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GRAMMYs

2020 New Member Class Roundtable

 
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Recording Academy Invites Its 2020 Member Class recording-academy-invites-celebrates-its-2020-new-member-class

Recording Academy Invites & Celebrates Its 2020 New Member Class

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Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. says, "We'll continue to fight to achieve inclusive representation across gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and beyond within our community"
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 9, 2020 - 6:30 am

Today the Recording Academy invited more than 2,300 music professionals the join as its 2020 new member class. The invitees come from wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines. They have made important contributions to music and posess the potential to influence progressive changes within the music industry.

By the numbers, the 2020 class of invitees is 48 percent female, 21 percent African American/African descent, 8 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian American and Pacific Islander. The representation of this class also spans ages, genre and region. The Recording Academy's current membership is 26 percent female and 25 percent from traditionally underrepresented communities.

"We are proud of the strides we've made toward ensuring our membership is diverse and inclusive, which is reflected within this new pool of invitees,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "While this progress signifies meaningful impact, there's still more work to be done. We'll continue to fight to achieve inclusive representation across gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and beyond within our community. Furthermore, we’re excited to see how the contributions of the incoming new member class will help inspire meaningful change within the music industry."

Ensuring that the Recording Academy's membership is fully representative of the music community has been a longstanding goal of Recording Academy Trustees. In December 2019, the Recording Academy pledged to implement 17 of 18 reforms set forth by the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, including increasing outreach to diverse communities and doubling the number of women voters by 2025. Specifically, this means 2,500 new women voters by the year 2025. 

To celebrate the incoming new member class, GRAMMY.com Editor-In-Chief Justin Joseph hosted a roundtable discussion on June 24 titled "Your Academy: Welcoming the 2020 New Member Class." Featuring new invitees and existing members, the conversation showcased an authentic look into what it means to be a member of the Academy, the important initiatives worked on year-round, progress members hope to see within the Academy, and diversity and inclusion in the music industry at large.

“As part of the Membership Committee for the last year for the LA Chapter… this is what I tell everyone when we’re talking about Membership in the Recording Academy," GRAMMY winner John Legend explained. "As much as we all complain about who won the GRAMMY this year for this or that, and how we’re not being represented in the right way, we literally can change it by being there—by showing up, by telling or collaborators to show up and be there…We can literally be the change that we want to see in the Academy.”

Coming from the opposite coast, GRAMMY-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar also weighed in on the importance of the duty and value of being an active Recording Academy member during the roundtable.

“I became a governor in my local Chapter in New York, and the second I engaged on that level, everything really changed for me as far as understanding what the Academy had for me and what I could bring to the Academy," she said. "That give-and-take was very important to me, personally.”

This message of service resonated with the new members, such as Ozuna, the Latin trap/pop hitmaker who has been hailed as the "New King of Reggaeton."

“I’m entering the Recording Academy as a new member—even though I thankfully have had success early on and throughout my career—but I am still new to experiences in the music industry," Ozuna said. "On this zoom call, I’ve learned that I can influence in the music industry by doing more than just producing and making songs.”

classof2020-infographic_final.jpg

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 “At first I had the idea that the Academy was more of over 40, non-black men who would base all action on popularity and stats," admitted versatile singer/songwriter Victoria Monet during the roundtable. "Now learning more about what is actually happening, I think that’s important to communicate to my peers, because I think they also have no idea—they just want the GRAMMY—if they don’t get it, they complain and have no idea about the process.”

With this diverse new class enriching the landscape of the Academy, showcasing more talents from more areas of the music community than ever before, the view for many incoming members feels more like home, somewhere anyone can see themselves making a meaningful difference.

 “I had a realization one day," said rising artist Kiana Ledé. "Why can’t I be the girl that represents all the other girls that feel like me? I think that coincides with how I felt about the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy. I have definitely been the person to sit back and complain, and cry, and be upset when I haven’t seen myself being represented. And then I realized I have so much power within myself—to put myself in that position—to represent people like me. I can be that person to step out and do that.”

Seconding Lede's empowering words, GRAMMY-winning gospel legend and ardent advocate for music creators' rights Yolanda Adams talked about the education and opportunities Academy membership can help unlock.

