00:00Southern University, Florida A&M, Howard University and more are home to talented marching band.
00:15We're looking at how they celebrate the culture of historically black colleges and universities
00:20around the country.
00:24HBCUs have celebrated their culture through music since the 1870s,
00:31but it wasn't until Florida A&M's band combined choreography and popular music
00:35that the band started to reflect the groups we know and love today.
00:39Whether they're performing at homecoming or halftime, they leave it all out on the field.
00:44They mix classic performances with creative covers of today's hip-hop and R&B hits.
00:54Every year the best of the best go head-to-head at the National Battle of the Bands,
00:59and this year the schools brought their A-game and rap beef to the competition in Houston.
01:05Southern University's Human Jukebox put their spin on Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us
01:10and Jackson State's Sonic Boom of the South reimagined BBL Drizzy by Metro Boomin.
01:16The Battle of the Bands also featured live performances from Money Long
01:24McCray, Bootsy Badass,
01:32and more.
01:33Performances aren't just limited to college events.
01:36HBCU bands have also brought their talents to the Super Bowl, Formula One races, and even the White House.
01:42But no matter where you see an HBCU band, you'll be in for a treat.
01:47For more coverage of music that's shaping the culture, head over to Billboard.com.
01:53Billboard.com
Comments