Tony Tony Tony captured the pre-gaming portion of cuffing season perfectly on their 1990 track "Whatever You Want" and they even left a calling card. Do you remember the phone number?!

Just found this sub. Hello! I have a question that I've been wondering for years... Are urban radio stations only allowed to play billboard hits and slip in certain b-sides? I know so many songs that don't get played until it's a Friday night/Saturday night DJ mix or for sure holiday weekend. For example I remember for Labor Day weekend the DJ played "Denroy Morgan- I'll Do Anything and Joycelyn Brown- "Somebody's Else's Man" and thought to myself...damn! I ain't heard that song in over 10/20+ years. Lots of over looked tunes out there. Thanks for reading.

Maybe outsiders don't understand that an HBCU Homecoming is more than a party; it's a family reunion! It's a space to check in and pay homage to LOVED ONES; to reminisce, and reflect on growth! RL, Tyrese, Ginuwine & Case captured a sentiment between brothers perfectly on the hit from The Best Man soundtrack, "The Best Man I Can Be."

I've been thinking about how we decide which singers achieve commercial success and what determines whether an artist receives mainstream recognition. This question has especially interested me when thinking about Black singers. While some become household names, others build devoted audiences, shape their musical scenes, or preserve important traditions without receiving comparable recognition.

I'd love to discover more Black singers who are underrepresented in the mainstream music industry, whether they're emerging artists or more established singers whose talent, artistry, influence, or cultural contributions haven't received the recognition they deserve.

I'm curious about who you think deserves greater recognition and, more importantly, why. What makes their voice or music distinctive? Have they influenced a particular musical scene, preserved a tradition, or made a meaningful impact on a community despite receiving limited mainstream attention?

I'm interested in artists across genres, generations, and regions, so I'd love to hear about anyone who comes to mind. If there's a particular song that captures what makes an artist special, please share that, too!

You wanna talk about a signature quiet storm ballad?! Miki Howard had your auntie in a CHOKE with 1987's "Baby Be Mine!" REMEMBER THIS?!

Or Darlene Leroy or Arlene Leroy...

These are the only lyrics I can remember coming from a song I heard on the radio once just before I started my shift.

Multiple female voices, and the song was apparently written to support a black woman that had killed her abusive husband and was going through trial for that reason back in the...20s? 30s? 40s? 😩 Wish I could remember more details or lyrics.

Quick, quite "happy" tempo for the subject matter treated, and her name was repeated in the chorus.

I've been looking for it since 2014, and have asked the question on Reddit before but to no avail so far.

If it rings a bell, if anything in this story rings a bell, please let me know, I'd REALLY appreciate it ♥️.

Have a blessed day 🙏🏻

Hello! I've always enjoyed doo wop style oldies. Being from East Coast Philly Soul was my gateway. Especially those Youtube mixes. Brief Encounter, Kansas City Express, Sapphires, Emanons, Ink Spots,on and on and on. Particularly the rarer ones. But one question. . .why is this a beloved music of Mexican-Americans and/or "Lowrider culture?" Was there a particular radio station or historical opportunity for cultural blending? Was we in the trenches together during protest? It's just strange to see another culture have such as profound sense of identity through music that I strongly associate with African-American culture (well not that strange, it is American music . . .but I've never gone down this particual rabbit hole).

I'll admit initially I thought it might be another case of cultural appropriation? But I'd like to offer the benefit of the doubt because the relationship Chicano culture has with this music seems very beautiful and nostalgic rather than expolitative. Is it cultural appreciation? But it's strange because despite being culturally appreciated I never see it acknolwedged as Black music (And yes I understand we not the only people that sing this stuff). Did this music not come out of Negro spirituals and the Black church?

This is a monthly thread for you to get and give recommendations for Black artists to listen to

Some ways you might use this thread:

• Asking for recommendations based on what you already like (ex: "I'm looking for more artists that have that soulful sound", "I'm looking for new artists that have that The Weeknd "House of Balloons" sound to them")
• Asking for recommendations to learn about the genre or a subgenre (ex: "I don't really know much House music, can someone give me some of the best House songs/albums?", "I'm brand new to R&B, who should I listen to get an idea of what it's like?")
• Giving recommendations for artists you like. This could be its own comment or in response to someone (ex: "if you guys like _______, you should check out this underrated singer/rapper/producer")

If you're asking for recommendations, it's helpful to be as descriptive about what music you already like as possible.

Post your favorite song(s) by black artists and musicians (any genre as long as the artist/band is black), and the comments with the highest upvotes will be included in the r/LetsTalkBlackMusic Weekly Charts Playlist. The purpose of this playlist is to offer a diverse selection of music by black artists that our members like and that new members can discover.