 “It is up to us as artists to educate ourselves," Adams said. "We need to get ourselves informed, and the great place to do that is start with the Recording Academy’s websites, their webinars, all of those things are there just for you to make sure that your transition from non-member to member is worth it, because there’s so many things that are afforded to you through the Academy.”

Ultimately, the power is in the hands of the members, which underscores the importance of this year's class becoming involved in the process.

“As much change as you want to see, you can be the voice that makes it happen," said Legend. "If you want to get involved, if you want to make difference, you really have the ability to do so right away. You don’t have to wait until you have more seniority... You can come into these meetings right away, have your voice heard, and folks really want to be responsive to what you have to say.”

Tammy Hurt, Vice Chair of the Academy's Board of Trustees, backed up Legend's powerful words with some insight on what's keeps her passionately involved in the process. "One of my favorite things about the Academy is that everything we do is 100 percent peer-driven," she shared. "The process is driven specifically by the Members who serve the Academy. If there’s something that you love, that you want to get involved with, you’re passionate about, by all means. If there’s something you want to change, by all means. It’s rolling up your sleeves, showing up, engaging and being part of the process.”

In fact, the more than 2,300 new invitations extended today represent the continuation of the Academy's community-driven and peer-reviewed membership model, which was implemented in 2018 in an ongoing effort to be more representative and relevant.

"Building out our membership body is a process that encourages inclusivity from start to finish, and it's a privilege to extend invitations to the 2020 class of invitees that represent the wide-ranging backgrounds and crafts that makes the music industry so unique," said Kelley Purcell, Senior Director of Member Outreach at the Recording Academy. "These individuals will become the driving force behind the Recording Academy, and it's encouraging to see how our membership continues to evolve each year as we take steps toward building a more inclusive and vibrant community."

For more information on the Recording Academy's membership process and requirements, visit here. For full information and details surrounding the new class visit here.

The Recording Academy & Color Of Change Team Up To Promote Positive Change In The Music Industry

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Donnie Simpson

Donnie Simpson

Photo: Aaron Davidson/Getty Images

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Radio Legend Donnie Simpson On His Historic Career donnie-simpson-interview-radio-hall-fame

Radio And TV Legend Donnie Simpson On The Key To His Decades-Long Career: "I Don't Have To Be Great––I Just Have To Be Me"

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In honor of his recent induction into the Radio Hall Of Fame, GRAMMY.com highlights the broadcasting icon's celebrated career, his impact on media and culture, and his ongoing advocacy for Black representation in radio and TV
Eliza Berkon
GRAMMYs
Jan 6, 2021 - 3:43 pm

About five years ago, Washington, D.C., DJ Donnie Simpson emerged from retirement after a little coaxing from his wife, Pam.

"She framed it really [nicely]. She said, 'Donnie, everywhere you go, all you hear is how much people love you and they wish you'd do something else. And God has given you a gift that you should be sharing with people,'" Simpson tells GRAMMY.com over a Zoom interview. "That's what she said, but what I heard was, 'Get out.'"

The affable radio and television icon ultimately returned to the airwaves in 2015. Five years later, he received one of the highest accolades in the radio industry: Last October, he was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame, an honor recognizing his contributions to the radio medium over the last half-century. 

The honor is the culmination of the legend's celebrated, decades-long career in radio, which launched in the '70s when a teenaged Simpson got his start on the Detroit airwaves. At the time, he looked to a handful of local DJs as mentors, including the high-spirited Ernie Durham. 

"I did not adopt his on-air style, but I try very much to adopt his off-air style. He always carried it with class," Simpson said of Durham. "And that was the example to me: to always be kind to people, to look people in the eye, no matter who they were."

It wasn't until Simpson left Detroit, in 1977, and logged his first few years at WKYS 93.9 in D.C.––a station he would reformat and lead to No. 1 as program director––that he found his stride on air, he says. 

"It's something I always say, and it's so true: I don't have to be great––I just have to be me," Simpson says. "Being you always works because that's the spirit that connects us. That's the thing that makes you real to people; they feel you when you are you. When you're trying to be something else, they know that, too."

