His 1960 debut recording, "Sin & Soul" is a masterwork in which he contributed lyrics to Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", Mongo Santamaria's heartbreakingly lovely "Afro-Blue", and Nat Adderley's "Work Song" performed by many.
He also wrote a song titled "The Snake" which was a minor hit for singer Al Wilson. Coincidentally, or not, given his penchant for projection, Donald Trump, frequently recited the lyrics to The Snake with the closing refrain at his rallies, "You knew I was a snake before you let me in".
Brown's daughters objected to the use of their father's song by the Trump campaign and asked him to stop using it. Trump refused. That's one more reason why he is The Snake.
Following the 1960 release of Sin and Soul, Brown remained active in the struggle for equal rights even as his recording career went into eclipse when Columbia records withdrew their promotional support for his records - no doubt due to the controversial content of his songs.
Below are examples of why Oscar Brown, Jr., still matters, beginning with his recreation of a slave market in, "Bid 'Em In."
"Afro-Blue" was an instrumental composition by Mongo Santamaria best known for John Coltrane's rendition. The lyrics are from the heart of Oscar Brown, Jr.
