Memphis is known as the origin place of so much American music. It’s easy to wax poetic about the topic in an overly general way– locals and visitors alike know Beale Street as the home of the blues, and many know Memphis as a place where labels like Stax Records, & Hi Records (Royal Recording…
It’s no surprise that Memphis is full of talented musicians in the Black community. What you may not know is many of them happen to be tied to each other in one way or another. Whether they are close friends, met a few times at a local concert, or happen to be family, this is…
By Jayne Ellen White As a top session and touring saxophonist, Kenneth Whalum rose quickly in the music industry working with artists that are household names— but he has also carved a deep and unique niche as a modern solo artist. Whalum’s genre may be most related to alt-soul, but his secret to songwriting is…
By: Brianna Smith-Herman After years of talking about Juneteenth, last year, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on June 17, 2021, recognizing Juneteenth as an official federal holiday after the House passed legislation that establishes June 19th as Juneteenth National Independence Day. Juneteenth celebrates the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the…
By Zachary Corsa It might be a bit circumspect to call the legendary Memphis hip-hop scene an ‘anomaly’, but in the context of a dangerous, complicated city with such a towering musical legacy, the term makes sense. The rap game’s flourished here entirely on its own terms, far from Sun and Stax, far from Graceland…
If you’re wanting to find ways to celebrate or give back this Pride Month here in Memphis, thankfully this city has plenty of opportunities to do so. Between all of the events this month alone and the many organizations that can use donations and volunteers, you’ll certainly find something to do this June! Here are…
By Kierstyn Pryor Musical artists, regardless of their individual talents, always have a team of equally talented creatives behind them. Whether it be for their live shows, videos, or even their songs, sometimes it takes a proverbial village to execute every idea to the fullest degree. With that being said, songwriters play a huge role…
