Ranky Tanky

Ranky Tanky

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Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Ranky Tanky On The Lasting Influence Of Gullah Music And Being Global Genre Ambassadors

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The South Carolina quintet is making GRAMMY history and bringing the genre to the international mainstage at this year's awards
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jan 22, 2020 - 6:00 am

Over the past three years, Gullah music, a centuries-old sound from the South Carolina Lowcountry region, has entered the mainstream. That's largely thanks to Ranky Tanky, an effervescent quintet hailing from Charleston, S.C., who've become global ambassadors of Gullah music and culture. 

For those unfamiliar, Gullah music is part of a wider culture rooted in the Lowcountry along the South Carolina coast. The Gullah people, meanwhile, are a tight-knit local community and descendants of slaves from the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. Through art and music, they’ve preserved and honored West African traditions and culture for generations.

Ranky Tanky first brought Gullah to the spotlight with their 2017 self-titled debut album, which topped the Billboard Jazz Albums chart in 2018. The album is composed of covers and arrangements of Gullah folk songs and classics. 

For their 2019 follow-up, Good Time, Ranky Tanky broke the mold. Released last July, Good Time features Gullah standards and, for the first time ever, brand-new original compositions, which are informed by the Gullah tradition yet modernized through Ranky Tanky's contemporary lens.

The approach paid off: In 2020, Ranky Tanky are nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album for Good Time. With the nod, the group and release are also making GRAMMY history as the first-ever album of Gullah music to receive a nomination, now bringing the genre to the international mainstage.

For founding member Charlton Singleton, the group's trumpeter/singer, Ranky Tanky's nomination is a massive honor for both the band and the wider Gullah community.

"We’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have the support of the Gullah community," he tells The Recording Academy. "Gullah is something that everybody is all in on… So any sort of celebration that can take place is something that everybody is just all in for."

Ahead of Ranky Tanky's big night at the 2020 GRAMMYs, The Recording Academy caught up with Singleton to discuss the lasting influence of Gullah music and the group's newfound role as global ambassadors for the genre. 

What was your reaction when you first heard Ranky Tanky were nominated for a GRAMMY?

Oh, it was just sheer joy. It's something that I think every artist appreciates and wants to be recognized for their contribution in the music world and with the highest honor that there is: a GRAMMY. I jumped on my bed for a little while and yelled. There was nobody else at the house at that particular time, so I kind of ran through the house a little bit, just yelling and screaming. But it was an amazing thing to see it posted right there on the screen, saying that we were in this final group of talented artists and other great recordings. It was a great, great moment.

There seems to be a rise in awareness and listenership of Gullah, largely thanks to Ranky Tanky. But at the same time, this is likely the first time a lot of people are learning about the genre, through your GRAMMY nomination and through your various accomplishments. How do you describe the Gullah sound and its associated community and culture to first-timers?

When we're on stage, I have these moments where I start talking with the audience in between a song, and I tell them about certain things that they have either seen or heard of in their lifetime that are uniquely Gullah… Then I usually graduate into things that people would know. For example, have you ever sung "Kumbaya" before?

Of course.

"Kumbaya" is a Gullah song—uniquely Gullah. I know there's [probably] not a whole lot of people on the face of the Earth that have not come across "Kumbaya." And as a matter of fact, sometime last year, it was finally recognized as being a song composed uniquely from the Gullah community.

Music-wise, the Gullah rhythm has a distinctive beat to it. I think with some of the other music that is out there today, you can really put a strong debate on the fact that Gullah, especially in music, has been an informant to a lot of different genres like jazz, folk music, rhythm and blues. There are so many similarities in those music [styles] that it's inevitable that you would get back to Gullah because Gullah predates all of those things.

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Black Pumas On Their Breakout Year, Creative Process And "New Chapter"

Gullah is also part of a wider culture and a regional community. Do you need to know about Gullah culture as a whole in order to truly understand the music?

It helps to know where things come from, but not really. There are some groups out here in the Lowcountry and Gullah communities that are still singing some of these songs in the purest form. So when you hear people singing some of these spirituals, especially the gospel spirituals, that's probably the truest form of the music that people would recognize.

With us, adding drum sets, basses, standup basses, a trumpet player, electric guitar, that's where you get the contemporary assessment that we do with Ranky Tanky. If someone were to be down in the Lowcountry, in the Charleston area or the Beaufort area or some of the islands that are in our vicinity, they would definitely be quick to understand just the whole atmosphere in some of these Gullah communities.

Ranky Tanky | Meet The First Time Nominees

Gullah music is a centuries-old sound. As Ranky Tanky, do you update the sound for contemporary audiences? Or do you try to stay loyal to the original sound?

Well, just because of the instrumentation of our band, that's automatically going to make it for contemporary purposes. But you can still hear and feel the original spirit of the music when you listen to Ranky Tanky onstage or on record. I think that we have caught lightning in a bottle with regards to having it right down the middle where we're still paying homage, in a respectful way, to the traditional Gullah sounds, but at the same time, giving it that contemporary assessment and contemporary fresh coat of paint to make it so that when audiences of today listen to it, it's a special blend and mix.

