Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) 9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 When: May 4, 1959 What: At the first ever Grammy Awards, legendary songstress Ella Fitzgerald and bandleader Count Basie become the first African Americans to win Grammy Awards. « PREVIOUS NEXT » In celebration of Black Music Month, TheUrbanDaily’s “It’s All Black […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) Early office of Luke Skyywalker Records. 1205 N.W. 54 St.Liberty City, Miami, Fl 33142 When: 1986 What: Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell launched the independent Luke Skyywalker Records (eventually changed to Luke Records after a George Lucas lawsuit) which finds great success as the recording home to acts […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) Grace Temple Church 4200 E Berry St Fort Worth, TX 76105 When: July 25, 1992 What: Kirk Franklin’s debut album Kirk Franklin & The Family was recorded live at Grace Temple Church, Fort Worth, Texas on July 25, 1992. The album was certified Platinum on November 14, […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare)St Clair Ave & E 99th St, Cleveland, OH 44108 When: June 13, 1995 What: The first single off of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s debut album E. 1999 Eternal referenced the day of the month when welfare recipients received their checks. It was the group’s first hit and was nominated […]
There was a time when you could cut on the radio and listen to what us old folk (and I use that term loosely) call good music. You know what I’m talking about. The music that speaks to your soul. That could make you laugh, cry, and recall that time when … Singers like Marvin […]
Kenny Gamble and Ed Wright created Black Music Month! Gamble credits his inspiration for starting it to the evolution of the NATRA (National Association of Television & Radio Announcers). “At one of its annual conventions, there were discussions on how it could evolve into something different, as NATRA had fallen on some hard economic times. […]
June is the national month to celebrate and recognize black music but it seems like the designated time frame has become less important than previous years. Frequency Magazine evaluated the cultural significance of black music month in their latest issue noting that president “Obama, to date is the first POTUS not to hold (or attend) a […]
Black music icons of the 1960s look the most different from how they do now. In the 1960s there was Motown, miniskirts, beehive wigs and sharp suits. Take a look at what some of the decade’s biggest stars looked like then…and what they look like now: Are These BP Artists Good Enough to Get Signed? […]
We all know the queen is blessed with many different talents which is why she is always working. Queen Latifah started out beatboxing for a female rap group Ladies Fresh. Later she became an original member of Flava unit, a crew of MCs and a producer named DJ Mark the 45 King who recorded Latifahs […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) Polaris High School10701 Kilpatrick Avenue Oak Lawn, IL When: Summer, 1995 What: The pop icon, rapper, super-producer and controversy-starter grabs his high school diploma, and embarks on the journey that will define his life and career. Not long after graduation, he links up with mentor No I.D., […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) Lincoln Center 10 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023 When: August 1981 What: B-boy pioneers the Rock Steady Crew battled their rivals, the Dynamic Rockers, to a packed crowd of fans and passersby alike, and news crews captured the heavily self-promoted event. « PREVIOUS NEXT » In celebration […]
Where: (click below to visit venue on Foursquare) The Hitsville Museum 2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48208 When: April 14, 1960 What: Originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr., “Hitsville” became one of the first black-owned record labels. With its iconic artists and songwriters like Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Supremes and The Jackson 5, […]
