Artists of Color #1
This is the first in a series of monthly playlists featuring artists of color — new and old — who have enriched not only my life with their art but the lives of so many others. So much of the music I’ve loved over the last 4 decades is either the direct product of BIPOC artists, or heavily influenced by artists of color. The recent events of the past few months have tasked all of us to do better and to look inward, and for those in a position of privilege, as I have been for much of my life, it’s created an even deeper appreciation of this music and the artists who make it. To learn more of their stories and struggles inside of an industry plagued with the same systemic racism as most if not all of the other institutions we look to tear down and rebuild with more equity for all people.
Like many of the playlists you’ll find here, it has been built without genre constraints but constructed for listening all the way through, whether on shuffle or in the original order. Enjoy it and remember to support those artists still out there making music today via bandcamp and other direct avenues. They can’t tour right now so many of the younger artists are struggling amidst the quarantine.