Is it a challenge to introduce and educate audiences to a sound that is considered to be so traditional and that's been around for so long?

I don't think it's a challenge. Our music, the way that we present it, it's been very universal. The crowds that we've played for have been a really wide variety in age, in ethnicity. But it really hasn't been a challenge for people to understand what they're listening to. There are so many things on our album that you can listen to and you could say, "I can play that on this particular genre radio. I can play that on a bluegrass radio station, I could play that one on a jazz radio station, I could play that one on a R&B radio station, I could play that one on a pop music station." The way that we have been performing and how we have crafted the sound of the band, it's pretty easy to introduce it to everybody.

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Nathalie Joachim On The Haitian Musical Roots Of 'Fanm d'Ayiti,' Community Building & Standing In Her Truth

What is the role or significance of Gullah in relation to the wider roots and Americana genre and community?

Geographically speaking—let's take folk music, for example. Most people put that [genre] with like the Appalachian Mountains and that region: North Carolina, Western North Carolina, the upper parts of South Carolina, West Virginia, all of those areas. Now geographically, that's not too terribly far from the Gullah region. So it's easy to have those two blending over, if you will, when you listen to some of the [sounds].

It's kind of hard to explain sometimes, unless you're listening to a couple of the [genres] back to back or side by side and you can really get a sense of how Gullah has influenced these other styles. When we're onstage and we're talking to our audience and engaging with them, it's a little bit easier for them to get it and listen to it when we speak about it and then we play right immediately after.

Your new album, Good Time, is split between covers of traditional Gullah songs and, for the first time ever, brand-new original Ranky Tanky compositions, which are also in the spirit of the Gullah tradition. How did you go about creating new Gullah songs for the album?

In the Gullah community, especially in church, there is a term that is called "raising up a song." Basically, somebody is going to stand up and they're going to start singing something that probably nobody knows at the time. And so nine times out of 10, they start with that song and they'll "raise it up." Maybe about a minute into it… somebody's going to pick up on whatever they are repeating, someone's going to harmonize to it. And then about a minute or so later, you've got the whole church and they're all in on this song. At the beginning of it, they didn't know what the song was, but they're just going off of what that person started.

Now, to carry that over to the creative process for us, there have been times when we were in soundcheck and somebody would just do something. There's a song that we have called "Freedom." [Vocalist] Quiana [Parler] was just standing at her mic… I think she was on her phone and she had read a text or something like that and she was a little frustrated and she went, "Ahh Lord, I need freedom." [Singing]

She was just sort of wailing it out, and it was comical. But she did it a couple of times and I just joined in with her, just to be funny, and I harmonized with it. And the next thing you know, [guitarist] Clay [Ross] started playing something, and he joined in and we made it a three-part harmony. And it sort of gained some traction that way. I pulled out my phone, I hit the voice memo, I put it down on the ground and everybody was sort of singing there. Next thing you know, [bassist] Kevin [Hamilton] was playing a little bassline, and the song just sort of was born right there. 

That's pretty much been the nucleus of our creative process with regard to the new songs that are on the Good Time recording. You had to know the beginnings and how they would do it with the Gullah community to get to how we would do that. 

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominees: Tank And The Bangas' Leader On 'Green Balloon,' Chilling With Michelle Obama & Quitting IHOP To Make Music

The group's members come from a predominantly jazz and gospel background. Do those genres lend well to Gullah? Are there sonic and stylistic similarities?

Definitely. Gullah has been such an informant to so many different styles of music, especially jazz. The rhythm that's in the Gullah rhythm… you can incorporate that in any sort of swing pattern, you can incorporate that into a shuffle, which are two of the primary rhythms that go in jazz. So that makes sense on how you can take that Gullah from way back when and then shift it into what we think about as jazz music today. Same thing with blues, same thing with rhythm and blues. When it comes to us and playing that music now… you're going to find those increments of what we listened to as jazz today in what you hear from Ranky Tanky.

Your nomination is a big recognition for Ranky Tanky as a group, but also for Gullah as a sound and as a community. What does this sort of honor mean for you individually as well as a representative of the wider Gullah community and scene?

It's a huge honor. We’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have the support of the Gullah community, as well as our family and friends. Everyone in Charleston has continued to love and embrace and push us and encourage us to keep doing what we're doing. The city is all in. 

Any sort of positive recognition, any sort of positive experience, any sort of positive event that highlights the Gullah community is something that everybody in Charleston, South Carolina, and the surrounding areas of the Lowcountry—they've just been ecstatic for us about it. Gullah is something that everybody is all in on… but we got to remember, this isn't something that was always celebrated. So any sort of celebration that can take place is something that everybody is just all in for.

Aside from the GRAMMYs, what are some of your plans and aspirations for 2020?

Continue to tour, continue to entertain and enlighten. Just trying to go forward. Everything is forward. Positive, and forward with the music.

The 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, hosted by Alicia Keys, will be broadcast live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on CBS. Learn more about where and how to watch Music's Biggest Night.

