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Thursday, February 23, 2023

What "I'm Blackity Black Black" Means (with information about the 1993 movie CB4 that birthed that saying)


Movieclips, May 4, 2020

CB4 - I'm Black, Y'all!: Dead Mike (Allen Payne) and Stab Master Arson (Deezer D) go solo.

[…]

FILM DESCRIPTION:

After many failed attempts to establish themselves as rappers, Albert (Chris Rock), Euripedes (Allen Payne) and Otis (Deezer D) get their big break when nightclub owner Gusto (Charlie Murphy) is arrested. Albert assumes his name and criminal past, becoming MC Gusto, and the trio rises to fame by pretending to be recently released felons. As their fame increases, so do tensions within the group. When Gusto escapes from prison, he is furious at having his identity stolen and vows revenge.


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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the meanings of the African American saying "I', Blackity Black Black".

This post also provides information about the 1993 movie CB4 that birthed that saying.

The content of this post is presented for historical, linguistic, and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who were associated with the movie CB4 and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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LYRICS FOR THE RAP "I'M BLACK Y'ALL" 
(from the 1993 American movie CB4)

[Dead Mike (Allen Payne)]

I'm black y'all, and I'm black y'all

And I'm blackety black and I'm black y'all

And I'm black y'all, and I'm black y'all

And I'm blackety black and I'm black y'all

I'm piggety black black

And black black and blackety black yo

Because I'm black and I'm back

Yo I'm black and then black y'all and I'm blackety black and

I'm black y'all and I'm black y'all and I'm black y'all

And I'm blackety black and I'm black y'all and

I'm piggety black black black blackety black black black black black black black y'all

And I'm black y'all, and I'm black y'all

And I'm blackety black cause I'm black


From  https://genius.com/Cb4-im-black-yall-lyrics

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THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF "I'M BLACKITY BLACK BLACK" 
From 
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blackity-black#:~:text=(informal%2C%20slang%2C%20of%20persons,or%20characteristically%20black%20quotations%20%E2%96%BC

blackity-black

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps from blackity (“blackness”) +‎ black, with the reduplication serving to intensify or stress the focus on being black (i.e. African-American).

Adjective

blackity-black (comparative more blackity-black, superlative most blackity-black)

(informal, slang, of persons, non-pejorative) Typifying characteristic traits (e.g. physical, cultural, linguistic, etc.) of African-American blacks, especially in defiant contrast to those of whites or white-favouring blacks; quintessentially or characteristically black"

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SOME EXAMPLES OF THE BLACK PRIDE MEANING OF SAYING "I'M BLACKITY BLACK BLACK)

These examples are given without any explanations. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

Source #1
From  https://genius.com/Cb4-im-black-yall-lyrics

devokamii, 2020
"Be proud of being black. Own that sh-t*. Don’t let anyone tell you anything else about your skin other than it’s beauty. Happy Black History Month"
-snip-
“The word “sh-t” is an amended spelling of the word for excrement. In that comment, "sh-t" is a  non-pejorative word for “thing”.  “The phrase ”the “sh-t” can also be a highly complimentary noun.

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Source #2
From https://www.pinterest.com/edgez/blackity-black/
1. IG@Nick.Richh
@Nick.Richh_

NEVER be apologetic about your black skin, your black thoughts, your black loyalties, your black history, or your black motivates.  
BE BLACK!

**
2. Black is beautiful in all shades.
And if you didn't know
You better ask somebody.

**
3. Pro Black
Isn't anti-white.

**
4. Love your big lips. Love your broad nose.
Love your "unmanageable" hair.
Love your wide hips.
Love your skin tone.

**
5. We will not apologize for
embracing our culture
and acknowledging our history.

**
6. Black and woke.
 
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7.  Say it loud.
I'm Black and I'm proud.

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Source #3
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_21Agi0t8I&t=27s
[This is the discussion thread for the movie clip that is embedded in this pancocojams post.]

