Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) 1540 Brewster Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45207 When: September 1943 What: King Records was found by Syd Nathan in 1943 and released music from a wide breadth of genres. King’s legacy includes hiring a racially integrated staff, and the signing of James Brown and his Famous Flames to […]

Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) 2121 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 When: July 4, 1995 What: The Essence Music Festival debuted in 1995 and is now the largest festival to celebrate African-American contemporary music and culture in the United States. The three day celebration has always been held in New Orleans, […]

Black music means so many things to each of us, but what does it mean to you? Below we have a list with 25 artists who in one way or another represent what is going on in Black Music in 2011. Here is your chance to voice your opinion on who YOU think best represents […]

Imagine physically going to some of the greatest locations in music: Kool Herc’s apartment, Rick Rubin’s dorm, Kanye’s High School, Aretha Franklin’s childhood home. Wild, right?! As part of our Black Music Month celebration in June, we’ve lined up a partnership with Foursquare to help bring a local, real world context to all the great […]

This June, Radio One is harnessing the power of all its properties in a month-long, companywide, synergistic campaign called “It’s All Black Music!” This 360 multi-platform, national promotion was created in celebration of Black Music Month by Radio One’s and Interactive One’s digital core  and Radio One’s national web content editorial team. Black music is […]

jump — 1. to spring free from the ground, to move suddenly or involuntarily. 2. a form of R&B music that places emphasis on strong rhythm, exciting solo work especially by saxophones, and vocals in a shout-blues manner. R & B (rhythm & blues) – a kind of music developed by African-Americans that combines blues […]

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In a cookie cutter era of hip-hop, where one sound dominates the industry, a little known group from Virginia fights to buck the system and show the world that there isn’t one sound to rule them all. Samsun (vocals), Barcodez (vocals), Mikemetic (Bass), J.Bryant (guitar), Nick Tharpe(drums), Wade Puryear (Keys) and Dr. Data (turntable-synthesizers) a.k.a […]

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From WhiteHouse.gov: Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide blessing and redemption, and express a soul’s sublime and powerful beauty. It inspires us…

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Micheal Eugene Archer, otherwise known as D’Angelo was born February 11, 1974 right here in Richmond, Virginia. This neo-soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer was a huge success throughout the music industry in the mid to late 90’s.  His high pitched voice was distinct, passionate and very easy to love. Some say his two studio […]

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Victor Lemonte Wooten is flat out the best guitarist you’ve never heard of. Not to mention he’s also a composer, arranger, lecturer, producer, and vocalist. This accomplished bass player has won five Grammy Awards, has received  Bass Player Magazine’s “Bass Player of The Year” three times in a row, and has recorded six solo albums […]

Ella Jane Fitzgerald, also known as “The First Lady of Song,” was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. The legendary jazz and song vocalist was considered by some to be the greatest songstress to ever live. With a voice that ranged from three octaves, “Lady Ella” brought an entirely different sound to […]

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The legendary Pearl Mae Bailey was born in Southampton County, Virginia and raised in the Bloodfields neighborhood of Newport News. As a young child Baily and her brother would sing and dance for their parents Rev. Joseph and Ella Mae Bailey, leaving no doubt that entertainment would be apart of their future. Bailey made her […]