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

Entertainment Law Initiative 2020 Event

22nd Annual Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Event & Scholarship Presentation | GRAMMY Week 2020

Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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GRAMMY Week 2020: Entertainment Law Initiative Event Celebrates Change-Makers And Discusses Today's Most Pressing Issues

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As the music industry continues to evolve, the Recording Academy recognizes those at the vanguard of entertainment law and the leaders pushing the profession forward
John Ochoa
Advocacy
Jan 31, 2020 - 7:47 am

They say change is the only constant in life. That's a mantra by which the music industry lives. And when it comes to entertainment law, change is what drives the business forward. 

Change is the theme that defined the 22nd Annual Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Event & Scholarship Presentation, the most prominent gathering for entertainment attorneys and other music business professionals during GRAMMY Week. Every year, the ELI event unites the music business community and addresses some of the most compelling issues facing the music industry today. The 2020 ELI event—held last week (Friday, Jan. 24) as an official GRAMMY Week event at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif.—honored an industry luminary initiating change today while also recognizing some future leaders in law. 

For over two decades, ELI has addressed the shifting landscape of entertainment law head on, providing a forum for legal thought leaders and honoring its own practitioners who are ensuring the industry adapts to the ever-changing music and entertainment industry. 

It's no wonder, then, that this year's ELI Service Award honored Jeff Harleston, a music industry veteran who has faced virtually every sea change to directly challenge the entertainment law field. 

"Over the last 25 years or so, no industry has experienced more change than the music industry," Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said in his opening remarks at the gathering. "But throughout this period of turmoil and transformation, there've been two constants. First, amazing artists making great music. And secondly, as if you didn't know by now, Jeff Harleston's extraordinary sound judgment."

Harleston, who currently serves as the general counsel and executive vice president of business and legal affairs at Universal Music Group, has been a champion for artists and creators throughout his decades-long career. Across his days as the head of the business and legal affairs department at MCA Records in the late '90s to his time as general manager of Geffen Records, Harleston has worked with iconic artists like Mary J. Blige, Nelly Furtado and Snoop Dogg, among many others. 

"There's no bigger friend to artists than Jeff," three-time GRAMMY winner Common said of Harleston in a personalized tribute video. "So you can call Jeff a general counsel or a board member or a role model. They all fit. But I'll continue to call him a friend. He's a true advocate for artists. And I couldn't be prouder of the recognition he's receiving today."

ELI 2020 - Jeff Harleston - Sir Lucian Grainge

Making his way to the stage, the crowd offering a well-deserved standing ovation, Harleston addressed the room with pride and jubilation in his voice and optimism in his sight. 

"This is to the lawyers in the room," he said. "At times, we know being a lawyer in the music business can be an entirely thankless task, but we love it because we love music… But most importantly, we have learned to work together. And what we've been able to do when we work together is move it forward really well. We move things forward legislatively, we've empowered new services that are finding ways to bring our music and the artists' music to places they've never been before. And it's all because we've allowed ourselves to respect each other and trust each other. I really am happy to see that happen and I really hope that we can continue that spirit." 

As he remembered his extensive career and all that he and his colleagues have together accomplished for the industry and the wider artist community, he took a moment to acknowledge the road ahead for entertainment law and the challenges to come. 

"As I reflect on my almost-27 years in this business," he said, "there's one thing that's clear about the music business: the constant is change. Change happens all the time... But what we have to do and what we've learned to do... we've learned to deal with the change. And change is hard. It can be abrupt. It can be unexpected. It can be painful. But it's important, and it has to happen.

"We are in the midst of a change as we speak. But I know that we are strong and resilient, and we will get through it. And when we come out the other side, we will be better, we'll be stronger and the world will be great. In the words of Bob Dylan, 'The times, they are a-changin’."

Fittingly, Dylan's eternal lyrics and Harleston's remarks nod to the ever-evolving music industry and the modern issues it faces, many of which were addressed by the entrants of the 2020 ELI Writing Competition. 

As one of its core elements, ELI has supported promising law students and has fostered future careers in entertainment law, having provided more than 800 students with scholarships to date. The event's popular yearly student writing competition and scholarship presentation acknowledge the outstanding law students who are seeking to push entertainment law into the future.

This year's writing competition entrants, who each addressed a compelling legal issue confronting the music industry and proposed a solution in their essays, tackled some of today's most timely and pressing matters in the field.

Christopher Chiang, a student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, won the writing competition with an essay proposing a sliding scale framework for copyright protection in music. Chiang was presented his award, which came along with a $10,000 scholarship and tickets to various GRAMMY Week events, onstage by Ken Abdo, a partner at Fox Rothschild who has been involved with the ELI Writing Competition since its beginnings. Runner-ups included John Gilbertson, a student at Drake University School of Law in Des Moines, Iowa, and Graham Fenton from UCLA Law. 

