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As we mark the 36th anniversary of Black Music Month, I am grateful that there is a time dedicated to commemorating and celebrating the significance of black music. I have been in the music industry for over 40 years, and have had the privilege of witnessing the amazing evolution of black music. As a former senior executive at a major record label, I have helped oversee history-making records and cultivate superstar acts such as Destiny’s Child and Alicia Keys, to name a few.
Having experienced so much in this industry, I can honestly say that while Black Music Month is wonderful, we can’t ignore the fact that the state of traditional black music IS NOT. Today, there are hardly any black music divisions at major record labels. In the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s, there were divisions, departments and labels focusing primarily on the genre of black music — I know because I ran the black division at Sony for many years and I helped create So-So Def with my son, Jermaine Dupri, in 1993. Not having those divisions today and having only a handful of African-American music executives limits opportunities and support for black artists, particularly if they’re not hip-hop or hip-hop-leaning R&B artists.
Without these components at record labels, we are overlooking a wide array of talent for the next generation. The artists who do manage to make it big oftentimes have to have the hottest producers on their tracks.
