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Joyner Lucas

Joyner Lucas performing in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sept. 10, 2019
Photo: Trevor Finney

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Boston's Hip-Hop Evolution: How Beantown Is Diversifying Its Sound—And Planning For The Future

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Joyner Lucas, Dutch ReBelle, DJ Chubby Chub and more weigh in on the progress their city's made and the work left to be done in cultivating its local hip-hop artist community
Candace McDuffie
GRAMMYs
Dec 10, 2019 - 5:37 pm

Boston's relationship to hip-hop has been tumultuous since the genre permeated the cultural zeitgeist in the 1970s. On one hand, Beantown's issue with rap is indicative of America's cyclical dealings with Black art in general: it is often despised, disregarded and then toothlessly replicated to satiate white audiences. On the other hand, the innate resilience of hip-hop—when left to the devices of authentic storytellers—always finds a way to flourish.

And in a city like Boston where racism is as omnipresent and casual as diehard Red Sox fans, emcees and lovers of hip-hop that are aiming to change the narrative are diligent and unrelenting in their work. Boston's contributions to hip-hop are categorically undeniable. From the groundbreaking brilliance of Gang Starr to the iconic founding of The Source by David Mays as a Harvard undergrad back in 1988, rap's trajectory simply wouldn't be the same without these Boston moments.

As culture journalist Greg Valentino Ball explains, any erasure of this history is detrimental to the genre.

"The genesis of the Native Tongues—one of the most prolific crews ever in hip-hop—happened when De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers met at Northeastern. Artists on the Definitive Jux label recorded here. Ché Pope, who helped to oversee the making of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and go on to head GOOD Music for Kanye West, grew up in Roxbury," he says. "Boston has an incredible rock history—we absolutely do. But the idea that we can't fully embrace our hip-hop connection is one of the reasons why people feel the need to leave the city in order to be successful."

Rapper BIA, a Medford native formerly signed to Pharrell's i am OTHER music label, seconds Ball's statement, saying, "Boston has a strong underground hip-hop presence but the city has never dedicated enough resources to growing black or hip-hop culture."

BIA's recent viral co-sign from Rihanna for her hit single with Russ, "Best on Earth," proves the point that local artists often need to achieve consummate visibility in order to be deemed exceptional.

"There's a cap every mainstream artist from Boston reaches that forces them to go out and get it and bring it back home." The cap that BIA is referencing isn't a glass ceiling created to specifically challenge hip-hop artists; there are systemic barriers in place used to prevent the proliferation of rap.

Earlier this year, WBUR completed a two-part investigative series "Is Boston Hostile To Hip-Hop?" in which rappers, promoters and booking agents were interviewed about discriminatory practices that keep this particular type of music out of live venues, which include pay-to-play models, increased security and hip-hop bans. It also examined the stereotype that rap crowds are more prone to violent behavior.

Brandon Matthews is the founder of ShowOff Marketing, a company that specializes in urban music promotion based in Boston. He believes that the city is coming around to embracing rap—but that it has taken way too long to get here.

"Venues don't do enough homework to understand the differences between various artists and audiences. It didn't matter if it was Flo Rida or Young Jeezy... They viewed the entire genre as a bunch of troublemakers," Matthews says. "The cost of insurance for hip-hop shows is higher than other genres of music because they feel like it's a higher risk. But why are you singling out rap when you still have so many problems with other genres of music?"

There have been instances of violence at hip-hop shows in Boston, with one of the most infamous being when five people were stabbed at a 2000 Ruff Ryder/Cash Money tour stop at TD Garden (formerly known as the FleetCenter). However, the fact that rap is just starting to overcome this stigma is disconcerting—especially since Boston hip-hop artists are showing more promise than ever before.

Pioneers like Ed O.G., Slaine, Akrobatik and The Almighty RSO have paved the way for rappers to be as brazen and unapologetic as they want to be. Their vision of Boston hip-hop, which emphasized a combination of hard truths with imaginative lyricism, can be heard in the discographies of artists today. For instance, take the staggering passion of a Token freestyle, raucous energy of a Cousin Stizz show, insane charisma of Michael Christmas, fervid phenomena of D Tha Flyest, or the mellifluous bars that $ean Wire executes. A look at these artists' success shows that the world is becoming receptive to the genius of Boston hip-hop, which is seemingly expanding at a rate faster than the city itself.

