Kenny McCain, Mar 18, 2011
dedication to the Kappa Kane (by Ken McCain)
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases five videos of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. song "Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane".
Some comments from the discussion thread for one of those YouTube videos are also included in this post along some lyrics for "Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane" as well as other information and notes about that song.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composer/s of this song and thanks to all those who are featured in the videos that are included in this post. Thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnBfEET-884
1. @NupelyGuy, 2011
"Yo Yo, young Brothers.
Theta Eta
Spr 89"
-snip-
"Yo Yo" is the signature greeting call of members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Kappas also refer to themselves as "Nupes".
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Reply
2. @stanleycarson2937, 2018
"Yo YO,
Delta Tau
Fall '78"
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3. @miami1911, 2014
"Yo! Yo! Epsilon Mu Fall 04 Deuce Klub"
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4. @willieeashman6837, 2017
"It brought memories 9-11-71 for me and my line brother
George, Nate and Danny"
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5. @bookerwrightjr.739, 2018
"Well done Good Nupe!!! The pics are on point too....this
definitely takes me down Kappa memory Lane. YITB...Beta Eta 1989"
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6. @BjE1173, 2020
"ΦΝΠ ‘til I die!"
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7. @busyrand, 2023
"Man... I get so emotional when I hear this song... It has a
timeless, eternal quality to it and makes me think of brothers who have moved
on to the Invisble Chapter..."
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ADDITIONAL VIDEOS
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2
NUPE202, September 22, 2011
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Kappa Alpha Psi- Theta Chi Sp13. Hand Me Down.
Jason Baccus, Apr 11, 2013
Hand me down my Kappa Kane, Scroller Bop.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane
Reginald "Audio" Bullock, II - Topic, Oct 13, 2016
Provided to YouTube by TuneCore
Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane · Reginald "Audio" Bullock, II
Nothing but Kappa's and Nupes
℗ 2011 AUZAYE
Released on: 2011-06-19
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane
" "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" is a song written by African-American James A. Bland in 1880.[1] It has acquired the status of a folk song, and is cataloged as Roud Folk Song Index No. 11,733.[2]
Origins Though often (since the 1990's) credited to James A. Bland, the song may actually be of folk origin, or at least put together by Bland based on the singing of laborers on the campus of Howard University. There is a known plantation spiritual, "Hand me down my silver trumpet, Gabriel, all my sins been washed away," which itself may have derived from another spiritual, "All my sins done taken away." Also, the sea shanty "The Hog Eye Man," 1849-1850, shanties were often adaptations of plantation songs) contains the words, "Go fetch me down my riding cane."[3] It is often impossible to determine what melodies were in use for known 19th century lyrics, and there is no indication that these fairly similar lyrics had melodies at all related to "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane."
The song has been recorded many times, in a variety of styles including country, cajun, jazz, mountain, bluegrass, rock and roll, and acoustic and electric blues”… -snip- This Wikipedia article continues with a list of recordings of this song. “The earliest recording of Hand Me Down My Walking Cane is Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers with Riley Puckett (1926)”… -snip- Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJcFUulEgZA for a 1926-1927 Bluegrass rendition of "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" by Gid Tanner & The Skillet-Lickers **** MY ANALYSIS OF THE SONG "HAND ME DOWN MY KAPPA KANE" (Additions and corrections are welcome.) The tune, the textual structure, and some of the lyrics of the 19th century African American song "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane". The Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. song "Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane" appears to have been composed and first sung in the early 1970s. (Read comment #4 above that mentions 1971). The use of the letter "k" for the word "kane" demonstrates the custom among Kappa Alpha Psi and the other historically Black Greek letter organizations of changing the standard way that words are spelled and in so doing representing and promoting one's historically Black Greek letter fraternity or sorority. (Notice how the commenter in comment #3 of this pancocojams compilation spells the word "club" with the letter "k".) As documented in the YouTube videos that I have found on "Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane", the tune and the lyrics for this song, and the way it is usually sung appears to have remained very consistent over time and within the numerous chapters of this fraternity. Based on the few videos of that song that I've come across online (all of which are found in this pancocojams post), the only musical instrumentation that accompanies renditions of this song is the rhythmic hitting of two kanes (canes) together at specific points in this song as well as the sound of two kanes hitting the floor one or two times during another specific point in this song, depending on the video of that song. In at least one of these videos, finger snapping also accompanies that rendition of this song. From the online comments that I have come across, the song "Hand Me Down My Kappa Kane" is often sung during Kappa probates. In the YouTube video that is given as #3 in this pancocojams post, it appears that new members of that fraternity are presented with their kanes during their probate. "Hand Me Down My Walking Kane" appears to be sung for inspirational and nostalgic purposes. As such, this song is an example of a sub-set of historically Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority songs and chants that help build and reinforce unity while praising their organization. [Please add to this section for the cultural and folkloric record. Thanks!] **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.
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