ELI 2020 - Christopher Chiang - Ken Abdo

Perhaps the most urgent issue and forthcoming change to affect the music industry today comes via California Assembly Bill 5, more commonly known as AB5. The newly passed state statute aims to protect workers in the "gig economy," namely Uber drivers. However, its impact on the music industry could prove detrimental. (Music creators, particularly those who work as independent contracts, such as studio musicians or session/backing players, would potentially need to be recognized as employees and/or employers in order to secure work, which in turn entails a more complicated hiring process and higher fees for one-time gigs and short-term projects and performances.) Having gone into effect at the beginning of 2020, AB5 today stands as one of the most timely and important issues for music creators' rights in 2020.

In a panel that followed remarks by ELI Executive Committee Chair Michael Kushner, who is executive vice president, business & legal affairs and general counsel at Atlantic Records, some of the brightest and most active voices in the battle over AB5 spoke of the well-intended law and its potentially damaging effect on the music industry.

"AB5 is the definition of the 'law of unintended consequences,'" said Jordan Bromley, a partner at Manatt Entertainment Transactions & Finance. "It was meant to hit a certain sector of California industry, and it [was] painted with such a wide brush that everyone is affected, unless there's a specific exemption in the bill. I would say the one way to look at it is if somebody is providing you or your company or your artists or your producer or your songwriter a service that is 'core to the business,' they are now your employee."

Since its passing, the music biz and artist community have largely banded together to address AB5, with many from both sides of the industry launching online petitions and meeting with California lawmakers directly in an attempt to secure exemption from the law on behalf of the wider music industry. 

Ari Herstand, an independent musician, author and music industry blogger, has been at the forefront of the AB5 debate since it went into law. He's since gathered 50,000 petitions from California music professionals who are against the law. 

"We're 20-something days into this thing right now, and I'm literally gathering stories every single day from musicians who are losing work," he said. "I've hundreds of documented cases of musicians in California that are losing work."

Daryl Friedman, Ari Herstand, Morgan Kibby and Jordan Bromley at 2020 Entertainment Law Initiative event

But much like any other major change to impact the business, the music industry is already making headway into addressing and alleviating the issues of AB5.

Both Bromley and Herstand agree education is a key component in pushing things forward.

"The unions ran the bill," Bromley said. "The unions will run the next bill, most likely. So we need the unions on board. They're all conceptually there... It's frankly a lot of education on our business because it's weird and wacky and nuanced. And even some of the unions that exist in our business don't really understand how it's evolved in the last 10 years. So it's just a lot of patience and education, but everyone's at the table and everyone is focused on a solution."

"There needs to be education," Herstand added. "Right now, because of all of the hysteria around this—that's why so many musicians are literally losing work every day. So as soon as this—hopefully it's an urgency bill—passes, everybody needs to write about it. Every lawyer needs to know this to be able to educate. So I encourage everybody here to follow this process along and, once this thing gets passed, to educate your clients on what is actually happening and that we have found a fix, hopefully."

Panel moderator Daryl Friedman, Chief Industry, Government and Member Relations Officer for the Recording Academy, concluded the chat on a high note of optimism regarding the road ahead with AB5.

"It's going to be a lot of hard work by a lot of people," he said. "Hopefully a year from now, we will realize that this has been fixed. But I think there's also another lesson that is more enduring: the lesson of when creators get involved [and] when creators speak. They make the difference here. When creators speak, policymakers listen."

It's the exact kind of dialogue that has come to define the ethos and vision of ELI throughout the decades: When change comes a-knockin', we will be there to adapt, listen, learn and educate. 

The Entertainment Law Initiative maintains its support for the music industry as a whole, from its creators to its executives to its attorneys, and will continue to foster the next generation of change-makers within the music business and legal community for decades to come.

What's Ahead In 2020 For Music Creators' Rights?

Sean "Diddy" Combs at 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Sean "Diddy" Combs accepts award at 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

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2020 GRAMMYs: Clive Davis And The Recording Academy Celebrate Sean "Diddy" Combs With Industry Icon Honor At Star-Studded Pre-GRAMMY Gala

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The biggest party of GRAMMY Week 2020 recognized the industry luminary's 30-year career in a room full of fellow biz icons, world-class artists and Diddy's collaborators, family and friends
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jan 28, 2020 - 7:52 am

Last week, the entire music industry and artist community gathered ahead of the 62nd GRAMMY Awards, Music's Biggest Night, for what was music's biggest pre-party. Held at the glamorous Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 25, the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala this year celebrated the 2020 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons honoree: the one and only Sean "Diddy" Combs. 

GRAMMY Week 2020: Pre-GRAMMY Gala Show Recap

The Pre-GRAMMY Gala, hosted by The Recording Academy and legendary executive Clive Davis, is one of music's most celebrated and coveted industry events of the entire year. It's no wonder, then, that the star-studded night welcomed some of the biggest artists, producers, creatives and luminaries across music, film, politics and art, as well as past GRAMMY winners and nominees. Across the glitzy ballroom where the event took place, stars packed out the audience and stage, with everyone from power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé to pop megastars Dua Lipa, Luis Fonsi and Lana Del Rey in the crowd. Even Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi took a night off from her busy schedule on the Hill to attend, seated next to a bedazzled Billy Porter.