Simpson says he's long avoided listening to recordings of himself for fear that the inevitable analysis would disrupt the "magic" of what he'd helped create. That approach also extended to his TV career, which started—not counting a role he now laughs about on a short-lived dance show in Detroit—when he served as backup sports anchor for WRC-TV in the early '80s. Not long after, he began hosting a relatively new show on the then-burgeoning BET network. Simpson had concerns about whether the show was the right fit for him.

"BET, in its infancy, wasn't a very pretty baby. The quality wasn't there. I've always been protective of image, because that's all I have," Simpson says. "But after thinking about it for two days, I decided this: This is our first Black television network. If you have something to offer it, you have to do it."

The two-hour show, "Video Soul," which spotlighted Black artists at a time when MTV was almost exclusively focused on white musicians, became BET's highest-rated program at one point.

Jeriel Johnson, executive director of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, remembers watching "Video Soul" as a teen in his Cincinnati home. Simpson, he says, was a "steady presence of Black excellence."

"He was the face of BET," Johnson says. "He was just a staple, and he had such a calming voice and he was super smooth. I just looked up to him as a young, Black kid who loved music ... And I remember seeing him and being like, 'Wow, I could be on TV, too. If he can, I can.'"

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A post shared by Donnie Simpson (@donniesimpsonsr)

On the program, Simpson interviewed artists who were already riding the waves of success or were well on their way: Jodeci, SWV, New Edition, En Vogue, Mariah Carey, Take 6, Whitney Houston. Regardless of the star who graced the couch each night, Simpson took the same approach.

"For every guest I ever had on 'Video Soul,' they would bring me a bio with all this information on the artist … I wouldn't even read it," Simpson remembers. "That's the point of the interview, for me to get to know you."

Elise Perry, a producer and the president of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, worked behind the scenes on "Video Soul" in the '90s, a pivotal decade for both R&B and hip-hop, she notes.

"All of these different subgenres of R&B really started to have an uptick in the '90s, and the fact that BET was present visually at that time, representing Black music in that way—it was a very special time," Perry says. "There were a lot of Black folk there, and it was just like a party. It was where I got my 'master's degree,' I call it. Everybody was family … It was just like a mecca."

Read: Meet The Recording Academy D.C. Chapter's First Black Female President, Elise Perry

Simpson treated the crew like family and has continued to provide unparalleled support for the D.C. community over the years, Perry, a D.C. native, says.

"He's our family. He's our brother. He's our uncle. He's that dude next door. He's our neighbor. He's our friend," she says.

"Family" is also how GRAMMY-nominated producer Chucky Thompson describes Simpson, who had a big impact on him when he was growing up in D.C.

"I've learned so much about people from him, just the way that he's been excited about their careers," he says of Simpson. "It transcends to you. It's like, 'Wait a minute, Donnie's excited? Now I'm excited.'"

For Thompson, who helped craft hits for Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige in the '90s, "Video Soul" was formative.

"It was almost like another version of what 'Soul Train' meant," Thompson says. "But [Simpson] got even more personal with you because he was able to talk to the artists and give you a little bit of insight on what their journeys were … He gave me a lot of information on how to make it in this business."

"Donnie Simpson is the standard," Joe Clair, comedian, radio personality, on-air veteran and host of "The Joe Clair Morning Show" on WPGC 95.5 FM in Washington, D.C., adds. "My mom and dad loved him, my siblings love him and people from a generation after me love him. That is a testament to who he is as a broadcaster and what he means to us as a voice for our community. I've worked with him throughout  the years, and he's given me valuable advice both for career moves and for negotiating my worth. He is a shining example for a life in radio and television on your own terms."

Yet becoming successful in the business, including achieving financial success, wasn't an easy journey for Simpson. The DJ has been vocal about the need for equitable pay for Black DJs. In recalling his own path to multimillion-dollar contracts, Simpson turns to a lyric from Elton John's "I've Seen That Movie Too": "It's a habit I have / I don't get pushed around."

"I've walked out [on deals], because you're not going to get me for half [the] price because I'm Black; those days are over," Simpson says, adding that in Detroit, he made one-fifth of what white DJs were making. "That was a very significant part of my career, to be able to be a part of changing that narrative, to letting them know you have to pay Black talent."

