Chocolate City (song) - Misplaced Pages

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1975 single by Parliament

"Chocolate City"

Single by Parliament
from the album Chocolate City
B-side	"Chocolate City (long version)"
Released	May 1975
Genre	Funk/R&B
Length	3:08
Label	Casablanca 831
Songwriter(s)	George Clinton Bootsy Collins Bernie Worrell
Producer(s)	George Clinton

"Chocolate City" is a song by the funk band Parliament, the lead track of their 1975 album of the same name. It was also released as a two-part single, the first from the album.

Background

The song's largely spoken vocals (delivered by George Clinton) express pride in "Chocolate Cities", that is, cities with a majority black population. The song also reflects on the solidarity of African-American society at the time. The singer playfully hypothesizes what it would be like if there were an African American in the White House, and assigns the following people to positions in government:

Muhammad Ali - President of the United States
James Brown - Vice President of the United States
Reverend Ike - Secretary of the Treasury
Richard Pryor - Minister of Education (fictional - the United States Department of Education was not created until 1979, and was headed by a Secretary)
Stevie Wonder - Secretary of Fine Arts (fictional; the closest existing agency is the National Endowment for the Arts)
Aretha Franklin - First Lady

Clinton's lyrics referred to Chocolate City as "my piece of the rock", as opposed to the "40 acres and a mule" that slaves were promised after the Civil War. The song closes with phrase "Just got New York, I'm told."

"Chocolate" cities in the song

Washington, D.C. - Clinton says that the real chocolate city is the capital
Newark, New Jersey
Gary, Indiana
Los Angeles, California
Atlanta, Georgia
New York, New York

Chart performance

Chart (1975)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	94
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	24

References

Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 644.
Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 450.

v t e Parliament
George Clinton Ray Davis Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins Calvin Simon Grady Thomas Billy Bass Nelson Eddie Hazel Tawl Ross Tiki Fulwood Mickey Atkins Bernie Worrell Bootsy Collins Cordell Mosson Rodney "Skeet" Curtis Garry Shider Prakash John Tyrone Lampkin Glenn Goins Michael Hampton Debbie Wright Gary "Muddbone" Cooper Jerome Brailey Fred Wesley Maceo Parker Michael Brecker Randy Brecker Rick Gardner Reunald "Renny" Jones Jeanette Washington Dawn Silva Lynn Mabry Ron Ford Shirley Hayden Greg Thomas Larry Heckstall Walter "Junie" Morrison Robert "P-Nut" Johnson
Studio albums	Osmium (First Thangs/Rhenium) Up for the Down Stroke Chocolate City Mothership Connection The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome Motor Booty Affair Gloryhallastoopid Trombipulation Medicaid Fraud Dogg
Live albums	Live: P-Funk Earth Tour Live 1976–1993
Compilations	Parliament's Greatest Hits The Best Nonstop Mix Compilation Tear the Roof Off 1974–1980 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Parliament Gold The Casablanca Years: 1974–1980
Singles	"Up For The Down Stroke" "Testify" "Chocolate City" "Do That Stuff" "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)" "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" "Do That Stuff" "Dr. Funkenstein" "Fantasy Is Reality" "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" "Flash Light" "Funkentelechy" "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" "Party People"
Related	Discography

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