Free Your Mind by En Vogue (1992)

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En Vogue

Free Your Mind is a hard-rock/hip hop song released on September 24, 1992 by an American female group En Vogue. The song is the third single released from their hit album Funky Divas. The song reached positions in Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart. [1]

Free Your Mind, written as a plea to humanity, respecting each other and became a top 40 hit in several countries overseas. The hit was also nominated for two Grammys for “Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group” and “Best Music Video, Short Form.” And in 1993, Free Your Mind’s music video won awards at the MTV VMAs for “Best R&B Video” and “Best Dance Video.” [2]

Black Empowerment

Free Your Mind by all-female R&B group, En Vogue, as a response to the Rodney King riots happened in 1992, Los Angeles. King, a black man, lived in LOS Angeles who became police targeted brutality. King was beaten with police sidearm batons and being tasered by four white Los Angeles police officers. A witness, George Holliday, recorded the incident from a distance. From four, three was freed and one undecided on charges of police brutality. [3]

In an interview with Golden 1 Center, En Vogue’s Terry Ellis talks about the new importance of Free your Mind. “When I’m singing it, we feel like we’re delivering a message. It’s a plea to humanity to respect each other. God created us equal; blood is blood, it’s the same color and our spirits and souls are connected in the same way. I believe that’s why it affects so many people, because so many can relate. In some form or fashion everyone has experienced some type of prejudice, in some type of way. The lyrics in that song were actually personal experiences we all had,” says one of the group leading members. [4]

Free Your Mind performed by En Vogue about accepting and challenging stereotypes:

Oh now attidue, why even bother

I can't change your mind

You can't change my color

Free your mind and the rest will follow [5]

References