1. Caleb Jakande, 2022
"This song was so powerful and meaningful to me as a young black child. 💪🏿"

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Source #4
From https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/03/cb4-is-the-film-that-gifted-us-the-im-black-yall-meme "This Is the Film That Gifted Us the ‘I’m Black, Y’all’ Meme" by Khal, Mar 12, 2018

1. agentpaxton [no date given]
"Me walking in and after seeing Black Panther #blackyall #blackpanther, #blackpower #cb4 #wakandaforever #noHotep #killmonger was right

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2. Franck Juste (@franck_juste) on Jun 13, 2015 
"
Sadly, despite CB4 being an undeniable cult classic, more than a few folks probably had no clue that their favorite meme came from a 25-year-old flick about the phoniest rap group of all time. Shouts to Chris Rock for unknowingly blessing the world with this gem, which will no doubt be used to explain some of the battle scenes in Wakanda during Avengers: Infinity War."

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Source #5
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsiZCyQoEVg "CB4 I'm Black Y'all" published by Hajime Ryudo, Aug 7, 2014

1. ComeliaO7, 2019
"
Happy Black History Month!"
-snip-
Undoubtedly, some comments wishing people a happy Black history month are written facetiously.

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2. Miles Garrett, 2020
"THIS IS FOR GEORGE FLOYD ✊🏾✊🏾"

**
3. 14omoon, 2020
"
Happy Juneteenth ya'll!! 💚💜🖤❤"
-snip-
Undoubtedly, some comments wishing people a happy Juneteenth are written facetiously.

**
4. Blake had A Blast, 2020
"
Me for Life ‼️👏🏾"

**

5. Maximos Wolfe, 2020
"
Aahhh the good old days when blacks didn’t take themselves so seriously and were even willing to poke fun at Afrocentrism. Better times."

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Reply
6. 2Muchpjp, 2020
"
Hes poking the fun at the people that USE afrocenttrism to make money which was common in the late 80s early 90s. No disrespect to x clan. They was bout it."

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7. Just a unpopular Girl, 2020
"
Always gotta be some racist in the comment section"

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8. Mark Leach, 2020
"
Promotes black racism"

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Reply
9. Peter McIlhon, 2020
"
Whoosh"

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Reply
10. Nicholas Yager
"
@Peter McIlhon  I'm white y'all! I'm white y'all! And I'm whitety white and I'm white y'all!"

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EXAMPLES OF "I'M BLACKITY BLACK BLACK" THAT (OFTEN FACETIOUSLY) EMPHASIZE ITS GENETIC (DNA) MEANING

While the original definition of "blackity Black Black" mostly refers to expressing pride in being Black, by at least 2020 an expansion of that saying (often facetiously) emphasizes the genetical meaning of that saying and ( physical aspect of that statement i.e. people who say that they are "blackity black black" are declaring that they are monoracially Black without any other racial or ethnic admixture* as shown in their skin color, facial features, and afro textured hair.    

*"Monoracial" is the opposite of "biracial" or "multiracial".

These comments are given without any explanations. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

Source #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_21Agi0t8I&t=27s
[This is the discussion thread for the movie clip that is embedded in this pancocojams post.]

1. thaintriguing1, 2020
"When you’re white but find out you’re 1% black"

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Reply
2. Badger at Toad Hall, 2020
"One drop rule man."

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Reply
3. Jennifer Lewis,2020
"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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4. Wrex1 Kettles, 2021
"
Just found out I'm 1/16 black.  And this song popped in my head when I found out hahaha"

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Source #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsiZCyQoEVg "CB4 I'm Black Y'all", published by Hajime Ryudo, Aug 7, 2014

1. Toasty Ham, 2020
"
Me after I get my 23andMe results saying I'm 2% Haitian"

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EXAMPLES OF "I'M BLACKITY BLACK BLACK" THAT (SOMETIMES SERIOUSLY AND SOMETIMES IN JEST) REFER TO THEIR OWN OR OTHER BLACK PEOPLE'S PHYSICAL APPEARANCE 

Source #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsiZCyQoEVg "CB4 I'm Black Y'all", published by Hajime Ryudo, Aug 7, 2014

1. BIGTRUTH, 2019
"
He’s actually light skinned. But let’s not get bogged down in the details."

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Reply
2.  
Kayer713,2020
"
Light skinned people get called the n-word just like the rest of us. If he's not light enough to pass as another race then he's still considered black/African American"

**
3. 
blackguy2732, 2020
"Wait ..... is he black, ya'll?"

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Source #2
From 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nal-auXDdTY LET'S TALK BLACK HAIR/Texturism" published by Dee Linsey, January 26, 2023

