By: Kelsi Bowen
In the words of the late Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti, “Music is a spiritual thing, you don't play with music.” Black Music has changed drastically from his time in the 60s and 70s to now in terms of style, genre, and influence. In honor of Black Music Month, NYABJ hosted a panel Tuesday, June 18, 2024, to discuss the current State of Black Music with Freelance Music Journalist, Allison Hazel, Music Journalist and Media Personality, Bebe Flight, CEO of Sage Green, Creative Director Kwasi Boadi, Michael Ray, producer of The Side Bar podcast and host, Micheal Ray.
Throughout the panel they talked about their relationships with music, their journeys to their present careers, how they've grown with the times, advice for young upcoming journalists and the overall future of music.
While many of the thought-provoking questions posed nurtured a fruitful exploration of ideas, this particular question posed by host Micheal Ray provoked a range of unique perspectives from the panelists. Ray asked, “Do you feel that people believe the decline of Black mainstream music is due to the lack of connection between the participants thereof and the Black Church? Being that so many musicians, singers, choir directors, and minister directors came from the church, do you feel that [mainstream] Black Music is missing something because that training ground might not exist?”
Kwasi Boadi said that he was initially hesitant to attribute the “decline of Black Music” to the absence of the church, and went on to say, “I wouldn’t say that’s completely out of the question but if you want to make the argument that music is ‘declining,’ I think it’s more because of the distancing of just the soul of the actual process … feeling like the music you're getting from [the artist] is something they put themselves into, something they wanted to use to connect with a wider audience by sharing. Seeing how the music industry has grown to become increasingly competitive by both consumers and professionals, there has been a loss of identity and influence among mainstream Black artists.”
Artists are pushed to make music instead of creating it for the sake of relevance. The scramble to put out the next big thing and to consume it doesn't allow audiences to get the full scale of an artist. These artists are unable to have a connection with or build loyalty with their fan base because the time for such just isn't granted yet.
Allison Hazel answered the question in terms of genres, like RNB. “Today, the composition is kind of different. In the ‘90s and 2000s, RNB groups, girl groups and guy groups, when they were taking it to the bridge, they were taking it there,” she said. “Remember the [music] videos. They were in open fields pouring their hearts out and crying all kinds of stuff. We’re not getting that anymore. So much more as people have coined the terms “ toxic RNB” and “Trap Soul Era” where everybody is just vibing.”
Through Hazel’s eyes, there’s not necessarily a decline in mainstream Black music, but rather a shift in the music genres. Mainstream artists like SZA are blurring the lines between genres like in her most recent album, SOS. She blends RNB, pop, rock, country, trap and neo-soul across the 23 songs in her album. The move of blending genres as seen by many new-age artists complicates how music has traditionally been defined and categorized. It disrupts the conventional boundaries of music genres, paving the way for a new era of musical innovation and diversity.
Bebe Flight, however, saw the question in terms of style. “I don’t think it’s a factor. The way gospel music is set up they’re flourishing artists that are doing gospel and they stick to doing gospel. I feel like back then it was easier to transition [gospel artists] to RNB but it doesn’t happen like that now it’s harder,” she said. “Music is becoming a money thing instead of a cultural thing. Everybody is looking for money instead of real passion for it.” The noticeable shift in how music is utilized today compared to the past can be attributed to its monetization. Music served as a spiritual and cultural medium to express one's self, but now it's primarily used as a commercial tool to generate money.
Artists often dilute their style and authenticity for financial gain, conflicting with the strong origins of Black music in America. During times of American chattel slavery, music served as a means of endurance, resilience and a marker for identity – even in the late 60s with hits like James Brown’s I’m Black And I’m Proud; Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. In the 70s, Public Enemy’s Fight The Power in the 80s, and the rise of neo-soul in the 90s to early 2000s, all stayed true to these origins. However, the modern use of music seems to have lost this profound connection.
The panel concluded by talking about what the future of music might look like. Allison Hazel said, “The future of music looks like post-streaming, maybe with some AI implications. I also see music videos coming back in a way, coming back in a digital sense like how people were raving over Victoria Monet and Tinashe. Maybe also visual albums.”
Bebe Flight spoke about the future of music through the lens of agency: “People are going to go independent and there's going to be more creativity. Marketing rollouts will be earlier and better.” Finally, Kwasi Boadi said she saw music going in a direction that leaves more room for artists to define themselves. “I think things are going to get increasingly genre less. We’re already in a moment where artists don’t want to be confined to a particular label,” she said.
While Black Music has undergone significant changes over the decades, it continues to grow and adapt to the changing times. The panelists' insights underscore the importance of maintaining the soul and authenticity of Black Music while embracing innovation and diversity in its expression. As Black Music Month celebrations continue, let’s remember the rich history of Black Music and look forward to its promising future. To experience this conversation yourself, tune into the latest episode of “The SideBar by NYABJ” wherever you get your podcasts.
Comments