Simpson has also advocated for stations to put more of the DJ back into DJing. In the past few decades, he notes, many DJs have watched their curated playlists and airtime drift away due to technological advances and the consolidation of station ownership.

"So much of its personality has been stripped from it," Simpson says of the art of DJing. "I play whatever I want to play every day, but that's the magic of it to me … I don't want a computer programming music for me, because every day feels different. And I like to be tapped into that feeling."

In 1974, Simpson played Elton John's "Bennie And The Jets" on his show in Detroit, a decision he says he fretted about because "Black folks didn't know Elton John." He played the song twice that evening and got an overwhelming response from callers. John himself was soon on the phone with Simpson to discuss the record's success in Detroit; he handed Simpson a gold record for the single six months later.

"It's music that you wouldn't traditionally associate with Black radio; it's Elton. But that was a lesson to me," Simpson says. "It's all music to me; I don't care who made it. I just care what it sounds like [and] if it fits what I'm doing."

The fact that most DJs no longer have the latitude to craft their own playlists is a big loss for radio, Simpson says.

"You have young people out here with great ears that will never get the chance to express themselves musically because it's all programmed for them," he says. "I used to love it when wheels would touch down in Atlanta or New Orleans [or] L.A.—wherever it was. I couldn't wait to pull out my little transistor radio and hear what they were doing in that city, because it was always different."

After Simpson learned he'd be inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame this year, he took a look at its roster of honorees over the past three decades. When he didn't see New York DJ and “Chief Rocker" Frankie Crocker and other Black radio icons on the list, the announcement gave him pause.

"These are voices that you should know about, some great talents through the years ... legends that have gone largely ignored," he says. "But I also, in my acceptance speech, acknowledged that the [Radio Hall Of Fame] is trying to correct that. You look at the list of inductees this year, with Angie Martinez, The Breakfast Club, Sway Calloway and me––man, it's like #OscarsTooBlack. It's a lot of people of color that went in this year. So they have recognized that, and I applaud them for that."

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_45kLpgQhm

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A post shared by Donnie Simpson (@donniesimpsonsr)

At a time when systemic racism and police brutality against Black people have come to the forefront of the national dialogue, Simpson says he feels compelled to speak out.

"If I were not on the radio, if I didn't have a microphone, I think I would still feel that responsibility to whatever people I encounter that I could talk to, to tell them how important this moment in history is for us," Simpson says. "I am so honored that I have had a platform for, now, 51 years to allow these voices to come on the radio or on TV and talk about these matters that make a difference to our community."

In 2010, Simpson retired from WPGC, where he'd hosted a morning show for nearly two decades, after contending with a "toxic" environment. But five years later, he was back at the other end of the dial on D.C.'s WMMJ Majic 102.3. Now, another retirement seems like the furthest thing from his mind.

"What's there not to love about it? I sit there kicking it with people I love. We have all the fun we can stand," Simpson says.

As praise continues to roll in from industry A-listers for his Radio Hall Of Fame induction, Simpson has advice for the many artists and listeners who now look to him for guidance as he once looked to his own mentors: "Be kind."

Each morning, Simpson takes a walk or run beside the Potomac River. While he says there's a health benefit to the ritual, he's got an additional reason to step out of his door.

"What I'm really doing is collecting smiles," Simpson says. "That's kind of my purpose: to bring warmth and joy."

Tune in for a special Up Close & Personal conversation discussing Donnie Simpson's career and life in broadcasting. Moderated by Jimmy Jam, the event premieres Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST via the Recording Academy's official Facebook page.

Beyond The Beltway: A Closer Look At Washington D.C.'s Vibrant Music Community

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GRAMMYs

Behind The Record

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Behind The Record Returns To #GiveCredit behind-record-returns-givecredit-behind-scenes-music-creators

Behind The Record Returns To #GiveCredit To The Behind-The-Scenes Music Creators

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The Recording Academy's global social media initiative to celebrate the music makers behind the records you love is back to give credit where credit is due
GRAMMYs
Oct 14, 2020 - 10:11 am

On Oct. 15, join the Recording Academy for Behind The Record, a global social media initiative celebrating the producers, mixers, engineers, songwriters, composers and all the creators across all music genres who work tirelessly to make the songs and albums you love. This year's launch is marked by a new animated film narrated by spoken word artist and Recording Academy Chicago Chapter President J. Ivy highlighting 33 album titles to help tell the story about everyone who works Behind the Record.

