Jordan Peele’s ‘High Horse: The Black Cowboy’ doc sheds light on an erased part of history

GARY GERARD HAMILTON, Associated Press

Texas-bred hip-hop duo UGK glared confidently into the camera atop stallions in the music video for their fan-favorite song “Wood Wheel.” The visuals reflected the expertise of the legendary Houston-area music act: blending tales of big city hustling with charming Texas cowboy culture.

“This is not Black people trying to assimilate with this country Western lifestyle. Black people across this country – East Coast to West Coast – have been prevalent in this space for years,” said Bun B, who, with partner Pimp C, became pillars of southern hip-hop, creating hits to help it become today’s current dominant rap genre.

Bun, an ambassador for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the first and only Black male hip-hop headliner in its history, shares his experiences in “High Horse: The Black Cowboy,” a new docuseries executive produced by Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions. The project highlights Black men, who it says were the first Americans referred to as cowboys, a term initially steeped in racism as it contrasted them with white “cowhands.” The series attempts to refute the pop culture images of the men whose tall boots and Stetson hats are seared into American mythology.

One in four cowboys were Black, even though in the late 19th century they made up a much smaller segment of the U.S. population, according to research by historian Bruce Glasrud.

Learn how this documentary is an extension of Peele’s “Nope.”

Watch the official trailer.

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