All songs are welcome, but if a song is by a non-black artist or musician who isn't biracial or significantly mixed with black, it should not be posted here since this subreddit is dedicated to black artists and there are plenty of subreddits dedicated to them.

Here's how this works:

• One song per comment.

• The thread will be put into contest mode (randomized comment order).

• Upvote the songs you like.

• Please don't downvote!

•• Use Ctrl + F to check whether the song has already been posted if necessary

• Try to limit yourself to posting one or two songs.

• It's not required, but if most people don't know the song(s) you are going to post, please provide a link to it.

• Have fun!

Link to the chart playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ilyjz6EOYgOofSL46RGis?si=b47782a7c1a14b4f

Hey, does anyone know if anyone has taken the Zora Neale Hurston field recordings she did with the WPA and remastered them or covered them so they're in more modern audio quality? I really want to listen to them, but I can't even figure out how to download the originals from the library of congress page, and a lot of them are pretty terrible audio quality. I just want to listen to them like regualar music because their good folk tunes.
Library of congress link: https://guides.loc.gov/zora-neale-hurston/digital-collections

This is a monthly thread for you to get and give recommendations for Black artists to listen to

Some ways you might use this thread:

• Asking for recommendations based on what you already like (ex: "I'm looking for more artists that have that soulful sound", "I'm looking for new artists that have that The Weeknd "House of Balloons" sound to them")
• Asking for recommendations to learn about the genre or a subgenre (ex: "I don't really know much House music, can someone give me some of the best House songs/albums?", "I'm brand new to R&B, who should I listen to get an idea of what it's like?")
• Giving recommendations for artists you like. This could be its own comment or in response to someone (ex: "if you guys like _______, you should check out this underrated singer/rapper/producer")

If you're asking for recommendations, it's helpful to be as descriptive about what music you already like as possible.

The godfathers of drum & bass on unsung heroes, racist door policies and bringing some edge to Rage
The much-respected London DJ highlights the collective energy that created
UK dance music and the impact of structural racism on the scene
The bleep innovator on Sheffield's legacy of cultural integration and Black erasure in the media
The influential jungle duo reflect on how reggae culture infused with rave The legendary Bristol artist speaks on social diversity and the influence of early hip-hop
One of UK house music's original artists considers the sound's whitewashing The Manchester originator explains how Black creativity was often "swallowed by the system"
British electronic music is often

Post your favorite song(s) by black artists and musicians (any genre as long as the artist/band is black), and the comments with the highest upvotes will be included in the r/LetsTalkBlackMusic Weekly Charts Playlist. The purpose of this playlist is to offer a diverse selection of music by black artists that our members like and that new members can discover.

All songs are welcome, but if a song is by a non-black artist or musician who isn't biracial or significantly mixed with black, it should not be posted here since this subreddit is dedicated to black artists and there are plenty of subreddits dedicated to them.

Here's how this works:

• One song per comment.

• The thread will be put into contest mode (randomized comment order).

• Upvote the songs you like.

• Please don't downvote!

•• Use Ctrl + F to check whether the song has already been posted if necessary

• Try to limit yourself to posting one or two songs.

• It's not required, but if most people don't know the song(s) you are going to post, please provide a link to it.

• Have fun!

Link to the chart playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ilyjz6EOYgOofSL46RGis?si=b47782a7c1a14b4f

Check it out from Black Music Month co-founder Dyana R. Williams.

https://youtu.be/CE6AamIvWsA?si=sZ78SFKwjYSq2esz

This is a monthly thread for you to get and give recommendations for Black artists to listen to

Some ways you might use this thread:

• Asking for recommendations based on what you already like (ex: "I'm looking for more artists that have that soulful sound", "I'm looking for new artists that have that The Weeknd "House of Balloons" sound to them")
• Asking for recommendations to learn about the genre or a subgenre (ex: "I don't really know much House music, can someone give me some of the best House songs/albums?", "I'm brand new to R&B, who should I listen to get an idea of what it's like?")
• Giving recommendations for artists you like. This could be its own comment or in response to someone (ex: "if you guys like _______, you should check out this underrated singer/rapper/producer")

If you're asking for recommendations, it's helpful to be as descriptive about what music you already like as possible.

Hello!

Just sharing this great online store filled with black music in cds and albums.

https://blackmusicshop.com/

What happens when you release a masterpiece and it never gets released?

In the early 70’s musician Paul Pena found out the hard way. 🎶 🎸

Hear Paul’s story in the latest episode of the music podcast Dustbin Prophecies at: http://apple.co/44Hndyb