Behind the Record’s mission is to inspire a conversation around the importance of credits, while giving credit where credit is due, especially during a time when the music community needs it the most.

Launched in 2019, Behind the Record returns this year to honor the work of all music creators by highlighting their contributions through album credits. Last year’s campaign featured more than 3,000 credit covers created and shared by artists, reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world.

https://twitter.com/bandzoogle/status/1316386422111309824

We're thrilled to be a partner of @RecordingAcad's #BehindTheRecord-bringing the names of the producers, mixers, engineers, songwriters, composers, and collaborators who work behind the record to the front. Learn more about the initiative here: https://t.co/qNKgvVYhZh #GiveCredit pic.twitter.com/PeaQ5pgJZT

— Bandzoogle (@bandzoogle) October 14, 2020

To participate, artists can create a custom Credit Cover to post on Instagram and other social networks, using the hashtags #BehindTheRecord and #GiveCredit, on Oct. 15 where they can tag all the creators who worked on their record and invite other artists to do the same. The Credit Covers, which can be created for a single track or a full album, will live in a gallery on the Behind the Record website where music fans can view and discover the roles of creatives behind some of their favorite records.

New for this year, artists participating in Behind the Record can sign the #GiveCredit petition, an official artist petition urging all digital music streaming services to display complete credits for songwriters, producers, engineers and non-featured performers on albums and tracks, the same way lyrics are available to those seeking them. Sadly, liner notes were largely left behind in the evolution of digital streaming. As a result, artists haven’t had a platform to publicly recognize the incredibly talented musicians and creators behind the music we love. By signing this petition, we hope to change that for future music-makers.

Behind the Record is supported by the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing®. Jaxsta, the world's largest public-facing, dedicated database of official music credits, provided credits for Warner Music, Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Merlin releases.

Look for your favorite artists' Credit Covers on Oct. 15, and be sure to follow and join the global conversation on social media using the hashtags #BehindTheRecord #GiveCredit and #WeAreMusic. Together, we can ensure that all creators are recognized for their work and contributions Behind the Record.

Learn More About The Recording Academy's Behind The Record

Tayla Parx attends Mastercard GRAMMY U Masterclass

Tayla Parx

 

Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Tayla Parx's Industry Advice For Aspiring Artists tayla-parx-shares-industry-advice-during-her-grammy-u-masterclass-mastercard

Tayla Parx Shares Industry Advice During Her GRAMMY U Masterclass

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Leading up to the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, Tayla Parx shared tips and advice for GRAMMY U's GRAMMY Week event
Lily Moayeri
Membership
Mar 18, 2021 - 9:06 pm

In 2021, a music creative needs to be versed in all aspects of their career, not just the artistic side. Tayla Parx is someone who certainly understands the importance of being a multi-faceted artist. The chart-topping singer and songwriter has penned hits for Dua Lipa, Anderson.Paak, Janelle Monáe, Panic! at the Disco, Khalid, and Normani. She was nominated for the Album of the Year category during the 2019 GRAMMY Awards show as a writer for Ariana Grande's thank you, next. Parx is also a businesswoman (She has the Tayla Made record label, a publishing company called Parx Publishing,  management company 3020, and Parx Studios) and is a recording artist—her most recent album is 2020's Coping Mechanisms.

On March 11, Parx led a Masterclass, Powered by Mastercard, via Facebook Premiere for GRAMMY U's GRAMMY Week event. In the inaugural event, in collaboration with the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective, Parx shared her creative music industry expertise as well as her business smarts.

https://www.facebook.com/36736245747/videos/727752804562859

GRAMMY U Masterclass with Tayla Parx

Join us for a masterclass with GRAMMY nominee, Tayla Parx, as she discusses the craft of songwriting and being a multi-faceted artist.

Posted by Recording Academy / GRAMMYs on Thursday, March 11, 2021

Parx began the Masterclass by discussing creative entrepreneurship. She traced her beginnings in entertainment in her home state of Texas and remembered her parents' key advice: "be a student of my craft." She also spoke of coming to Los Angeles as part of Debbie Allen's dance academy and discovering her path as a creative. Parx shared that the "no's" she heard were what "built the whole adventure of Tayla Made."