GRAMMY-nominated rapper Joyner Lucas attests to Boston's phlegmatic treatment of its talent. "It wasn't like I had the hometown support and branched out from there. I had to branch out other places and make a name. I was popping in L.A. before I was popping in Boston."

Lucas, whose video for his single "I'm Not Racist" became an instant smash and garnered him critical acclaim, has collaborated with the likes of Eminem, Timbaland and Logic. His individualism is a potent reminder that New England artists aren't a monolith. "I completely jump out the window and create records from the heart. But I'm not just telling my story—I'm telling other people's stories as well. But we can't just focus on one area. I'm not even from Boston—I'm from Worcester. It really is bigger than just Boston."

Often, the artists making a sizeable impact on Boston's scene hail from all over Massachusetts. Reks, Statik Selektah and Termanology are all Lawrence natives; Millyz is from Cambridge and C Wells proudly calls Lynn his home.

In addition to having a geographical range that works to display the vastness of talent, there is also a conspicuous rise in the number of female emcees changing the narrative in Boston. As BIA continues to make major headway nationally, other women are also making their mark. Acts like Vintage Lee, Brandie Blaze, Oompa, Malia The Model, Red Shaydez, Lord Ju and CakeSwagg offer a refreshing plethora of style both lyrically and visually.

Dutch ReBelle, who has been a staple in local rap for nearly the last decade, is elated at the progression. "It's changed in a positive way because there are more of us getting press and coverage on a regular basis. When you have all of these different types of flavors, it makes it easier for people to accept you trying new things."

As ReBelle points out, experimentation is the crux of hip-hop. It's inherently defiant, with different components working together to push the genre forward. One of the most important components is that of the DJ—and Boston brings a vibrant mix of personalities to the tables.

There are ones who are largely affiliated with Boston artists: DJ Papadon for BIA, DJ E Dubble for Joyner Lucas, DJ DCaso for Token, DJ Alcide for Oompa. But there are also those working to curate the culture of the city through various events, appearances and showcases. From SuperSmashBroz to DJ Real P, DJ WhySham to 7L, Guru Sanaal to Bearly Yvng, the city recognizes the importance of these many types of unfettered expression.

DJ Chubby Chub, a Boston mainstay and 50 Cent's official tour DJ, shares that his role in hip-hop is a critical one. "The DJ is everything in rap music when it comes to the artists, the music being played, the acknowledgment of the right songs. Boston has shown me a tremendous amount of love that I didn't expect because I was different."

He also attributes Boston's emerging cohesion as a result of artists focusing on their craft instead of comparison. "Now that DJs are seeing the better quality records from the local artists, they have to support it and give it that love. That's where we have to have unity. Artists are paying attention to the music they're making and finally seeing the bigger picture."

The city is starting to look at the bigger picture as well. From The Boston Foundation awarding urban artists grants to put on live performances to the creation of Boston Art & Music Soul (BAMS) Festival centralizing black ingenuity, a city that once disregarded such a crucial and necessary art form now understands its tremendous currency and value. The Boston Music Awards, established in 1987, also aims to highlight this immensity. This year's event boasts 39 categories with 10 nominees in each category, which is a historic return to form for the ceremony (the 1988 ceremony had 42 categories but only five nominees in each).

Paul Armstrong, CEO of Redefined (the company behind the Boston Music Awards), attests to the importance of championing inclusion. "If we're not reflecting the diversity of the city, we're not doing our job properly," he says. "As more eyes begin to look at the Boston hip-hop scene, they're going to see a legitimate pool of exceptional talent."

Despite insinuations of categorical inaccuracies and controversial nominees (and subsequent winners), he remains adamant that the entity will always put candor first. "We criticize our own processes every year in an attempt to be even more transparent, celebrate more people and have systems in place that ultimately result in an awards show that has integrity. People will always criticize and, honestly, that's OK. It shows that the BMAs are something people care about and want to be included in."

