Honour Black Music Month With Specials On Artists Who Made An Impact
In the Black community, music has long served as both a message and a refuge, from call-and-response spirituals to current hip-hop hits and beyond. As Black Music Month coincides with people coming together across the globe to fight racial inequality in light of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and many others before them, the need to uplift and amplify Black voices takes on even more importance. SiriusXM will pay tribute to Black artists’ irrefutable impact across countless genres with specials all month long.
Calling on Our Strong God
Kirk Franklin — who recently joined the weekly Verzuz series on Instagram for a special healing episode alongside Fred Hammond and Bishop T.D. Jakes — has been offering up hope while also covering pain, hatred, and other stumbling blocks in society with his meaningful lyricism on his latest, GRAMMY Award-winning studio album, Long Live Love. Throughout Black Music Month, Kirk Franklin’s Praise (Ch. 64) will continue to channel Franklin’s uplifting, honest messages by featuring 11 of his live in-studio performances, gospel music from iconic labels like Savoy Records, Light Records, Malaco Records, and Stax Records; and celebrity-driven Praise Together Playlists.
Cameo Concert
Waving your hands in the air like you don’t care has become a staple in both musical and cultural contexts, and primo funk band Cameo and their hit “Word Up” is to thank. To highlight the band’s iconic contributions to funk, dance floors everywhere, and Black culture, The Groove (Ch. 50) will be airing the band’s performance from the pool deck of the Soul Train 2020 Cruise. Shake your pants as Harlem native Larry Blackmon throws down “She’s Strange,” “Word Up,” and “Candy” on Saturday, June 13 at 5 pm ET.
Buzzing Live Performances
With its roots in the Black American experience, soul music continues to put artists’ emotions into their songs to this day, and Heart & Soul (Ch. 49) will be honouring Black Music Month with replays of live performances from the SiriusXM studios that moved the needle. Hear passionate, moving performances from Wayne Brady, India.Arie, and Raphael Saadiq every Saturday in June at 12 pm ET (see schedule below).
Saturday, June 13: Multi-GRAMMY Award Winner India.Arie
Saturday, June 20: Multi-GRAMMY Award Winner Raphael Saadiq
Saturday, June 27: Emmy Award Winner Wayne Brady
Top 1,000 Hip-Hop Hits
From Public Enemy‘s “Fight the Power” to Kendrick Lamar‘s “Alright,” it’s no question that hip-hop has always had a lot to say about the state of the world. Across the genre, Black musicians have been able to share their pain, their triumphs, and their pleas for justice through lyrical prowess over masterful beats. On Channel 177, listeners can hear hours of some of the best of hip-hop when the Hip-Hop Top 1,000 airs from Wednesday, June 24 through Wednesday, July 8.
Stay Inside with 5
Hip Hop Nation’s (Ch. 44) Stay Inside with 5 Home DJ Series has exclusively been bringing hard-hitting hip-hop to fans’ homes. Hear from some of the hottest artists every Monday (see the full schedule below), including Wiz Khalifa and Gunna, as they share their commentary, play their songs, and offer advice to stay connected during a time when it’s more important than ever.
Monday, June 15: Wiz Khalifa at 5 pm ET and Tyla Yaweh at 8 pm ET
Monday, June 22: Flipp Dinero at 5 pm ET and Maino at 8 pm ET
Monday, June 29: Gunna at 5 pm ET and Lil Mosey at 8 pm ET
RL‘s Supa Dupa FLY Playlist
The ’90s and 2000s saw the birth of many iconic music moments across hip-hop and R&B, from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album to Tupac‘s “Changes” and many more. In honour of Black Music Month, singer-songwriter and record producer RL — from Next, the group responsible for the enduring, legendary R&B hit “Too Close” — will be taking over
SiriusXM FLY (Ch. 47) to share his personal Supa Dupa FLY Playlist as he counts down ten of his favourite classics. Hear the special when it airs on Tuesday, June 16 at 4 pm and 8 pm ET.
Black Music Month Backstage Pass
For more iconic, contemporary hip-hop and R&B in celebration of Black Music Month, The Heat (Ch. 46) is granting VIP access as some of your favourite artists hit the stage. From H.E.R. and Usher to A$AP Ferg and Miguel, hear live performances to decompress, feel motivated to make a change, and more when they premiere on Friday, June 19 at 5 pm ET and air again on Sunday, June 21 at 11 pm ET, Wednesday, June 24 at 12 pm ET, and Saturday, June 27 at 5 pm ET.
Rock Hall Conversations with The Isley Brothers
When it comes to influential Black artists, The Isley Brothers — who famously released the 1970s revolutionary anthem “Fight the Power” — and their musically diverse, seven-decade career have had a permanent impact on the music industry. To pay tribute to said impact, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio (Ch. 310) will be airing a special 2019 live recording celebrating “Shout” turning 60 years old as Ron and Ernie Isley talk about the song, share memories of their Rock Hall induction, tell stories about Jimi Hendrix, and more.
The special airs on Friday, June 19 at 4 pm ET, Saturday, June 20 at 12 pm and 8 pm ET, and Sunday, June 21 at 10 am and 6 pm ET.
Rock Hall Conversations with Chuck D of Public Enemy
It’s impossible to talk about addressing injustice through music (especially hip-hop) without mentioning Public Enemy. The group’s powerful, defiant, and political messages have given a microphone to Black struggles in America while also receiving critical acclaim. To honour the group’s cultural contributions in light of Black Music Month, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio (Ch. 310) will be airing a special encore presentation of Chuck D‘s conversation at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Hear the legendary frontman discuss why hip-hop belongs in the Rock Hall, reflect on his group’s induction, and more on Friday, June 26 at 4 pm ET, Saturday, June 27 at 12 pm and 8 pm ET, and Sunday, June 28 at 10 am and 6 pm ET.
WAR
Funk originated in Black communities in the ’60s as a danceable mixture of soul, R&B, and jazz with its rhythmic, groovy basslines and can still be heard in countless hits today. War, in particular, has been celebrated for both their commercial success in the genre — particularly their album The World is a Ghetto, which was Billboard magazine’s best-selling Album of the Year in 1973 — and their transcendence of racial and cultural barriers. During Black Music Month, Soul Town (Ch. 49) will be airing War’s 2020 Soul Train Cruise jam session on Sunday, June 21 at 5 pm ET.
Check back for even more specials honouring Black Music Month all throughout June.
