“Black music is always going to have a very special, strong, powerful place in the culture.” This was the opening sentiment from Quincy Jones at last night’s inaugural Black Music Collective event, presented by The Recording Academy.
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The inaugural event included performances from H.E.R., Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, PJ Morton, and Yolanda Adams. Honorary chair, John Legend and social activist, Tamika Mallory discussed ‘The Culture Shifting Power of Black Music,’ and The Recording Academy’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Valeisha Butterfield Jones moderated a “fireside chat” with Issa Rae and Janelle Monáe on the “power, purpose, and progress in Black music.”
Raedio, Rae’s label partnership with Atlantic Records, was recently highlighted by The Recording Academy— thanks to its innovative merger of Black music and Black art. The soundtrack to her hit HBO show, Insecure, “place an emphasis on under-the-radar, Black, independent, and Los Angeles-based artists [which] has crafted the opportunity at possible mainstream breakout successes for numerous emerging music creators.”
The Black Music Collective was formed in September of 2020 and contains “a group of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Academy and the wider music community.” The BMC will serve as a place where its members can discuss freely about opportunities for Black music to thrive and to find ways to increase representation. Butterfield Jones expressed, “as Black music continues to drive culture, it is essential we grow and maintain representation within the Academy and the music industry.” The BMC’s Honorary Chairs consist of Quincy Jones, Debra Lee, John Legend, Sylvia Rhone, Jimmy Jam and Jeff Harleston while the BMC is being led by Riggs Morales and Jeriel Johnson. One of the most important parts of the BMC is its leadership council, which include Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas (the women behind the 2020 The Show Must Be Paused initiative), H.E.R., Steve Pamon of Parkwood and Heather Lowery of Femme It Forward. Check out the highlights below.
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