Racism and discrimination still appear to exist in the music industry generally and in the hip-hop and R&B scenes in particular. I suppose you are saying “Bernie is on his soapbox again,” and you are correct.
If I had the power, I would add ethnicity and black music culture to the existing non-discrimination bill, which prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing and promotion discrimination based on race, color, disability, national origin, age, religious affiliation and gender.
I am deeply concerned at the apparent discrimination shown against black recording artists by radio stations directed to a predominately African-American consumer. The music industry and black radio stations are more segregated today than during the times when black music was ignored by white and top 40 radio stations 40 years ago.
Do you believe local soul and R&B stations represent black music, or do they only favor the hip-hop and rap artists as if they’re the only important languages in the community?
Hardly any of the so called hip-hop and R&B stations play blues recordings. It is an act of segregation disguised as accommodation.
It’s bad enough being ignored by the pop stations. But when the same people whom some of these artists made successful, such as black station owners and black music directors, practice discrimination against us, it gets really frustrating.
“Black music” is a term encompassing music produced or inspired by black people. In the 20th century, this term has come to usually refer to the music genres of African-American music around the planet, especially in urban areas. Today many urban programmers deny soul artists’ access to an audience that had previously been ruled by white men and white women.
These stations have the nerve to claim they represent the music of the black community and performers who were largely ignored or misrepresented by the mainstream radio stations, when all they have done is to divide black music into two factions. For real soul artists to be heard, they are labeled as ‘Southern Soul” or “Southern Blues” artists.
For an illustration, the Billboard hip-hop and R&B charts list Chris Brown as #1 followed by Trey Songz, Jazmine Sullivan, Monica, Usher, Drake, Waka Flacka Flame, Usher featuring Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys.
No Shirley Brown, Bobby Rush, B.B. King, Bobby Bland or the like. These singers and musicians are listed on The Boogie Report, The Southern Soul Network, The Southern Blues Network, America’s Blues Network or the Soul and Blues Report.
The Southern Blues connections feature Stan Mosley, Barbara Carr, Uvee Hayes, Pat Cooley, Charles Wilson, Wendell B and other popular black entertainers. The disconnection was established in order to separate and divide certain African-American performers and to take control of and have power over the industry.
Soul music contributed to the vibrant social climate of the Black Power era, and it should be remembered how African-American music has shaped and reflected identities in the black community.
Southern Soul and Blues artists want to defend their language, culture and customs, and it’s deeply offensive and condescending for them to be excluded and not to be aired on black stations. You should demand from your so-called black stations to include African-American soul and blues performers to their music playlists.
Please listen the Bernie Hayes radio program Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. on WGNU-920 AM, and watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Friday morning at 9 a.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24. I can be reached by e-mail at: berhay@swbell.net.