Hip-hop has also infiltrated historical—and primarily white—institutions throughout the city. Performing at The Middle East, a live music venue in Cambridge spearheaded by Leedz Edutainment, has been considered a rite of passage for local rappers for over a decade. But as the genre continues to deepen and cement its reach, artists that have had difficulty booking any other performance spaces now have Boston museums soliciting their art. The Institute of Contemporary Art has featured an array of events by local hip-hop acts while the Museum of Fine Arts has honed in on the same praxis with their Late Nites series.

Boston hip-hop group STL GLD held a listening party their third album, The New Normal, at the MFA earlier this year. Frontman Moe Pope appreciated the gesture but realizes that ultimately there is more work that needs to be done. "I love that these museums and galleries are opening their doors now, but you can't put a Band-aid on something and expect to get all of these pats on the back. There needs to be more hires of people from the Boston hip-hop community in positions of power that deserve to be there."

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STL GLD unveiling The New Normal at the Museum of Fine Arts, Jan. 10, 2019
Photo: Phearee Sak courtesy of FollowingBoston

Pope's final thoughts are not just reflective of his own personal experiences, but of the city's interactions with black culture overall. "These institutions are capitalizing off the fact that we don't have to run our blackness through a filter anymore. But make sure you're putting the dollars into our pockets and we're not just lining yours with our flyness."

Meet Armageddon Records, The Record Store-Turned-Label For Punks And Metalheads

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Hero The Band perform at the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Annual Membership Celebration
Photo: Marcus Ingram/WireImage

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Report: Music & Culture Infrastructure Can Create Better "Future Cities"

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How sound planning for a creative future in our urban areas makes all the difference for artists and musicians
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 23, 2019 - 2:27 pm

The future, as they say, is now. And for music makers around the world, building a future for themselves often starts at home, in their local creative community and in the city where they live. While technology has expanded communication and made the world smaller, cities continue to grow, making planning for the future a critical cultural mission of the present.

To that end, a new report by global organization Sound Diplomacy titled "This Must Be The Place" examines, "The role of music and cultural infrastructure in creating better future cities for all of us." The 37-page deep dive into community planning and development highlights the importance of creative culture in what it calls "Future Cities."

"The government defines ‘Future Cities’ as 'a term used to imagine what cities themselves will be like," the report states, "how they will operate, what systems will orchestrate them and how they will relate to their stakeholders (citizens, governments, businesses, investors, and others),'"

According to the report, only three global cities or states currently have cultural infrastructure plans: London, Amsterdam and New South Wales. This fact may be surprising considering how city planning and sustainability have become part of the discussion on development of urban areas, where the UN estimates 68 percent of people will live by 2050.

"Our future places must look at music and culture ecologically. Much like the way a building is an ecosystem, so is a community of creators, makers, consumers and disseminators," the report says. "The manner in which we understand how to maintain a building is not translated to protecting, preserving and promoting music and culture in communities."

The comparison and interaction between the intangibility of culture and the presence of physical space is an ongoing theme throughout the report. For instance, one section of the report outlines how buildings can and should be designed to fit the cultural needs of the neighborhoods they populate, as too often, use of a commercial space is considered during the leasing process, not the construction process, leading to costly renovations.

"All future cities are creative cities. All future cities are music cities."

On the residential side, as cities grow denser, the need increases for thoughtful acoustic design and sufficient sound isolation. Future cities can and should be places where people congregate

"If we don’t design and build our future cities to facilitate and welcome music and experience, we lose what makes them worth living in."

For musicians and artists of all mediums, the answer to making—and keeping—their cities worth living in boils down to considering their needs, impact and value more carefully and sooner in the planning process.

"The report argues that property is no longer an asset business, but one built on facilitating platforms for congregation, community and cohesion," it says. "By using music and culture at the beginning of the development process and incorporating it across the value chain from bid to design, meanwhile to construction, activation to commercialisation, this thinking and practice will result in better places."

The report offers examples of how planners and leaders are handling this from around the world. For instance, the Mayor Of London Night Czar, who helps ensure safety and nighttime infrastructure for venues toward the Mayor's Vision for London as a 24-hour city. Stateside, Pittsburgh, Penn., also has a Night Mayor in place to support and inform the growth of its creative class.

