Summer Walker, Cordae among artists taking part in Amazon Music’s Black History Month commemoration
New songs, series, and livestreamed performances will premiere on Amazon Music's Twitch channel as part of its "Black Music Is..." initiative.
Amazon Music has announced that it will celebrate Black History Month with a flood of content, including new music, playlists, and live streams as part of its new “Black Culture Is…” initiative.
Among the events is a performance by Summer Walker at the Coca-Cola Roxy for the Atlanta homecoming show on Feb. 18. Walker’s set will stream on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.
The Twitch channel will also be home to numerous interviews, live performances, and series as part of its Black History Month celebration, including Hello, My Name Is, a collection of stripped-down, intimate performances by up-and-coming, progressive R&B and hip-hop acts. Each performance will be followed by a round-table discussion. Hello, My Name Is premieres on Feb. 16.
CONNECTED with Wayno, a monthly music talk show, will air bi-weekly. Hosted by hip-hop industry vet Wayno, CONNECTED features candid conversations with some of the most innovative R&B and hip-hop artists today, starting with an interview with rapper Cordae on Feb. 9. Launched during Black History Month in 2020, the talk show has previously featured Migos, Isaiah Rashad, Coi Leray, Vince Staples, and G Herbo.
Amazon Music recruited music experts to curate Black Culture Radio, a multi-genre, multi-regional, cross-generational station. Every week during Black History Month, the station will post a playlist showcasing a particular American region, with artists ranging from Patti LaBelle to J. Cole.
In addition to the livestreams and series, Amazon Music will offer new Amazon Original tracks from numerous artists throughout February. The first of the new songs is Wisconsin newcomer Unusual Demont doing a cover of OutKast’s “Prototype,” premiering Tuesday.
“I chose to cover ‘Prototype’ for the Black History Month celebration on Amazon Music because when I think of artists that have defined Black culture, OutKast is undeniably one of the many on that list,” Demont said in a press release.
“I feel like they—especially Andre 3000—have consistently stepped outside of ‘the box’ when it comes to some of the norms that were (and some still are) expected when you have Black skin. That’s always been something I really admired and found validating when I was younger growing up with a lot of niche interests and hobbies that my cousins and friends weren’t necessarily rocking with.”
The “Black Culture Is…” campaign comes from an aesthetic designed by creative director and multidisciplinary artist Temi Coker. The initiative will carry on past February into June, Black Music Month.
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