The Soultown! Volume III: Issue 9 SEPTEMBER 2019 | Page 31

THE SANKOFA VOW What Happened to Power's Theme Song? “They say this is a big, rich town, yeah, yeah And I just come from the poorest part, oh Bright lights, city life, I gotta make it This is where it goes down, yeah (yeah, yeah) I just happen to come up hard (come up hard) Legal or illegal, baby, I gotta make it” REDWOOD CITY, CA - Ever hear the phrase, don’t try to fix what’s not broken? There I was … moments before the return of Power was scheduled to air on STARZ, I sat in anticipation of the theme song, Big Rich Town to be played. The coupling of the voices of the dynamic duo, r&b singer, Joe and rapper, 50 Cent has to be one of the best highlights of watching the series … along with the duplicated half screen, creative use of high resolution black and white photos. The anticipation for Power, the 6th season has every fan sitting on the edge of their seats. We have waited long enough and were seeking answers to many unanswered questions. Is Angela dead? What’s the future of Tommy and Ghost’s partnership? Is Tariq destined for the street life? Where will Tasha and Keysha’s friendship land? The theme song had climbed the charts and could be heard on every radio station in the Bay Area and inside the nightclubs. When the show began, I started to bob my head and sing along with the lyrics. As the singer uttered the lyrics to the song -- failing at his attempt to capture my attention -- a higher- pitched voice sang the chorus. The lyrics were the same, but the sound was very different. I listened intently as the first verse flowed. The rap sounded like 50 Cent, but a much milder version. This change, this new version was not music to my ears. To say the least, I was disappointed. Just as all of these questions were about to be answered … I needed to pause this situation and ask just one more question, what happened to the theme song to the show Power? The new theme song was released as a remix replacing Joe with Trey Songz and featuring Bronx-based rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. During the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, HeadKrack reported the feedback from the fans were that they hated the new theme song. “The intro was weak … Joe did a better job … bring Joe back Courtesy Photo and kill the Trey version …” were some of the strong comments in support of the original track. During an Instagram interview with 50 Cent, he was asked if he was going to switch it back to the original version. He responded, “Trey Songz performed the remix as a favor to me, initially, he didn’t want to do it, but I have to satisfy my fans.” After a brief hesitation, he laughed and stated, “Imma half to put it back to the way it was …” According to another Instagram post from #therealjoethomas, “All in favor say I. Fans have a lot of POWER! Y’all are amazing!” Reports state that Trey Songz admitted to the comments from fans hurt his feelings. The original Power song played for six years, the fans are conditioned to it. It connected to the show and as of the 3rd episode of the 6th season, the original recorded version has returned home. As for me, I must admit I am a creature of habit and a firm believer in the phrase, “don’t try to fix what’s not broken?” I cannot say if 50 Cent and the Power team has made the right choice, but I am convinced the best choice has been made. ---------------------------------------------------------- The Sankofa Vow is my promise to our ancestors; to return to the Motherland and retrieve what has been stolen from our ancestry via the trans -- Atlantic slave trade. My forefathers intended to leave seeds for us to return to gather, plant, cultivate and grow. These seeds can be reclaimed and retained by reading, watching, and discussing with our elders and also by traveling to our native continent of Africa, the Motherland. I am Chillin’, Innovative Extraordinaire for The Soultown International Magazine. I’d like to thank all of the Power fans for having SOUL! , Learn more about the Sankofa Vow at http:// www.thesoultown.com/sankofa-vow.html Email me: [email protected]. Sept. 2019 • The Soultown International Magazine • Celebrating 2 years • Connecting Our Cultures to Our Cyber & Conscious Communities • thesoultown.com 31