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Black Music Month: Celebrating Black Fashion At The GRAMMYs Throughout The Decades
Black Music Month: Black Fashion

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Black Music Month: Celebrating Black Fashion At The GRAMMYs Throughout The Decades

As Black Music Month winds down, bring that love and appreciation into the rest of the year with a rundown of Black fashion moments and vibrant looks throughout GRAMMY history

GRAMMYs/Jun 30, 2021 - 12:33 am

Black Music Month is about the whole package of human expression—both audio and visual. 

And from a GRAMMYs perspective, Black artists of all persuasions have consistently stepped out with eye-popping looks and unique threads.

As Black Music Month winds down, watch how leading Black artists and visionaries in music and culture, from Beyoncé to Stevie Wonder to Lil Nas X, have pushed the boundaries of fashion on the GRAMMYs stage throughout the decades.

Watch the celebratory clip above and click here to enjoy more GRAMMY.com offerings in honor of Black Music Month.

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GRAMMY Rewind: Beyoncé Celebrates God, Her Family And The Beyhive For "Drunk In Love" Win At The 2015 GRAMMYs
Beyoncé at the 2015 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Beyoncé Celebrates God, Her Family And The Beyhive For "Drunk In Love" Win At The 2015 GRAMMYs

Beyoncé couldn't help but praise a few special people in her life during her acceptance speech at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards, where "Drunk in Love" took home Best R&B Song.

GRAMMYs/Jun 9, 2023 - 05:00 pm

Almost a decade ago, Beyoncé unexpectedly dropped her self-titled studio album. Not only is the album credited for popularizing the concept of a surprise drop and shifting new music releases from Tuesday to Friday, but it also invented the modern-day visual album.

Adding to its legacy, Beyoncé scored the superstar three more GRAMMYs in 2015. In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit when Beyoncé won Best R&B Performance for one of the many chart-topping singles from her industry-altering album, "Drunk in Love." 

Her short-but-sweet speech praised a few special people in her life: "I'd like to thank God. This has been such an incredible year," she beamed. "My beloved husband, I love you deep. My daughter who's watching, Blue — I love you."

Before heading off the stage, Beyoncé closed her speech by acknowledging her loyal fanbase, the Beyhive. "Thank you guys for riding so hard," she proclaimed.

"Drunk in Love" also won Best R&B Performance earlier that night, and Beyoncé's self-titled 2014 album won Best Surround Sound Album.

Press play on the video above to watch Beyoncé's humble acceptance speech for "Drunk in Love" at the 2015 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

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Positive Vibes Only: Otis Kemp Celebrates God's Inspiration With A Glowing Performance Of "Daily Bread"
Otis Kemp

Photo: COURTESY OF REVIVE5.0 ENTERTAINMENT

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Positive Vibes Only: Otis Kemp Celebrates God's Inspiration With A Glowing Performance Of "Daily Bread"

Inspired by Bible verse Matthew 6:9-13, gospel singer Otis Kemp's single "Daily Bread" provides joy and relief from the unavoidable obstacles of everyday life.

GRAMMYs/Jun 4, 2023 - 03:40 pm

For burgeoning singer Otis Kemp, gospel music consists of two elements: praising God and radiating good vibes. "Sometimes people say I'm 'flashy,' but there's nothing wrong with showin' out for Jesus," he's said— and that's exactly the mindset he had with his latest release, "Daily Bread."

"I'm honoring you, Your Majesty and Mighty King/ Turn up my radio/ You're the reason why I sing/ Yeah, that's my song," he declares in the second verse.

In this episode of Positive Vibes Only, Kemp delivers a glowing performance of his moving single, "Daily Bread." He performs the track alongside a choir with interludes of hypnotic dance moves, only amplifying "Daily Bread's" uplifting energy.

"Daily Bread" was inspired by the Bible verse Matthew 6:9-13, and created to invoke gratitude and relief from the unavoidable obstacles of everyday life. The song even received a co-sign from 19-time GRAMMY-winning gospel legend Kirk Franklin, as "Daily Bread" was No. 1 on his SiriusXM channel's fan-favorite countdown for two consecutive weeks. And as of press time, the track is at No. 6 on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart.

Press play on the video above to watch Otis Kemp's feel-good performance of "Daily Bread," and check back to GRAMMY.com every Sunday for more new episodes of Positive Vibes Only.

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Press Play: Peter One Delivers A Serene Performance Of His Love Ballad "Sweet Rainbow"
Peter One

Photo: Courtesy of Peter One

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Press Play: Peter One Delivers A Serene Performance Of His Love Ballad "Sweet Rainbow"

After more than 20 years out of the spotlight, Ivory Coast native Peter One returns to music with new album 'Come Back to Me,' and an intimate performance of the B-side, "Sweet Rainbow."

GRAMMYs/Jun 1, 2023 - 05:00 pm

Ivory Coast-born musician Peter One had a prolific career in music during the late '90s, but after political unrest uprooted his plans, he turned to nursing to support his family. Last month, he triumphantly returned after two decades with his major label debut, Come Back to Me.

Amongst One's newest folk offering lives "Sweet Rainbow," an honest love ballad about a life-changing relationship. "Sweet Rainbow, I love you/ Wonderful baby, I love you so much," he sings in the track's opening line.

In this episode of Press Play, One performs "Sweet Rainbow" live, accompanied by a pianist and guitarists. Emphasizing the intimate nature of the song, he sings the B-side at night from a secluded forest.

"In this song, the girlfriend is like a rainbow because her background is of many different cultures. For one reason or another, we broke up, and I'm just telling her to come back and forget about the past for anything that happened. I'll forgive her," the singer revealed in a press statement. 

On May 6, One began the tour for the new album in Nashville, Tennessee, and will appear at the Newport Folk, Pilgrimage, and Rebels & Renegades festivals later this year.

Watch the video above to see Peter One's tranquil performance of "Sweet Rainbow," and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea
Franc Moody

Photo: Rachel Kupfer 

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A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea

James Brown changed the sound of popular music when he found the power of the one and unleashed the funk with "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Today, funk lives on in many forms, including these exciting bands from across the world.

GRAMMYs/Nov 25, 2022 - 04:23 pm

It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown. The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.

Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.

Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton, who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic, psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic. Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis, Silk Sonic, and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Thundercat, respectively.

In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.

Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels, while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic. There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin’s global sonic collage.

There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.

Say She She

Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.

While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism. Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and "Norma" is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers, from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."

Moniquea

Moniquea's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.

Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat.

Shiro Schwarz

Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.

Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.

L'Impératrice

L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.

During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo, is a sunny, playful French disco journey.

Franc Moody

Franc Moody's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.

Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether.

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