Mississippi is the state most associated with blues music, but North Carolina also has a rich blues history. The state is known for Piedmont blues, which is characterized by a unique method of guitar fingerpicking. Blind Boy Fuller of Wadesboro was a popular Piedmont blues guitarist. He played for tips outside of tobacco warehouses in […]
On the extended version of his 1988 single “I Wish U Heaven,” Prince sang “Take this beat / I don’t mind / Got plenty others / and they’re so fine!”
Prince & Beyoncé’s opening performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards may as well have been the opening and closing performance.
On August 3, 1983, Prince played a benefit concert at First Avenue, the Minneapolis club he would immortalize a year later in his film Purple Rain. That same night, Prince debuted several new songs that would appear on the soundtrack to that film. When the Purple Rain album was released, three of the performances from […]
Kurtis Blow. Run DMC. MC Lyte. Eric B & Rakim. Dana Dane. Slick Rick. The list of hip-hop pioneers is long and their musical resume even longer. Hip-hop culture was founded in the 1970’s in the South Bronx, but it’s national presence began to emerge in the early to mid-80’s. Since that time, hip hop […]
Prince Markie D, Kook Rock-Ski and The Human Beatbox were The Fat Boys, a successful American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City, that emerged in the early 1980s. Briefly, the group was known originally as the Disco 3.
Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide blessing and redemption, and express a soul’s sublime and powerful beauty. It inspires us daily, giving voice to the human spirit. For many, including the African-American community, music unites individuals through a shared heritage. During African-American Music Appreciation Month, we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of African-American singers, composers, and musicians, as well as their indelible contributions to our Nation and our world.
From WhiteHouse.gov: Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide blessing and redemption, and express a soul’s sublime and powerful beauty. It inspires us…
Diarra Mayfield, better known to most as DJ DR (that's Dee R, not doctor), hails from Philadelphia, but has earned the right to be called a Charlotte native. A graduate of Garinger High School and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Diarra is a beatmaker and producer by trade. DJing is his second job, and he's darn good at it. So, Diarra, when did you fall in love with music?
jubilee (Biblical) – 1. in Hebrew Scriptures, a year of rest to be observed by the Israelites every 50th year during which slaves were to be set free. 2. celebrations held by African-American slaves, usually at Christmas and Easter, which included respite from labor, feasting, music and dancing.
Promoter Michael Kitchen is on a mission to bring neo-soul and conscious hip-hop artists to Charlotte. In the last five years, he’s booked concerts with artists such as the Roots, Raheem Devaugn, Dwele and Laura Izibor at Charlotte clubs and venues. Last week, Kitchen, also known as Kitch, brought rapper Common to the Forum. Talib […]
