Alter Egos: Its Effect on Black Vernacular Tradition Through Music

Jaylen Burkhalter ENGL 2017 Dr. Harris 22 April 2026 Alter Egos: Its Effect on Black Vernacular Tradition Through Music What is an alter ego? If you were to ask Jean-Paul Sartre, he would argue that the alter ego is not an internal, pre-existing essence, but a constructed identity – formed through reflection and shaped by social interaction (Schuetz). Through this theoretical lens, this mixtape explores how Black musical artists use alter egos to search for creative truth, autonomy, and resistance. These “second selves” act as masks, shields, and amplifiers. They are tools that allow artists to navigate identity, power, gender, and expectation. Rather than being false, these personas often reveal deeper truths that the original version of self cannot safely or fully express. Mixtape: “Enlightenment” – Sun Ra Sun Ra was a jazz composer from Birmingham, AL. His cosmic alter ego rejects earthly constraints and his birth name of Herman Blount (in which he labelled his “slave name”). This track embodies his Saturnian mythology, using abstraction to reclaim Black existence beyond oppression (Stavropoulos). “If I Was your Girlfriend” – Prince (Camille) Through Camille, Prince destabilizes gender norms, using vocal distortion to explore intimacy and emotional vulnerability (Stavropoulos). “Shockadelica” – Prince (Camille) This continues Camille’s experimental identity, pushing boundaries of sexuality and performance. “Hail Mary” – 2Pac (Makaveli) As Makaveli, 2Pac channels paranoia, strategy, and resurrection – reflecting influence from Italian Philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli and his own confrontation with mortality (Stavropoulos). “Krazy” – 2Pac (Makaveli) This track reveals emotional duality and introspective, which follows the reputation of Niccolo Machiavelli’s reputation in his literary work. “Roman’s Revenge” – Nicki Minaj (Roman Zolanski) Roman represents chaos and aggression, allowing Minaj to exaggerate rage and critique industry expectations. She describes this persona as “…a crazy boy who live in me, and he says the things that I don’t wanna say. (Meyer 11)” “Beez in the Trap” – Nicki Minaj (Harajuku Barbie) This persona blends hyper-femininity with dominance, challenging stereotypes of Black women in hip-hop. “Take a Byte” – Janelle Monáe (Cindi Mayweather) Monáe’s android alter ego critiques surveillance, control, and identity in a digital age. The android character is an all-inclusive heroine meant to represent the unheard and unseen (Irizarry). “Django Jane” - Janelle Monáe (Jane57821) In this track, Monáe collapses persona and self, asserting power while still rooted in her Afrofuturist narrative. “Violet Stars, Happy Hunting!!!” – Janelle Monáe (Cindi Mayweather) This track uses the android figure to confront systematic injustice and political power (Irizarry). “Diva” – Beyoncé (Sasha Fierce) Sasha Fierce embodies confidence and control, separating vulnerability from performance (Meyer 9). “Scared of Lonely” – Beyoncé (Sasha Fierce) In an interview, Beyoncé describes herself as reserved. This track reveals emotional openness and fragility through her alter ego, expressing emotions she never would have as just Beyoncé. “Tina Montana” – Megan Thee Stallion (Tina Snow) Tina Snow channels sexual agency and power, reclaiming respectability political narrative around femininity and control. **Trigger Warning: Explicit language and topics** Major Project Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3KyA44PF4Tsknm229LbYlw?si=432cc0a0f7aa41ee This mixtape demonstrates that alter egos are not escapes from identity, but expansions of it. For Black artists in particular, these personas serve as critical tools for navigating a world that often imposes rigid definitions of self. Whether through Afrofuturism, gender fluidity, political resistance, or hyperbolic performance, each alter ego becomes a tool of both protection and revelation. These identities are constructed; in their construction, they expose truths about society, audience expectation, and the self. Works Cited Ellison, Ralph. “Change the Joke and Slip the Yoke.” Shadow and Act, Random House, Inc. and Random House of Canada Limited, 1953, 1964, pp. 45-59. Irizarry, Larissa. “Alter Egoing: The Shifting Affects of Janelle Monáe”. Lateral, Issue 11.1, 2022, https://doi.org?10.25158/L11.1.5. Meyer, Caroline. “Becoming a New Person on Stage: How Developing an Alter Ego Transformed My Vocal Performance.” Lulea University of Technology Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts, 2025, pp. 1-68. Schuetz, Alfred. “Sartre’s Theory of the Alter Ego.” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1948, pp. 181-199. Stavropoulos, Laura. “The 15 Most Famous Alter Egos in Music History”. uDiscover Music, 2025, https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/the-15-most-famous-alter-egos-in-music-history/.

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