Diversity, inclusion, health and well-being also factor into the reports comprehensive look at how music and culture are every bit as important as conventional business, ergonomic and environmental considerations in Future Cites. Using the Queensland Chamber of Arts and Culture as a reference, it declared, "A Chamber of Culture is as important as a Chamber of Commerce."

In the end, the report serves as a beacon of light for governments, organizations, businesses and individuals involved in planning and developing future cities. Its core principals lay out guideposts for building friendly places to music and culture and are backed with case studies and recommendations. But perhaps the key to this progress is in changing how we approach the use of space itself, as the answer to supporting music may be found in how we look at the spaces we inhabit.

"To develop better cities, towns and places, we must alter the way we think about development, and place music and culture alongside design, viability, construction and customer experience," it says. "Buildings must be treated as platforms, not assets. We must explore mixed‑use within mixed‑use, so a floor of a building, or a lesser‑value ground floor unit can have multiple solutions for multiple communities."

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Be Like Björk: Iceland Unveils New 'Record In Iceland' Initiative

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Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star/Getty Images

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Put Your Dreams To Work: 5 Ways To Land Your Ideal Music Job

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From dressing to impress to getting—and staying—connected with the right network, here are some go-to techniques for kick-starting a career in the music industry
Lakeia Brown
GRAMMYs
Mar 19, 2019 - 6:03 pm

As college graduation season quickly approaches, most seniors have begun the search for their “dream job" in musc.  While it's an exciting time, the quest can be daunting, especially when applying to roles in an industry as competitive as the music biz. So how do you stand out?  GRAMMY U provided answers and so much more at last week’s GRAMMY U Industry Insights: How to Get the Job workshop in downtown Manhattan.  A packed room of recent- and soon-to-be- college graduates received pointers from a panelists of pros: Madison Rozynek (The Madison Square Garden  Company), Ian Rifkin (Universal Music Group), Christine Schworn (Sirius XM) and Lisa Hauptman (Downtown Music Publishing).  Here are a few valuable tips for landing the dream job.

GRAMMYs

(L-R): Lisa Hauptman, Christine Schworn, Ian Rifkin, Madison Rozynek, Jessica McDevitt

1. Dress the Part

The entertainment industry is known for pushing boundaries, but that behavior doesn’t apply to interview etiquette. While the dress code is casual to business casual for most of the music industry, always show up to an interview in professional attire. A general rule: It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Keep it business professional and leave the boundary pushing until your first day on the job.

2. "Thank You..." Next

Thank you is never a bad idea, especially after an interview. Be sure to ask for a business card or an email address, and follow up with a quick note expressing your continued interest in the job and try to include something personal that was discussed during the interview. If you want to go the extra mile, “hand written notes will always make you stand out,” says Christine Schworn, Recruiter & Talent Acquisition, Sirius XM.  And remember, it typically takes about six weeks from interview to hire, so be patient.

3. Play Your Position

Dream big but make sure your experience matches the job. How do you know if you qualify? Read the job description thoroughly, and be honest with yourself.  Recent graduates typically land Department and Executive Assistant roles at entertainment companies to get into the door.  Don’t shy away from these roles, even the temporary jobs, because they often lead to bigger opportunities says, Ian Rifkin, Manager of Internship Programs & Campus Recruiting, Universal Music Group.   Network, work hard and you’ll be ready for the next level soon.

4. Circle of Life

Remember opportunities exists everywhere, even among friends.  Getting an informational with a senior level executive at a dream job is great, but you can also create opportunities within your circle of peers. “Network within your circle,” says Lisa Hauptman, Global Head of People, Downtown Music Publishing. Remember to not only look up, but across. Your peers are the next round of executives.

5. Stay Linked and Aware

LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn.  Recruiters utilize the career site as a tool to identify candidates so keep your LinkedIn profile up to date, and if you don’t have an account, sign up, says Madison Rozynek, Recruiting Coordinator,  The Madison Square Garden Company. Be sure to use an appropriate picture and follow companies that reflect your interests.  And remember, LinkedIn isn’t the only space recruiters use for online research.  Your social accounts are a reflection of you. Be mindful of what you post.