After a rousing opening set from seven-time GRAMMY winner Beck, who immediately jolted the audience with a three-song run, which included his all-time '90s classics "Loser" and "Where It's At," Harvey Mason, Jr., Chair Of The Board and Interim President/CEO of The Recording Academy, took to the stage to officially open the night.

"GRAMMY Week is the time of year when our music communities all come together to celebrate and embrace one another," he said, "to reflect our accomplishments and acknowledge necessary areas of improvement as we forge ahead on a path to a more inclusive and inviting industry."

"If you've attended this event before, then you're already aware that tonight is one of those nights," he continued, "one where history is created right here in this room. Looking around, I'm reminded at just how much of a unifier music really is. This room is the perfect example, with actors, writers, dancers, other creatives who've been inspired by the sounds, moments and memories created by some of the musicians here tonight, including our Industry Icon Award recipient, Sean Diddy Combs."

GRAMMY Week 2020: Pre-GRAMMY Gala Red Carpet

The theme throughout the night focused on honoring those who have shaped and shifted the biz on an industry-wide scale, the visionaries behind the music who have cultivated an inclusive, diverse landscape where both art and artists could flourish beyond the limits. Perhaps no other record executive best represents this spirit than Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, who next took the stage to a well-deserved standing ovation.  

In his short yet impactful speech, he introduced "someone who needs no introduction," the host of the night: Clive Davis. 

"He's a living legend, an icon and a consummate music man," Gordy said of Davis. "He has discovered and nurtured countless superstars, picked their hits time after time. And no, I'm not talking about myself." 

Berry Gordy - 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

For his part as host, Davis paid tribute to the icons and rising legends-in-the-making who attended the night, shouting out giants like Joni Mitchell, Cardi B and Migos' Offset, Kygo, Earth, Wind & Fire and others for their lasting contributions to music. In a bit of foreshadowing, he toasted the artists and the various genres that would fill the room for the big night ahead.

"Tonight," he said, "we have come together as we have for decades to celebrate music, from rock to hip-hop to R&B to pop to country and Latin. I do believe that before this night is over, you will have heard incredible music, and you will have witnessed spectacular performances to remind us all why our lives have been so deeply enriched by our lifelong careers in music. I know that you will walk away with this night of unforgettable music and it will affect you for many years to come."

Read: 10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Much like the careers of the event's host and honoree, the night's musical offerings spanned diverse genres and decades. Guitar god Carlos Santana kicked off the night with an electrifying performance of his chart-topping, GRAMMY-winning "Smooth," alongside OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, and "Maria Maria," with help from Wyclef Jean and Miguel. Chance The Rapper followed up with a cool, confident rendition of his track, "Sun Come Down." 

Miguel, Wyclef Jean, and Carlos Santana perform at 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Brandi Carlile, who performed at last year's Pre-GRAMMY Gala, returned to the stage to wow audiences once again with a performance of "A Case Of You," followed by a surprise duet of '80s anthem "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" alongside Cyndi Lauper, the latter of which proved to be the breakout performance of the night. GRAMMY king John Legend shut it down with a soulful rendition of his "A Change Is Gonna Come," followed by the live debut of his most recent single, "Conversations In The Dark," another you-had-to-be-there moment in Pre-GRAMMY Gala history. Additional performers included Khalid and Adrienne Warren, an actress, singer and dancer who portrayed Tina Turner in the "TINA: The Tina Turner Musical" Broadway show, who both brought down the house.

Brandi Carlile and Cyndi Lauper at 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Prior to the night's main presentation, some of Combs' friends and associates praised the honoree in a touching video, which included tributes from industry leaders like Antonio "L.A." Reid, Lyor Cohen and Clive Davis himself. One of the night's major highlights, a cast of Diddy's closest collaborators performed a medley of hits that pulled from the producer's decades-long career as well as the deep discography of his renowned Bad Boy Records. Featured performers included Carl Thomas; Lil' Kim, who performed "It's All About The Benjamins"; and Ma$e, who performed rap classics "Feel So Good" and "Mo Money Mo Problems." The career-spanning set came to a heartwarming close with a performance from King Combs, Diddy's son, who delivered an endearing rendition of "I'll Be Missing You," the eternal tribute to The Notorious B.I.G., featuring Bad Boy artist and the track's original singer, Faith Evans. 

As Combs took to the stage, the crowd erupting in cheers and giving him a long standing ovation, he stood in disbelief of the moment. "You know, when people ask me, 'Did you ever know you'd get to a certain point?' I always tell them, 'Yes,'" he remarked. "But I never thought that I would get to this point right here, where my peers would honor me and show me this amount of love."

Sean "Diddy" Combs at 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Throughout his extensive speech, Combs spoke wistfully of his early life and long career, remembering all the way back to his childhood days when he received his first record player and James Brown 45s to his days as an intern at Uptown Records. He recognized the many figures and industry pioneers who solidified black music and art as an integral part of American culture, including Quincy Jones, Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons, Uptown Records founder Andre Harrell and Motown's Berry Gordy.

