White people doing black people music

League 9 (Apr 2026) · Play that funky music, white boy

Song	Artist	Submitted by	Votes
What You Won't Do for Love	Bobby Caldwell	fionmul	7 fionmul: Buddy looks like a ritz cracker in a hat, Google it. Even made the album art ambiguous to cloak his act. ared56 +2 Edward James +1 — WOW this is so phenomenally good. I've heard this before and definitely thought it was a black guy. It also musically has some stylistic components that I think match that assumption better than the other 70s/smooth/soul entries. Perfect choice imo. Claire +1 — Thought about submitting this one. Some have said that “wait that’s a white guy?!?” =/= “white people doing black people music” and while it’s true that those are two distinct categories, I think this song fits both Regina Scime +1 Peter Seeley +1 Sam Ary +1 Joseph Harvey 0 — Wish I had more upvotes Brad Stalcup 0 — I enjoyed this song the most on this list, but it didn't really strike me as "black people music"
Lowdown	Boz Scaggs	Sam Ary	6 ared56 +1 Claire +1 — Another inspired pull Regina Scime +1 Peter Seeley +1 judd.baker +1 — Particularly lovely shea nowicki +1 fionmul 0 — This was a similar vibe to my submission but a less iconic song. It felt a bit like they could have cut a minute and a half from the middle and been better for it Edward James 0 — Absolute bop. In the neck and neck race between this, "A Love of Your Own", and "What You Won't Do for Love" for soulful 70s style, I have to say this one falls slightly behind. Boz Scaggs sounds black and his music is deeply influenced for sure, but his melodies are pure 70s white guy yacht rock. Brad Stalcup 0 — Eh, disco is a multiracial reality.
Way Down In The Hole - 2023 Remaster	Tom Waits	Edward James	6 SamRobertsND +1 Joseph Harvey +1 — Very cool interpretation in style, delivery, and lyrical substance Regina Scime +1 shea nowicki +1 Brad Stalcup +1 — Although I just didn't like the song, giving it an upvote b/c it's definitely up the right alley. Sam Ary +1 Edward James 0 — I know I'm typecast as the Tom Waits submitter, but I had heard this song like 10 times and had no idea it was Tom Waits. I thought it was a black bluesman, until it came on shuffle on "Tom Waits Essentials" a while back. judd.baker 0 — White people doing blues is undeniably white people doing black music, and I love Tom Waits, but I liked some other reads of the theme better
So Much Love In My Heart	Emma Nissen	Regina Scime	6 SamRobertsND +1 fionmul +1 Edward James +1 — I like it. I think it fits musically, vocally, and stylistically. I think this is one of the more unique picks so I'm peeling a vote away from others for it. Joseph Harvey +1 — I didn’t know white people were allowed to do this judd.baker +1 — This was the point when I began to get an uncanny feeling about the fact that this whole playlist is white artists who want to sound black. So for that I feel it deserves an upvote Brad Stalcup +1 — That gutteral singing is a key black lady singing technique. I know this because I watched Hercules.
