Spotify:For The Record Podcast Celebrates Black Music Month

  June is African American Music Appreciation Month! Created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, this month celebrates the African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage.

 In celebration of Black Music Month this month, I wanted to share the latest episode of the “Spotify: For the Record” podcast, which explores genres of music created by Black artists in specific regions of the U.S., such as hyphy, go-go, and chopped and screwed. The episode features interviews with Saweetie, OG Ron C, Wale, and special guest D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

  For example, gospel music originated in the black church and has become a globally recognized genre of popular music. Today, gospel music is also marketed commercially and draws on contemporary, secular sounds while still conveying spiritual and religious ideas.

 Jazz evolved from ragtime, an American style of syncopated instrumental music. Jazz first appeared in New Orleans and is often distinguished by African American musical innovation. Multiple forms of the genre exist today, from the dance-oriented music of the 1920s big-band era to the experimental flair of modern avant-garde jazz.

You can now listen to the episode HERE.

Host of “The Get Up” Xavier “X” Jernigan joins “For the Record” co-host Shanon Cook on a journey to key regions across the country to dig into their unique musical souls, with artists from those areas coming along to help break it all down:

• The San Francisco Bay Area, where Bay Area royalty Saweetie explains hyphy
• Houston, TX, the birthplace of chopped and screwed, with OG Ron C, who talks about the genre’s founding father DJ Screw and major artists like Drake helping continue the legacy
• The DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia), featuring a conversation with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on why go-go music was recently crowned the official music of the city, and one of its most famous artists, Wale

The episode also highlights Spotify’s yearlong Frequency program, a hub to celebrate and support Black creatives, through playlists, scholarships, and an ambassador program connecting communities with Black talent. You’ll also hear from Spotify’s Domo Wells, who is part of the team driving the initiative.

 

Finally, did you know that even though folk music isn't typically associated with black musical artists, African American folk music has a link back to African cultural traditions. Stemming from field hollers, work chants and game songs, folk music bursts with social commentary. Popular folk protest music spread in the 1960s, and its influence resides in hip-hop today.