"…[Gordy] showed me that there was other things besides music," he noted, "that music could infiltrate and have an impact. And it wasn't just about the music. It was about the lifestyle. It was about black culture. And it was about the value and importance of black culture and the importance it was going to have on the world. Berry Gordy was and still is a unicorn. And it just empowered me at another level."

After giving kudos to the friends, family and associates who helped shape and sharpen his career, he looked ahead at his next mission in the industry. 

"My goal used to be about making hit records," he said. "Now it's about ensuring that the culture moves forward: my culture, our culture, the black culture. And for me to be worthy of receiving an Icon Award, I have to use my experience to help make a change."

The night closed by tributing another icon in music: five-time GRAMMY winner Janet Jackson and her chart-topping 1989 album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, which celebrated its 30-year anniversary last September. 

Clive Davis and Janet Jackson at 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala

"When I was getting dressed this evening I thought about it and I said to myself, 'I've been in this industry for 47 years,'" Jackson said. "That's a long time, and I still enjoy going to work. And I feel very blessed to still have my journey ahead of me."

Cynthia Erivo, a GRAMMY-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actress and singer-songwriter, brought the event to a thunderous end with a performance of Jackson's iconic singles "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" and "Together Again," putting a cap on another magical Pre-GRAMMY Gala night.

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2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Winners List

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa

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Dua Lipa, Common, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Shania Twain, Keith Urban And More To Present At 2020 GRAMMYs

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Plus, current GRAMMY nominees Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker will play double duty as both presenters and performers
GRAMMYs
Jan 22, 2020 - 1:06 pm

The Recording Academy has announced the lineup of presenters for the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Set to hand out the golden gramophones on Music's Biggest Night are current GRAMMY nominees Jim Gaffigan and Trevor Noah, both nominated in the Best Comedy Album category this year, plus previous GRAMMY winners Common, Cynthia Erivo, Dua Lipa, Billy Porter, Smokey Robinson, Shania Twain, Keith Urban and Stevie Wonder. The night's presenters will also include past GRAMMY nominees Ava DuVernay and Bebe Rexha, plus music industry moguls Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. 

Additionally, previously announced Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker will play double duty as both presenters and performers. 

Read: Gloria Gaynor And Cheap Trick To Headline The 2020 GRAMMY Celebration 

The 2020 presenters join an all-star cast of previously announced world-class artists and performers, who will take the stage at this year's GRAMMYs, including Aerosmith, who are also performing live at the 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year event in their honor, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Jonas Brothers, Camila Cabello, Rosalía, H.E.R., Demi Lovato, Bonnie Raitt, Run-D.M.C., Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Tyler, The Creator and Charlie Wilson. Additionally, John Legend, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Roddy Ricch, YG and Kirk Franklin will perform all-star tribute to the late, GRAMMY-nominated Nipsey Hussle.

Read: Aerosmith To Perform Live At The 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year 

The 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, hosted by Alicia Keys, will be broadcast live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on CBS. Learn more about where and how to watch Music's Biggest Night

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2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

Black Pumas

Black Pumas

Photo: Lyza Renee

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Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Black Pumas On Their Breakout Year, Creative Process And "New Chapter"

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After exploding into the global music scene in 2019, the Austin, Texas, rock and soul duo see their Best New Artist nomination as a "great beginning to a new chapter"
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jan 20, 2020 - 11:26 am

Black Pumas lay claim to perhaps the defining Cinderella story of the 2020 GRAMMY season. Officially formed in 2017 in Austin, Texas, the rock and soul duo experienced a breakout 2019: Dominating their local music scene, the group was recognized as one of the breakthrough artists at SXSW last year and took home the Best New Band trophy at the 2019 Austin Music Awards. 

By the time they released their self-titled debut album—a psychedelic, genre-bending project that explores the many shades of soul, rock, funk and R&B, with dashes of Latin influences—last June on ATO Records, Black Pumas were an internationally touring act, with sold-out dates across North America and Europe throughout last year. 

Fast-forward to today, and Black Pumas are now nominated in the coveted Best New Artist category, alongside major pop stars like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and others. It's a surreal moment the band's frontman, Eric Burton, is still processing. 

"For me, it's really hard to conceptualize still. Still sinking in," he tells The Recording Academy a few hours before hitting the stage at The Town Hall in NYC last month. "I come from busking and skateboarding with a guitar in my hand and a tip jar… I don't think that I was really conceptualizing actually winning any accolades for just my own daily regimen." 

Black Pumas pairs Burton, a former street busker who charmed tourists and locals alike at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, with GRAMMY-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada, who won a golden gramophone for his 2010 album, El Existential, as part of Latin funk band Grupo Fantasma. While the two come from musically diverse backgrounds—Burton grew up on East Coast hip-hop, old soul and folk music, while Quesada has worked with everyone from Prince to Daniel Johnston—their chemistry in the studio "fit like a glove."