Want More?: Check Out These 5 Surefire Ways To Make It In The Music Industry

Press photo of Rico Nasty

Rico Nasty

Photo: Jimmy Fontaine

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Check Out These Recording Academy Virtual Events Celebrating Rap During Black Music Month 2021: Rico Nasty, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Grandmaster Flash, Young Devyn And More Confirmed

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To celebrate Black Music Month this June, the Recording Academy and its nationwide chapters are hosting virtual events highlighting the impact of rap on music, culture and beyond
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 15, 2021 - 9:56 am

This June, the Recording Academy and its various nationwide chapters are celebrating Black Music Month with engaging content and virtual events all month long. As part of the celebrations, the Academy is presenting several upcoming chapter-hosted events highlighting the impact of rap on music, culture and beyond.

Read on for more info on how to tune into each virtual event, and stay tuned for even more programming, events and content all month long on GRAMMY.com.

Conversations: The History of Hip Hop in NYC

Tuesday, June 15, at 3 p.m PT / 6 p.m. ET
Watch on the Recording Academy's Facebook page and YouTube channel

The Recording Academy's New York Chapter will host Conversations: The History of Hip Hop in NYC, a discussion with some of rap's most influential artists and creatives who'll reflect on the history and influence of hip-hop music and culture on New York City.

Torae Carr will moderate the legend-filled event, which will also include Bas, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Erika Elliott, Faith Newman, Grandmaster Flash, Hank Shocklee, Jerry Wonda, Nick Cucci, Rocky Bucano, and Young Devyn.

Up Close & Personal With Rico Nasty

Thursday, June 17, at 3 p.m PT / 6 p.m. ET
Watch on the Recording Academy's Facebook page and YouTube channel

In celebration of Pride Month and Black Music Month, GRAMMY U is hosting an in-depth conversation with futuristic rap star Rico Nasty. The rapper, singer and songwriter, who released her debut album, Nightmare Vacation, last December, is known for her eccentric, adrenaline-rushing "Sugar Trap" style, which mixes melodic sounds over hard-edged rhymes. DJ/radio personality Little Bacon Bear is moderating the panel.

Read: Welcome To Rico Nasty's 'Nightmare Vacation'

Candid Conversations: Women In Rap ATL

Thursday, June 24, at noon PT / 3 p.m. ET
Watch on the Recording Academy's Facebook page

The Recording Academy's Atlanta Chapter is hosting Candid Conversations: Women In Rap ATL, a conversation with leading women music executives in the rap music community, including Ashaunna Ayers (Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, Jeezy), Brandra Ringo (Quality Control) and Cannon Kent Grant (Atlantic Records). Hosted in partnership with Women In Music Atlanta and the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) team, the discussion will cover the panelists' personal career journeys, the current state of the music industry during the pandemic, and social injustices in the U.S. WIM Atlanta's Dina Marto will moderate the panel.

Dyana Williams On Why Black Music Month Is Not Just A Celebration, But A Call For Respect

Screenshot from the Recording Academy New York chapter's Music, Purpose + Community: Highlighting Creators Working to Close Accessibility Gaps On and Off the Stage panel
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How The Music Industry Must Work To Close The Accessibility Gap: 4 Eye-Opening Takeaways

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Hosted by the Recording Academy's New York chapter, the Music, Purpose + Community panel highlighted creators who are working to close the accessibility gaps on and off the stage and fighting to make disability a part of the diversity dialogue
Pamela Chelin
Membership
May 5, 2021 - 8:52 am

Fitting perfectly with April's "Celebrate Diversity Month" theme, last month, the Recording Academy's New York chapter hosted Music, Purpose + Community: Highlighting Creators Working to Close Accessibility Gaps On and Off the Stage, an hour-long panel highlighting the challenges musicians with disabilities face on a regular basis as well as the urgent necessity to close the accessibility gap. The panel, which marked the Recording Academy's inaugural event focusing on accessibility, implemented accessibility features like live interpretation and transcription services, also a first for the organization.