She entered Babyface's Brandon's Way Recording as the youngest person and the only female. She remembered incredible teachers in this space who taught her how to collaborate. "When you get into a moment when you're uncomfortable in the best way…you're in the right place because you're stretching yourself as a creative," she shared.

Parx also spoke about management. The idea that "creatives don't do business," bothers her as "Creatives are the most likely to be taken advantage of," she said. Acknowledging that not all artists want to be involved with the business side, Parx said she preferred to build teams around her and to "Never let someone tell you there's only one way to do it." She wrapped this section by reminding the audience that they "could be the one that will create a new standard."

https://twitter.com/troy322/status/1370140122319106052

Me during this master class to get all the info I can from @TAYLAPARX can’t wait! https://t.co/KNOottfyUQ pic.twitter.com/PywL3en7PF

— Troy Sanchez (@troy322) March 11, 2021

The next portion focused on how Parx crafts a song. She broke down the structure of a song and how each part works in conjunction with the others. She spoke of the importance of understanding the vibe of the room and how having empathy can help others get connected to timeless emotions.

"A hit song is a true song," she said. "A song becomes a hit because of the fact that so many different people relate to it. As a songwriter, it's your job to create those records that are timeless for people that are hearing it for the first time."

Speaking on vocal production, she stressed the importance of keeping collaborators confident. "There should be no excuse for you to not be able to get your ideas out," she said.

During this portion, Parx pointed out that there are a lot of avenues for music. Not every song needs to go to the biggest artist or top the charts. "Longevity is the only real definition of success," she said.

In the third part of the Masterclass, Parx touched on creating the perfect team. The multi-faceted artist said the first step in creating one is by identifying one's weaknesses and finding the right people to help with those specific things. The team should be set up on a strong foundation. She is "Surrounded by creatives who want to see an industry that reflects their views," and who, "want to change the direction of what the new normal is."

The last part of the Masterclass was a Q&A with GRAMMY U students who asked questions via video. When asked about social media, she shared the importance of tapping into data and analytics. She also mentioned how key it is to line up with what fans want to. Speaking to marketing, she said publicizing yourself was just as important as the creative work. When the topic of mental health came up, she recommended practicing mindfulness, gratefulness and affirmations, which is what she does to give herself self-confidence.

On the topic of being a Black woman in the industry, Parx said, "At the end of the day, people are trying to find hit songs, they don't care if a purple person wrote it. What you have to do is understand that your voice matters in any room that you're willing to be great in."

The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Reminded Us That Artists Are Fans Too

Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone

Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone

Photo: Dylan O'Connor 

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Chaka Is Helping Black Texas Amid Tough Times how-artist-jonathan-%E2%80%9Cchaka%E2%80%9D-mahone-helping-black-residents-during-tough-times-austin

How Artist Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone Is Helping Black Residents During Tough Times In Austin

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The member of hip-hop duo Riders Against the Storm was helping bring light to Black musicians’ struggles in Austin when the recent Texas winter storm pivoted his plans to help the community through tragedy
Jennifer Velez
Membership
Feb 25, 2021 - 3:11 pm

Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone, who is half of the hip-hop duo Riders Against the Storm, was getting ready to produce a fundraiser livestream supporting the Black Live Music Fund he created in Austin when it seemed like the end of the world arrived. According to The New York Times, a catastrophic and deadly Texas winter storm hit, leaving as many as 400 million people without power the week of Feb. 20. 

Mahone established the fund to support Black musicians in the city financially. While the Texas capital has a liberal reputation, Mahone and other Black residents say it needs to address racism embedded in its core. Also, gentrification is pushing out Black and people of color. Black musicians face their own set of limitations in the city known to be the Live Music Capital of the World, and several have been open about the racism they’ve experienced in the scene.

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But when the storm hit in mid-February, plans for the livestream benefit that was supposed to occur on Feb. 19 stopped. Mahone, a community leader who has served in the Austin Music Commission and is a Recording Academy Texas Chapter member, pivoted to helping those affected by electricity loss since the state’s power plants were not equipped to handle freezing temperatures. 

