the hard truths which connects with hooks’ scream for emotional honesty and the courage to face challenges head on. This will force for growth and liberation.





  1.  “I” by Kendrick Lamar 

  • Contribution: Both “I” and salvation highlight the significance of self-love as a foundation for empowerment and transformation for a different mindset. Kendrick’s lyrics emphasize self-worth and confidence, aligning with hooks’ emphasis on self-love as an essential to overcome personal challenges and traumas and systemic challenges.

  1.  “Keep Ya Head Up” by Tupac 

  • This song advocates for self-worth and rejection of negative external influences, which perfectly aligns with hooks’ advocacy for self-love and the recognition of self value. hooks  emphasizes the importance of empowerment and community support. A strong community can lead to a healthy way of loving yourself. Both Tupac and hooks encourage individuals to embrace love and solidarity, and to use those forces to overcome challenges and achieve personal growth.

  1.    “Scars  to your beautiful” by Alessia Cara

  • Contribution: this song promotes self-acceptance and challenges societal beauty standards. Within the black community we tend to always compare ourselves to others and we should not do that because that can lead to internalized racism, instead we should accept and be our authentic self. hooks  also emphasizes that communal love can act as a force of liberation and healing within the black community.

  1.  “Hello” by Aqyila 

  • Contribution: “Falling in love with who I am. I don't have time for anything that’s gonna harm me.” Aqyila starts her song off by saying those lyrics and it is important to fall in love with yourself first before you can expect to love someone else, because if you do not embrace who you are first you will never be confident within yourself. 

  1.  “ you And I” by John Legend 

  • Contribution: This song sends a message of empowerment through love and the importance of recognizing an individual's beauty and value. This aligns with hooks’ claim that self-love, romantic love, and communal love can act as a force of healing and liberation within the black community. If we recognize our worth within ourselves and embrace love we will be able to start our healing journey with and transform.

Conclusion

This mixtape explores the theme of self-love and embracing love to transform one’s self and find self-value. It also shows that communal love, and love in general can act as liberation and is essential for a healthy self-loving journey. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Untitled Essay

  Derrick Harris  5/30/25  Major Project ENGL 2017  My topic for my essay is how Sula experience freedom in a different way than normal people in  today’s world experience freedom. Sula thoughts on freedom were different from everyone  else’s view and the reason why is because she had basically pushed away from it and she felt like  it served her no purpose in using it. Sula was like that because she barely deals with people, and  the reason why is because she doesn’t really want conflict within people in her community. The  reason why Sula had got to this point is because of some of the bad choices she has made and  some of the different things she has grown up in and around in life. One sticking point about  Sula is that she is fighting for freedom of black women in her community she grew up in. Sula  was very helplessness also and the reason why is because some people looked at her different  because she was black woman...
Read more

Lesson Plan: Evolution of Black Love in Art

  Erin Eiland April 27th, 2025 Dr. Harris Lesson Plan: Evolution of Black Love in Art Writing Proposal: Senior year is a critical point in any student's life. It is a time when children turn into young adults who have to be equipped with the right knowledge to succeed in this world outside of academics. Success in the world goes beyond academic achievement; it also depends on the ability to understand and navigate interpersonal relationships. It is important to not just teach academic-related material but also about healthy relationship dynamics. Struggle love is overrepresented in the black community which causes many children to grow up thinking that is all they can obtain. That is why teachers must introduce a new perspective of love, a healthy love. Starting by introducing untraditional ideas in texts such as Sula and Heartbreak Years will broaden students' perspectives on what they can choose for their lives. Sula is about a woman who despite all of the backlash she gets f...
Read more

Motherly Love

  Wilhite1  Antwon Wilhite   Dr. Harris  English 2017-64187  30 April 2025  Motherly Love  For this project I want to focus on Eva and her motherly love. To me Eva as a mother  portrayed traits as someone who is protective and ruthless. Her motherhood is marked by  sacrifice, trauma, and survival in the face of systemic poverty and abandonment.  Eva way of showing love was sacrificial. I say this because Eva sacrifices her own body  by getting her leg amputated to collect insurance money. Which she uses to support her children  and keep the household running. With her being a sacrificial mother, I have chosen four songs to  go with that. Frist one is “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” by Reba McEntire while centered on  a father, it indirectly portrays the mother’s silent sacrifices in a distant home. The next song is  also by Reba McEntire “I’m a Survivor “this song is basically about a single mother making...
Read more