Moderated by recording artist, songwriter and disability inclusion advocate Lachi, the panel comprised violinist/songwriter and NPR Music's 2016 Tiny Desk Concert Contest winner Gaelynn Lea, GRAMMY winner and two-time Oscar-nominated songwriter Siedah Garrett, singer/slide guitarist Ryan "Gooch" Nelson, hip-hop artist and motivational speaker Namel "Tapwaterz" Norris and the Recording Academy's Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Valeisha Butterfield Jones.

The event examined the challenges musicians with disabilities face in the music industry, including stigma, lack of opportunities and inaccessible venues.

Lachi, who is legally blind, opened the program discussing her desire to become the very role model she lacked when she was growing up. "I grew up as a blind kid, and I was passionate about music and entertainment, but I didn't have a lot of folks who looked like me and had my situation," she said. "It made it really difficult for me to have an 'I want to be that' type of goal, to find identity, especially in music specifically … I want to be the role model that the industry hasn't seen in folks with disabilities. I want the industry to foster and promote such role models because the next generation absolutely deserves it."

Garrett, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) seven years ago, talked about how she moved past her fear of disclosing her illness and potentially losing opportunities. Similar to Lachi, Garrett wanted to inspire. "When I was first diagnosed, I was so afraid I didn't tell anyone for a long time, not my friends, not my family, and especially not my peers," she said. "I didn't want to be looked at as someone who was disabled because there's an automatic analogy of who you are and what you can do, and if they don't want to be bothered with your accommodations, then you don't get called for that gig or considered. So I didn't want to let anyone know I had an issue, but I decided if I was quiet, then no one would know my story and I wouldn't inspire anybody because I was hiding," she said.

Lea, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a congenital disability, spoke candidly about the challenges she's faced in a wheelchair due to the ubiquitousness of venue inaccessibility. "The places I can play are extremely limited. This is a huge issue that a place like the Recording Academy really can be taking the lead [on], because the reality is, with so many venues, I can't get in the door, I can't use the bathroom, I can't get to the room where the stage is, and that's just if I want to attend a show," she said.

"If I want to perform at a show, a lot of the time, I can't access the stage because there's no ramp. The green room is not even on my radar right now because it's so difficult to find the basic accessibility requirements … So the reality is, the barrier to entry is so high right now. It's a really urgent problem."

Nelson, who became quadriplegic after an accident toward the end of high school, relearned how to play guitar with paralyzed hands. He echoed Lea's experiences, relaying an anecdote about a live show years ago. "I travel around in a power wheelchair, so it's big, it's heavy, it's hard to get on stage," he said. "I remember back when I first started out, I went and saw Robert Randolph play. And he jumped off stage, and he invited me up to play with him, but there was no ramp to get on stage. And so he and his bandmates tried to lift me up onto the stage, almost dropped me and ended up sitting on the ground in front of the stage, and they ran a guitar cable out to me."

Norris co-founded 4 Wheel City, a hip-hip duo and movement, with Ricardo "Rickfire" Velasquez. Norris became paraplegic when his cousin accidentally shot him, and Velasquez developed paraplegia after being hit in the street by a stray bullet. The pair created 4 Wheel City to inspire change, create more opportunities for people with disabilities and encourage at-risk youth to stay away from gun violence.

Norris said when he was first in a wheelchair, he thought he couldn't rap anymore "because hip-hip is very masculine and everything," he said. But taking a cue from Stevie Wonder, Norris decided to keep playing music. He started to wonder why no one was talking about disability and made a pact to become "unapologetically disabled," promising to break down barriers.

Butterfield Jones cited a statistic from the Harvard Business Review, which noted that while 90 percent of companies say they prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion, only four percent of them consider disability to be a priority. "We have the power to change that and do that now in the music industry," she said. "Not only am I committed to doing the work we need to do for creators with disabilities at the Recording Academy, but let's roll up our sleeves and lock arms with the [record] labels and touring companies and digital streaming services to also make sure we're doing this together."

To recap the informative conversation, here are four key takeaways from the Recording Academy's Music, Purpose + Community panel.