Through the DAWA fund he created to aid fellow Black musicians of color and people of color who are “social workers, teachers, healing practitioners, and service industry workers,” he began to distribute money to people in the city, a majority of them Black. 

Mahone, originally from Pittsburgh, is well aware of Austin’s history with segregation and has noticed how gentrification is pushing out low-income people of color. When the pandemic hit, and it became apparent COVID-19 affected Black people at disproportionate rates, he saw that people began to notice what he had been observing. 

“There have been the beginnings of a shift that I think is going to ripple out into the future,” Mahone told GRAMMY.com in early February. Overall, city leaders “don't want to deal with the race question,” he continued.

When the storm hit, Mahone felt like the Black community just couldn’t get a break. “Gentrification and displacement, then a pandemic, now a hurricane-like weather-induced disaster,” he told GRAMMY.com via email. “It’s heavy.”

Now, as the snow is gone and the state copes with the aftermath, Mahone and his team are preparing to do another livestream shedding light on Black musicians’ experiences in Austin.

Mahone spoke with GRAMMY.com earlier this week before the release of Riders Against the Storm’s latest album Flowers For The Living, which came out Feb. 22, about how the Black community was affected during Texas’ winter storm. Via an upcoming livestream on their Riders Against the Storm FB page on February 26 at 7:30 p.m. CST, viewers can learn more about the Black music community’s struggles. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

What does Austin look like right now? What’s going on?

It's surreal now because it's 70 degrees. The snow is gone, but the struggle is still here. A grid failed.  The system failed (again and again). People's homes were destroyed, some died; just about all were traumatized somehow by this. But the sun is out, so it feels like last week was some crazy alternate reality.  It does feel great to know that people stepped up and came together, helping each other survive and make it through. It's a little wild because it feels like everyone wants just to get “back to it.” But I still need to process so much for this experience. There were so many lessons.

How is the Black community being affected?

It feels like we just can't get a break overall. Gentrification and displacement, then a pandemic, now a hurricane-like, weather-induced disaster. It's heavy. The storm made me feel the weight of it all even more. Despite the haul, we came together and stood strong collectively. We were hit hard by this storm, but we held it down for each other however we could. I think this gave us a look at the power that we have, and I hope it pushes us towards more collective action.

How are musicians being affected?

Musicians are like everyone else—finding a way however we can.

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What are some of the things you’re doing to help?

Last week, I raised and distributed over $20k in direct cash assistance through DAWA, and by week's end, it will be over $30k, most likely.  Building coalitions with orgs across all races and sectors, I helped facilitate food, shelter, and distribution centers throughout the city.  This week, I am recovering, processing, checking in with my community, and looking to build stronger coalitions for future emergency/disaster response and relief in the future.

What’s the toughest part about going through this unexpected event?

I think the toughest part will be the aftermath. Going through it was intense, but now that the weather is back to “normal,” things ease back to “normal,” whatever that means in 2021, we can't forget the lessons. We can't forget what we did together, without assistance from the government. 

We can't go back to sleep and just move along as if this didn't just completely rock our world. We have to become more resilient, more aware of our environmental impacts, be more vigilant with our coalition building, understand the equity gaps, and be more empathetic towards each other. 

This event didn't just affect poor people or people of color. The grid went out for people across race and class lines.

Any thoughts on city and state leadership right now?

So many thoughts, but I am going to leave that for another day. What I can say is this was bound to happen. Some leaders have been aware of this for years and did nothing because… money—a familiar story. We can't put so much 'power' in their hands.  We have to take it back. What that looks like is on all of us that know the leadership failed. My job as an artist is to make this new path forward joyful and visible.

Do you have more details about the livestream event on Feb. 26?

The Thankful event is a livestream featuring seven Black artists/groups from Austin. People should tune in to learn more about Black musicians’ perspectives in the “Live Music Capital.” The two-hour program is a fundraiser for the Black Live Music Fund, featuring artist interviews and performances. Anyone can tune in and enjoy the program. I'm also excited that the event coincides with our new album, Flowers For The Living.

The Recording Academy Announces Inaugural Black Music Collective Event During GRAMMY Week 2021: John Legend, H.E.R., Quincy Jones, Janelle Monáe, Issa Rae And More Confirmed

 
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