There is one thing a lot of folks don’t know about me. You may see a cute little boy here but what you may not know is that at this time I was a I was a certified, Deep South, country lil’ fucker. I’m talking about I grew up—partially, at least—on a farm, riding around on the back of a Ford 150. I am talking about eating pickled pig feet and Coke with peanuts. I’m talking ‘bout people that talk so fast you don’t know what they hell they just said. Alladat.

We don’t talk about country Black folks enough because I love my folks and community. Don’t get me wrong, I am still the same dude who grew up in the suburbs and now loves the inner-city life, yet my country folks.

As I sat in my room, lavender incense burning, with a glass of wine, I turned on my speaker. Some country bangers came on and I went down a rabbit hole. Here are my favorite country songs, in no particular order:

Kacey Musgraves - “High Horse”
Blanco Brown - “The Git Up”
Carrie Underwood - “Good Girl”
Kieth Urban - “Only You Could Love Me This Way”
Little Big Town - “Kiss Goodbye”
Josh Turner - “Your Man”
Craig Morgan - International Harvester”

And, of course, Cotton Eye Joe.

Country Black folks, love you.