UB Celebrates: ‘Freedom’ 30th Anniversary (Theme From Panther)

Mario Van Peebles’ Gramery Pictures film “Panther” opened in theaters on May 3rd, 1995.

A movie based on the seminal Black activist group the Black Panther Party, whose late ’60’s birth and the first two years of its movement are depicted in the film.

When released, the film was plagued by controversy, along with box office competition for black audience dollars.

The movie’s opening weekend earnings were $2.3 million on 713 screens for a respectable per screen average of $3,303, earning the film top five status, just behind the original “Bad Boys.”

Mercury president Ed Eckstine, along with Mario Van Peebles served as executive producers on the soundtrack album. They met several times with other significant contributors to the construction of the album to define die music’s goals in the context of what the film would strive to do.

Ed stated the decision to do remakes of classic songs from that era, with contemporary artists was a concession to “balancing musical purity with commercial viability.”

One track that wasn’t a remake, was “Freedom” featuring the young women of the movement, perhaps best symbolized the message of the movie and soundtrack.

Women played a major role in black resistance from Harriet Tubman to Rosa Parks to Angela Davis.

“Women were a big part of the Panther movement, which really symbolized dial the movement’s message was about empowerment for anybody who could raise their consciousness,” stated Mario Van Peebles.

30 Years ago today, on April 15th, 1995 – the roll-out single “Freedom” was released.

The cast of musicians had assembled in January 1995, immediately following that year’s American Music Awards.

“Freedom” was the female equivalent of B.M.U. (Black Men United), the all male R&B group of artists who came together the year before to record “U Will Know.”

“Freedom (Theme From Panther)” was an all-star recording with over 60 of the most successful female Pop/R&B/Rap artists, who got together to record the tribute to the empowerment of women.

“Freedom” reached #10 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

While the two video versions of the songs directed by Antoine Fuqua, were in heavy rotation on THE BOX and BET‘s Video Soul and Rap City.

Joi Gilliam and Dallas Austin, the Atlanta-based Dungeon Family collective, released the original “Freedom” on Joi‘s debut album, 1994‘s “The Pendulum Vibe.”

The artist featured on “Freedom;” Aaliyah, Amel, Angie Stone, Billy Lawrence, Blackgirl, Bridgett McWilliams, Brownstone, Caron Wheeler, Casserine, Chantay Savage, Changing Faces, Cindy Mizelle, Crystal Waters, Emage, En Vogue Eshe & Laurena (from Arrested Development), E.V.E., Felecia Adams, Female, For Real, Jade, Jamecia, Joi, Karyn White, Lalah Hathaway, Mary J. Blige, MC Lyte, MeShell Ndege0cello, Milira, Miss Jones, Monica, NDea Davenport, Nefertiti, Patra, Pebbles, Pure Soul, Queen Latifah, Raja-Nee, Vanessa Williams, Tanya Blount, Terri & Monica, Tracie Spencer, Tyler Collins, Salt-N-Pepa, Sweet Sable, SWV, TLC, Vybe, Yo Yo, and Zhan6.

We will not bow down to racism.
We will not bow down to injustice.
We will not bow down to exploitation.
I’m gon’ stand.
Now, this is time for free your mind and your soul.

Yo, half the story I’ve never been told.
Now, you just got to demand what you want
and what we want is respect, right?
Come and take a walk with me,
a closer walk with thee,
see what only I can see.
Sisters.

Turn us loose, set us free
(Freedom:
from all the chains that bind me.
freedom.)
Let us run in our own direction.
(Freedom.)

Let us go, set us free from all this propaganda
and lines that your people try to teach us.
I know why you would like to bring us down,
because we have all the dirt on you.
You try to tell us that our lives don’t mean a thing,
but we know so much better,
so we’re gonna take a f-freedom.

(Freedom:
Freedom for my body,
freedom for my mind.
freedom.)
(Freedom:
Freedom for my body,
freedom for my mind.
freedom.)
Freedom for my spirit.

All this time you been telling us these lies,
but now we’ve fin’ly figured out the game.
Or that we would never wise up,
but we showed you how a black female can to her thing
But still you continue to keep us oppressed,
but now we ain’t going out like that, uh no, no.
All these lies and all this propaganda you want us to take,
we’re gonna take out,

(Freedom:
Freedom for my body,
freedom for my mind.
freedom.)
(Freedom:
Freedom for my body,
freedom for my mind.
freedom.)
Freedom for my spirit.

I see the fear in your eyes.
Surprise, your cover’s been blown.
I know just who I am and what I wanna do.
I can make you run, make you hide from all your ancestors:
transgression that you hold inside
Sister, rising up and seeing that our time is here,
we’re taking back what’s been ours for years.
Let the heaven of a system embrace you and praise some other gods.
All this propaganda that you want us to take,
We’re gonna take out.

Free free, free, freedom, freedom.
(Freedom, bop; freedom.)
Freedom for my body,
freedom for my mind.
Freedom for my spirit.
Free free, free, freedom, freedom.
(Freedom, bop; freedom.)
Freedom for my body,
freedom for my mind.

Left-Eye [Rap Version]

Whoever said these are the things that you can do
And the things you ain’t supposed to?
So am I further when I think I’m getting closer?
That’s when I tend to think of Rosa
How Rosa took a seat to make a stand
But now, in standing, we’ve gotten more demanding
They never thought of planning
That a wish for us to sit would be a dose of
This fucking rollercoaster

Whether tradition or religion, why you question my decision?
Why you spend up all your time trying to get into my mind?
Why everybody and they mama
Gots to add to all my drama, mad drama
Hell if I’m gonna keep my dominating, feministic
Hell-creating CrazySexyCool, Black ass
In the palms of your player-hater’s stance

My only chance of being free is to fly within me
And it’s illegal to kill a fuckin’ eagle
A bird is never more important than my people
I guess we didn’t need him so I took away his freedom

Watch Both “Freedom” Version Videos!