"When I first reached out [to Eric]," Quesada says, "it started by him singing on some tracks that I had before we really brought in his songs and became Black Pumas… But I know [he] said that [he] had a hard time at first singing to somebody else's style and everything. But to me, sitting back and hearing it come into place, it all just kind of seemed to fit like a glove."

The Recording Academy caught up with Black Pumas to discuss their creative process, their breakthrough journey from local act to GRAMMY-nominated global headliners and their road ahead.

Black Pumas | Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee

What does this nomination mean for you as a first-time nominee?

Eric: For me, it's really hard to conceptualize still. Still sinking in. I come from busking and skateboarding with a guitar in my hand and a tip jar, on my way to a restaurant in little Alamogordo, N.M. And doing gigs like that where I was just playing music to kind of whisk me away to a place where everyone wins and just playing to get through the day really and just having fun in it.

I don't think that I was really conceptualizing actually winning any accolades for just my own daily regimen. That it's happening now, it feels amazing. It feels really crazy. I don't know what's going... I don't know.

Adrian, you've been nominated before. You are now nominated in one of what's called the Big Four categories. Does this feel different from your previous nominations and wins?

Adrian: Absolutely does. It took a while for that to kind of sink in. Every time I start to think about that, I get a little anxiety, so I'm just trying to just enjoy it and take it in and just realize that people are reacting to this music that we were making integrity. We didn't sit down and say, "Man, we'll go for the GRAMMY." We were just like, "Man, that sounds cool. Let's make another one. Let's make a better one."

At one point, I remember we had sat down before we started touring and I just checked in and was like, "Do we want to pursue this?" He's like, "Yeah, I'm down if you're down." Because I said, "I think this could move quickly." But when I said that, I didn't even imagine that we would be nominated for a GRAMMY. It's crazy.

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Nathalie Joachim On The Haitian Musical Roots Of 'Fanm d'Ayiti,' Community Building & Standing In Her Truth

Eric, it sounded like you were hesitant to connect with Adrian in the beginning of the project. What do you think about that now?

Eric: As a busking artist… you kind of are vulnerable to any and all musicians. Engineers, producers who hear something in the guitar playing or your vocals that they want to use it and they want to maybe help me elevate that. I was meeting a lot of people, and it just wasn't working out to the degree that I wasn't very happy with some of the end product.

Right before I met Adrian, I was building my own home studio and learning how to use Logic to try to explore my sounds that inspired me from the perspective of someone who is a teaming engineer, or trying to understand how to do it in the first place. So when Adrian hit me up, I'm like, "Oh no, not again!" [Laughs.]

But to be real, I'm a realist as well, and realistically, I didn't know enough to get the quality sounds on my own. When I read a little bit about Adrian's track record, it convinced me well enough to take a chance and really commit to elevating his project. At first, it started off as his thing, and I was just hoping that maybe we would get some funds or something from just having a catalog of music publishing.

What's fascinating about the story of Black Pumas is how fast it all happened. You formed in 2017, you had a breakout year in 2019, from winning the Best New Band at the Austin Music Awards to now being nominated as Best New Artist at the GRAMMYs. Does this GRAMMY nomination now feel like the cherry on top of a whirlwind year? Does it feel like a validation?

Adrian: It's certainly not the only thing that would validate what we do, but it's definitely one of the factors. I think considering that we didn't really go out there and campaign. Honestly, this came about in a completely 100 percent organic way that surprised everybody on our team [and] us. Which meant that there were truly people out there that in the back of their mind, they were like, "We need to nominate Black Pumas and put them out there."

It feels honest and it feels good because it doesn't feel like we tried to cheat the system or anything. There was legit just people out there that believed in what were doing. And if we weren't getting the GRAMMY nomination, we'd still be playing shows. And if we weren't playing shows, we'd be still recording in the studio. We'd be doing this no matter what, but it's pretty amazing

Eric: So it feels more like a great beginning to a new chapter as opposed to an ending of anything. I think that we both really have our minds set on creating the next thing, trying to just strive to make the better song and entertain ourselves, really.

With Black Pumas exploding so fast, what sorts of challenges, if any, have you faced, either individually or as a group, with such a rapid career?

Adrian: The biggest challenge for both of us is that we have been touring so much that we haven't really had a chance to work on new music. We have a million ideas. He's always writing and recording wherever we can, on his phone or whatever. It's been hard to actually work on your music.

Eric, this is your first time in the spotlight at this kind of level. Have you had any challenges facing this level of fame or acclaim?

Eric: For sure, because I believe that it's been a little bit hard to truly conceptualize, even through my own actions as an individual on this train that is going somewhere really bright, as it seems. When you're busking every day and you're doing things on a lower level, you start to do things more for yourself — the immediacy of reciprocating what you need to express, to get through someone cutting you off in traffic or a breakup or whatever it is. 

I've always used music to process my own emotions that, with everything that is going on right now, it feels a little overwhelming because there's a lot more feelings now a nd there's a lot more things happening. I'm starting to be held to a more higher standard of professionalism, can't stay up to 4 and 5 in the morning trying to write material and whatnot. That's been a little bit hard for me, just acclimating to the movement that is the Black Pumas.