Screenshot from the Recording Academy New York chapter's Music, Purpose + Community: Highlighting Creators Working to Close Accessibility Gaps On and Off the Stage panel

Screenshot from the Recording Academy New York chapter's Music, Purpose + Community: Highlighting Creators Working to Close Accessibility Gaps On and Off the Stage panel

Disability needs to be included in diversity

Gaelynn Lea: "It's so important to talk about disability as a form of diversity. I was born with a disability. You could not separate me out from my disability. It's always been the way I see the world ... If we don't start talking about it as something that is part of our identity, as something that requires support and compassion the way that any other identity does race, gender, your sexual preference—all of these things are part of diversity. And when you treat disability that way, you can start to see that it makes the world more welcoming, more diverse, better idea exchanges, and we can take away the stigma so that it will be more obvious that it's being left out … it's an acceptable part of our culture that should be supported instead of ignored, the way we support all other minorities."

Siedah Garrett: "I think the reason why employers don't really consider hiring people with disabilities is because they just don't want to take the extra effort that it will take to accommodate someone or people with disabilities. They don't even want to acknowledge it because then that would be proof, that would be evidence of their discrimination, so they just ignore it.

Namel "Tapwaterz" Norris: "l feel like I have two brains, that brain [before Norris was in a wheelchair] and being in the wheelchair, which is my disability brain. I thought about it, and I don't recall ever thinking of someone with a disability before. I don't remember thinking about what they are going through, what they might need, or what their day-to-day is like. So I feel like that's what happened if you think about the word 'disability.' You're already coming in the door with somebody thinking you can't do something because of the word itself, so you lose the value to somebody. I think what happens is that they don't even include us in the thought process, let alone just the idea of us because we're so conditioned to overlook people with disabilities because of the word."

For disability to be a fundamental part of the conversation, mainstream media and entertainment must embrace and include a multitude of musicians with disabilities

Lachi: "Anyone who is in tune with the disability community knows that one of the most difficult things is to get it out from the echo chamber and out to the mainstream. That's really the help that is needed. It's not a pat on the back that we need. It's not like, 'Oh, you're so inspirational. Thank you so much for inspiring me to roll out of my bed and continue living my life,' and not doing anything to help the disability movement. What we need are folks to help us get the message out to the mainstream."

Society needs to demand that venues are accessible to disabled musicians and audiences

Gaelyn: "I stopped playing inaccessible venues a couple of years ago. If a venue is accessible, but they don't have a ramp to the stage, I don't let them lift my wheelchair up anymore. I say, 'I'm just going to play on the floor then,' because it sends a very obvious message to the audience that I'm not on the stage because I can't get up there. I've seen positive change, people building ramps for me, renting ramps when I drew a line in the sand and said, 'Enough is enough. I think the more artists, disabled or nondisabled, who are willing to make these same stances, and especially with the backing of something like the Recording Academy, [it] would be very powerful and lead to a lot faster change."

Ryan "Gooch" Nelson: "It really blew my mind what Gaelyn said because I've been to so many gigs where they weren't accessible, and I found a way or went up a ramp, which was kind of shady when probably what I should have done was just make a choice to stay in front of the stage and send that signal that this place is not accessible. Therefore, your show is not going to be as good if you come here … Once we all start getting together and we find a way to show them where we spend our money.

I feel like we need to flip it on ourselves a little bit, too, and take some responsibility. A lot of disabled people stay home. They don't go out, so it's like that thing where the venue might not be catering to them, but they don't really want to go out either. So we have to, ourselves, kind of combine our efforts and our money and make our dollars speak and show that we show up to accessible venues that cater to everybody, that are inclusive, that you can see have thought of everybody's disability and are including everyone. And if we all start pooling together and spending our money at venues like that, I think you'll see other venues starting to change their ways."

Discriminating against musicians who have a disability is a civil rights issue

Gaelynn: "This law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, which applies to for-profit private venues, hasn't been adhered to in 30 years. It's a 30-year-old law. It's a civil rights law, not just a money-financing law. It's really about, 'Do we value equality in music or don't we.' If we do, we have to stop supporting the places that are shirking their duty to the law."

"Conversations": New York City Venue Owners, Promoters And Producers Discuss The Return Of Live Music

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