Earlier this year, Open Mike Eagle and comedian Baron Vaughn premiered their new Comedy Central series The New Negroes. Speaking about their goal with the show ahead of its premiere Eagle and Vaughn said that they were partially inspired by Alain Locke’s seminal Harlem Renaissance essay collection of the same name. “It was a place where black people shared their lives, their perspectives, and their ideals,” they said. “Our show aspires to do the same with stand-up comedy, music, and music videos. We’re paying homage to that original movement by inviting comedians and musicians to do what they do best: speak.”
Throughout the season the pair did just that by showcasing a range of black comedians, artists, and musicians in hilarious sketches and video segments. At the close of each episode, they would premiere a new original song a video featuring a special guest. Highlights included, Danny Brown starting a riot in the office, and Eagle and Lizzo going on a romantic, consensual rendezvous.
On Monday, Eagle and Vaughn announced the release of the official soundtrack for the first season of The New Negroes. The project features original songs from Eagle and the season’s star-studded list of guests, including Lizzo, Danny Brown, Method Man, Father, MF Doom, Phonte, Sammus, Percy Miracles, and Video Dave.
The soundtrack is now available on all digital streaming platforms, and you can listen to it below.