You got a job now.

Eric: Yeah! I got a job now, mom. Look at me now, dad!

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: FINNEAS On Billie Eilish & "Doing Production That No One's Ever Done Before"

Your 2019 debut album touches on so many eras and genres and sounds. Eric, you listen to East Coast hip-hop, old soul music and folk. Adrian, you've worked with everyone from Prince to Daniel Johnston. How does that all come together to create Black Pumas? Were there any hurdles to face when creating your initial sound and music?

Adrian: When I first reached out [to Eric], it started by him singing on some tracks that I had before we really brought in his songs and became Black Pumas. That was how the collaboration started. But I know [he] said that [he] had a hard time at first singing to somebody else's style and everything. But to me, sitting back and hearing it come into place, it all just kind of seemed to fit like a glove.

But then when we started to work on his songs… I felt like those fit perfectly with the sound of the ones that I was doing. It all just seemed to work.

Could you talk about the creative process behind Black Pumas? How did you work together to create the songs and the album’s overall sonic aesthetic?

Adrian: The process was a combination of two methods: One was Eric writing lyrics and melodies and singing on a few instrumentals I had recorded, and the second was Eric’s songs that we learned and arranged in the studio and recorded predominantly live. The aesthetic, to me, was set up on the first day we got together and recorded "Fire" and "Black Moon Rising." What Eric came up with on "Black Moon Rising," in particular, for me was what set the tone for the album. 

Your album features elements from a lot of different genres and sounds considered to be cornerstones of American culture and music, from rock and soul to hip-hop and funk. You both also come from different cultural backgrounds, each with your own experience of what it means to be American. In what ways does your album represent what the American music canon means or sounds like today and what it will mean or sound like in the future? 

Adrian: To me, it represents the best part of American music in that it transcends genres, cultures and "scenes" to make sincere and soulful American music. Ideally, we would have fewer boundaries and more bridges in the future. 

While your music and your album are rooted in various American styles and sounds, they are also resonating with audiences across the world, from Montreal to Paris to Zurich. What is it about your music and your album that’s able to transcend cultures and languages? 

Adrian: Eric’s lyrics and the emotion in his voice and songs, in particular, [are some] of the main reasons I believe our album has transcended language and cultural barriers. People connect in a special way and sometimes adapt their own personal meaning to the songs. 

You're also widely known for your live shows and energetic performances, which are key elements to the overall Black Pumas makeup. In what ways have your live shows informed or impacted your actual music and creativity, or vice versa?

Adrian: For at least half of the songs on the album, we had never played a show or even performed those songs at any point. When we began to perform live in conjunction with bringing in songs Eric had written was when it all came to life and one informed the other. About half the album was pre-produced and recorded, and the other [half was] cut almost entirely live, and I like the way it flows like that. At this point, the songs have taken on a new life in the live show, and I really like how the live versions of the songs are almost a different thing entirely. 

What are some sounds or genres that you'd like to explore together as a unit? What are you most curious to explore next?

Eric: I feel like the sky is the limit because we're not necessarily a retro-soul band. We emulate some of the colors of some of our heroes and songwriters, such as Otis Redding, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Ghostface Killah. But I think that we're just such eclectic music fans, that just comes through. It doesn't sound so contrived… to the degree that I feel that we have this stage that is soul music. 

There's different spaces within the same room that is soul music that we can take different genres of sound to kind of see what marriage works within the soul genre. We talk about different references all the time. We're always exploring different ways to make fresh this soul music, so to speak.

What are you looking forward to the most at the GRAMMYs?

Adrian: I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to the most, honestly, because I just don't know enough about what's happening. Our category's awesome, man. My kids and I listen to Billie Eilish and Lizzo. Yola is great. I checked out Rosalía, I checked out a few of the artists. They're all great, man. It's a great category, and I say that with 100 percent sincerity. It's exciting.

Where do you go from here? What happens next for Black Pumas in 2020?

Eric: Feels like we're probably going to be on tour indefinitely. I think that just trying to do our best with having the foresight that we need as individuals, who have a home of our own, to make sure that the people that we love who are supporting us feel that they haven't been forgotten. And individually, I hope I can find some good advice on what to do with the money that may be coming in soon. I won't tell you what I spent money on. [Laughs.]

I assume you're making more than you were busking.

Eric: Most definitely, man. I'm just trying to get it together, actually living a normalized life. I'm not just this Bohemian Troubadour busking, or just a musician anymore. It feels like a whole different level for me, for sure. Luckily, I have someone that has been doing it and is a perfect role model for it.

Adrian, what do your kids think about you going up against Lil Nas X and Lizzo?

Adrian: I think they're secretly going for Billie Eilish. They jam to Lizzo, too, and Lil Nas X, man. It's pretty cool because I jam to their stuff, too.

Don't forget to tune in to the 62nd GRAMMY Awards Sunday, Jan. 26, live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and the Premiere Ceremony and Red Carpet live streams right here on GRAMMY.com—your home for all things GRAMMYs.

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2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List