Siyahamba/We Are Marching - USAXF0510416	The University Of Notre Dame Folk Choir	SamRobertsND	5 Claire +1 — I think there are better picks from this subgenre (ie folk choir esque attempts at African music) but the choice of this subgenre is inspired. Kicking myself that I didn’t think of it. Peter Seeley +1 judd.baker +1 — Hahahahahahaha. I wonder how many black people are in fact in this choir shea nowicki +1 Brad Stalcup +1 — Excellent take on the category. fionmul 0 — 🫠 I mean yeah Edward James 0 — I will leave as my comment one of the comments from the YouTube version I watched: "i love the song but why is their only white people. Like a damn bowl of UNFLAVORED rice! Bland. Lol they tried though." Joseph Harvey 0 — Clever read
A Love of Your Own	Average White Band	Peter Seeley	4 Joseph Harvey +1 — Clearly self conscious but man this is so tasty Claire +1 — Hell yeah judd.baker +1 — I liked this a lot and I think it captures a particular sound well that is underrepresented in this playlist Brad Stalcup +1 — This could definitely have been a Marvin Gaye song. Well done. Edward James 0 — I really liked this, similar answer to Boz Scaggs though, I decided to just give one vote for this "style" and it went to Bobby Caldwell
Valerie - BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge	Amy Winehouse	Claire	3 SamRobertsND +1 fionmul +1 Edward James +1 — Perfect choice going with the Live Lounge version. Joseph Harvey +1 — Phenomenal submission because it’s a song we all know that I would never have thought of for this. Nice Regina Scime +1 judd.baker 0 — Awesome song and fabulous vocals. But this playlist had a lot of good entries and I’m using slightly unfair grading criteria. Amy Winehouse feels like a more obvious read of the theme than others Brad Stalcup 0 — Don't really get how this is black people music. ared56 -1 shea nowicki -1
Hold Firm	Collie Buddz	judd.baker	3 fionmul +2 — A bop Sam Ary +1 Edward James 0 — This is not a bad pick I just didn't like it as much. Joseph Harvey 0 — This is a premium Belize-era Judd submission. The kind of submission that makes me go to the artist profile to double check Claire 0 — I like this pull genre wise but the song itself felt aggressively meh Brad Stalcup 0 — Love the raggae pull, but there's a rich tradition of lots of white guys doing it.
Remember the Name (feat. Styles of Beyond)	Fort Minor, Styles Of Beyond	Brad Stalcup	2 ared56 +1 SamRobertsND +1 Edward James +1 — This is the best submission imo. Never in a million years would I have thought this was a white dude. Listening again now, I can see it. But he really got me tricked. Iconic song too. Sam Ary +1 Claire 0 — Mike Shinoda I love you but your music still feels extremely white judd.baker 0 — The only vocalist here who sounds black is in fact black Joseph Harvey -1 — Not even the tiniest part of me questioned whether this was a white person Peter Seeley -1
Till I Collapse	Eminem, Nate Dogg	ared56	0 Edward James 0 — Idk this one seems pretty white to me. Joseph Harvey 0 — Is it just me or do they just not do rap with this much attitude anymore? I say this as someone who never listens to rap Claire 0 — I love Eminem but imma be honest, it doesn’t feel like he’s doing “black people music” unless by that you just mean “rap”. But the line “a minimal swap to cop millions of Pac listeners” is right on theme and saved this from my downvote judd.baker 0 — Eminem, famous for doing black music so selfishly and using it to get himself wealthy, is too obvious here Brad Stalcup 0 — Eminem was the "too obvious" pick in my mind for this category.
Black Dog - Remaster	Led Zeppelin	Joseph Harvey	0 Peter Seeley +1 shea nowicki +1 Edward James 0 — In many ways yes, but also no. So many Led Zeppelin songs are just them wanting to be black blues musicians. I think this one is not the best example of this imo. judd.baker 0 — If you wanted to make a spicy commentary about white colonization of rock music, should have just full sent and submitted The Beatles SamRobertsND -1 Brad Stalcup -1 — Just the name is black, but this is definitely white people music.
Budapest	George Ezra	shea nowicki	-6 Joseph Harvey 0 — Not the strongest contender Brad Stalcup 0 — Don't really get how this is black people music. fionmul -1 — I’ve never thought of this that way and I still don’t Edward James -1 — Sounds black is NOT the same as black music. This song is SO WHITE Claire -1 — Apparently some people think he sounds black but tbh I don’t really get that, unless you think white people can’t have deep voices. In any case, as mentioned above, “wait that’s a white guy?” isn’t exactly the same thing as “white people doing black people music.” As for the latter category, I guess he has folk and blues influences, but tbh it still reads more as 2014 millennial slop to me than anything else Regina Scime -1 judd.baker -1 — I think this is actually white people doing black people doing white people music Sam Ary -1