I so love this record. It was there, in my father's collection, and I gotta say the cover got me open very young. A black panther busting out of a cage made of the stripes of the US flag! How cool could that be? The cover was drawn by the famous French artist Pignon-Ernest. I had no idea what the black panther party was, but you get the mood of my upbringing ...

Colette Magny was actually more famous for her songs portraying the north of France, the mines, the smelting works, the misery and the courage. But she had this jazz blues vibe sometimes and when she released these few tracks about the black leaders of the 70's, you could bet she knew the Last Poets. This is slam before it's called it, this is flamethrower poetry, free-jazz and French translated quotes from Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Elridge Cleaver, Angela Davis at the very time they were in prison. The rage, the faith, the intensity, it shook me. Then it's been long waiting for Chuck D.

Titelbild: Colette Magny by Press