1. May May, 2023
"Tia’s commercial hits at all BW with beautiful diversity. Whether you are blackity black, Afro black, North African black, biracial black, mixed race black or Creole black (like me). The world knows the average BW has type 4 hair and we’ve been inundated with products, articles, and information about it. Some of you need to remember the Pantene Gold Series product line with the beautiful darkskin women as well as other products made specifically for your hair types like Mielle, Camille Rose and Carol’s Daughter.  Well, Tia is representing the other half of BW with silkier textures and that should be applauded too. We’re all BW at the end of the day or ethnic women. I see as many BW headed into Dominican hair salons as Latinas. One of my Latina friends comes from a family of barbers and hairstylists out of NY and both shops have diverse clientele."...

**
2. Yellow Flower, 2023
"I am black. Blackity,  black, black. From Mississippi…. Tia and I have the SAME hair texture. There is enough division in the black community as it is, this is completely unnecessary. We are our own worst enemy at times. Videos and opinions like this are dangerous to us as it causes division at a time when we need to be coming together."
-snip-
Another commenter in that vlog's discussion thread wrote that she is 100% Black. (Another commenter responded that that commenter probably had some racial admixture if she was African American.)

My interpretation of "100 % Black" in that discussion thread is that it means the same thing as the saying "blackity black black" in that discussion.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOVIE CB4
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CB4
"CB4 is a 1993 American satirical mockumentary comedy film directed by Tamra Davis and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named "CB4", named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed (Cell Block 4). The movie primarily parodies the rap group N.W.A among other gangsta rap aspects, as well as taking inspiration from This Is Spinal Tap. It contains short segments featuring celebrities and musicians such as Halle Berry, Eazy-E, Butthole Surfers, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Flavor Flav, and Shaquille O'Neal.[1]"

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/03/cb4-is-the-film-that-gifted-us-the-im-black-yall-meme "This Is the Film That Gifted Us the ‘I’m Black, Y’all’ Meme" by Khal, Mar 12, 2018
..."For those who are unaware, CB4 (which was Chris Rock's first starring role, and came out around the tail-end of his Saturday Night Live career), was a comedy about a trio of rap-loving guys who faked it until they made it. The movie, which Rock wrote alongside Nelson George and Robert LoCash,

….]

[The movie CB4] dives into the lives of a fictional rap group called CB4 in a hilarious "rapumentary" that parodies everyone from N.W.A., MC Hammer, and many other rap tropes.

For the squad (Chris Rock played Albert a.k.a. MC Gusto, Allen Payne played Euripides a.k.a. Dead Mike, and Deezer D played Otis a.k.a. Stab Master Arson), trying to get into the rap game was their thing. They tried a number of trash gimmicks before the biggest gangster in their city, Gusto (played by the late, great Charlie Murphy) is sent to Cell Block 4 after a sting operation. Gusto believes Albert had something to do with his arrest but it was just a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was out of this crazy predicament that Albert hatches a genius idea: he'd start calling himself Gusto, call his squad CB4 (Cell Block 4), and manufacture a gangsta lifestyle to hit the top of the charts.

The plan worked and CB4 blew the hell up, but as the old adage goes: mo' money, mo' problems. Although he goes along with the ruse, Euripides never wanted CB4 to be super exploitative. They mostly failed in that regard as the group got bigger and more outrageous. As the film progressed, Euripides (as Dead Mike) not only began reading more pro-Black literature, but also started speaking up about how he was going to be doing everything for his people. After Gusto (the real Gusto) forced Albert to disband CB4 , there's a bit where the squad members go solo, with Dead Mike getting super Afrocentric on his single, "I'm Black Y'all," which is black AF* and the birth of a glorious meme.”...
-snip-
A Wikipedia summary for the short lived American television series BlackAF provides this definition for the phrase "BlackAF". 

"BlackAF is an American sitcom created by Kenya Barris.[1] It premiered on Netflix on April 17, 2020.[2][3] The title derives from Internet slang, where "AF" is a term of emphasis, meaning "as f—k*".[4] In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[5] A year later, the renewal decision was reversed and the series was canceled after one season."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment. I added italics to highlight the definition of that phrase.

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