Tag: R&B

Harry Pinero and Henrie Celebrate Black Music and Culture on the Latest Season of “Who We Be TALKS_”

July 8, 2020

What happens when you combine the most relevant topics in Black culture, a Spotify playlist with over 600,000 followers, and two hosts who can find humor in just about anything? You get Who We Be TALKS_—the podcast partner to the UK’s biggest rap, grime, R&B, and Afrobeat playlist, Who We Be. The show, which has been running since 2018, recently launched its latest season with two exciting new hosts: Harry Pinero and Henrie.

The weekly podcast celebrates Black music and culture by offering insights directly from the people who help shape it. The episodes, which are recorded on Mondays and drop the next day, are centered around the hot topics of the moment. Each week, the duo is joined by a special guest, and together they share their unique perspectives on the most pressing issues in Black music and culture today.

We caught up with Harry and Henrie to talk about how they’re using their platform to amplify Black voices and why they choose to approach difficult topics with humor.

Who We Be TALKS_ goes hand in hand with the Who We Be playlist. Why is it not enough to just listen to the music? Why do we need both the playlist and the podcast in tandem?

Henrie: We can’t talk about Black music without talking about Black culture: They go hand in hand. It’s something that I think we all talk about without even thinking about.

Harry: The artists create music, but they all have a story. I think the podcast gives artists room to be themselves without being filtered. Some of the artists that have come on the show, Tion Wayne and Big Zuu for example, probably spoke more in-depth than they ever have because our platform is set up for them to do that.

Why do you think it’s important to have a playlist like Who We Be that combines music from Black creators across genres including rap, grime, R&B, and Afrobeat?

Harry: I think for a long time a lot of the Black genres have been umbrellaed under one category: urban. But it’s more than just that. The Who We Be playlist highlights dance, soul, Afrobeat, rap, trap music individually. It puts everything in one place where people can listen to so many different genres.

How have you switched up Who We Be TALKS_ for the new season?

Henrie: We’re now making it more about culture—it’s not just about music and the artist. When we talk to artists, yes, we talk about their latest project or song, but we get their take on what’s happening right now as well. When we had Tion Wayne in, he talked about Black Lives Matter. I think that is incredible to see something like that because you now get a different script of the artist. 

How else are you addressing the Black Lives Matter movement and tying together current events and music?

Henrie: If you’re interested in the music, then of course you’re going to be interested in what’s happening with Black Lives Matter, because the music is reflective of Black lives. 

Harry: When you strip away the job titles of artists or creatives, at the end of the day, these are Black people who are dealing with racial injustice. These are real emotions that they’re feeling. I think that anyone that comes on the show, White or Black, will want to talk about these things, because it’s affecting all of us. What we, and Spotify, are trying to accomplish here is celebrating our culture and saying that we are stronger together than we are against each other.

What do you think is comedy’s role in pushing some of these really important, serious conversations?

Henrie: Comedy plays an important role because even though life is serious, I don’t take life too seriously. I think that finding the lighthearted factor in these times is something that Black people just do really well.

Harry: I agree. I watched Dave Chappelle’s special “8:46,” which was very deep but also very funny. I respect Dave Chappelle because he’s got that balance where he can touch on very technical issues while still finding the humor. 

What are you hoping to bring to Who We Be TALKS_ that you’ve learned from your other work?

Henrie: I do quite a few things at the moment, including No Signal Radio, which recently announced a partnership with Spotify. That show has taught me a lot about myself. Because it’s Black radio, I don’t have to filter what I say or who I am. But at the same time, I don’t necessarily have to have an opinion there. On Who We Be TALKS_, it’s a part of the show. We need to have an opinion, and everybody gets to share theirs whether or not we agree with each other. 

Harry: I started my career on social media talking about real-life issues in the funniest way possible. Then I began hosting events, including one for Spotify. After I did the BET Awards and the BRIT Awards, I started to become more interested in music professionally. Now when I sit down and I talk to people in the music industry, it’s helping me broaden my understanding of the scene. I’m still learning every day.

What do you hope listeners will take away from the show?

Henrie: It’s not really meant to be rigid conversations. It’s meant to be how you would just chat with your friends if you went to their house. I want the audience to imagine us as their friends. See it as being an inclusive conversation as opposed to just an interview.

Harry: I want people to learn from these episodes. I want people to be inspired, to want to chase their dreams, to listen to music, and for artists to get streams. But I also want people to know that just because it’s Black culture doesn’t mean it’s just for Black people. There are a lot of different cultures within Black culture, and I hope this show is a place where anyone who’s interested in any of its many aspects can go to listen to their favorite artist, discover, and learn new things. 

Who We Be TALKS_ is available to stream exclusively on Spotify. Check out the first episode of the latest season, featuring rapper Tion Wayne, below.

Meet Lous and the Yakuza, the Belgian Artist Who Can Sing in Any Language

May 22, 2020

A subtle assortment of styles swirl together in the music of Lous and the Yakuza, the stage name of Marie Pierra-Kakoma. Across her first three singles, Pierra-Kakoma leans into snappy, minimalistic R&B (“Dilemme“), slinky, melodic trap (“Tout est gore”), and nuanced, introspective pop (“Solo”), all of which she sings in French with equal parts age-old poise and modern swagger.

Having penned her very first songs at the same time as she learned how to read and write—around age 6 or 7—Pierra-Kakoma found her calling early on and hasn’t doubted herself since. “I started writing and never really stopped. I was writing until my wrist hurt, but now I’m more relaxed about it,” she said to For the Record.

How Música Urbana is Redrawing Spain’s Musical Map

September 25, 2019

On a recent summer night in Barcelona, more than 10,000 fans sang along to Bad Bunny’s every word as the Puerto Rican star paced the stage. Their adulation was hardly surprising; the reggaeton heavyweight is one of the genre’s most popular artists. The venue, however, was less expected: This was Sónar, the long-running, avant-garde electronic-music festival, where names like Kraftwerk and Four Tet are more customary headliners. The rising rapper and pop star’s rapturous reception even here only underscored the extent to which urban music, known locally as música urbana, has taken over Spain.

The numbers bear out too. No matter how you parse the data, música urbana—an umbrella category comprising reggaeton, trap, hip-hop, R&B, and their offshoots—comes out on top. Among música urbana’s individual subgenres, reggaeton caps the list, followed by trap and hip-hop. Taking all of those categories together, música urbana has grown by 44% in the last two years and is currently the most-streamed genre in Spain.

Partly, these numbers reflect changing demographics in Spain—and, more importantly, changing attitudes. Federica Tremolada, our Managing Director, Southern & Eastern Europe, feels Spanish teenagers today “are used to having classmates from Ecuador or Colombia and hearing different accents from across Latin America. They are more used to sounds like reggaeton.” 

Música urbana has traditionally been driven by artists from the Americas—particularly Panama and Puerto Rico, widely considered the twin birthplaces of reggaeton, and Colombia, home to artists like J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma, and the Puerto Rican transplant Nicky Jam. But Spain is gradually emerging as a source of música urbana in its own right. Rosalía’s reggaeton collaboration with J Balvin, “Con Altura,” might be the most visible evidence of the phenomenon, with more 250 million streams to date, but in many ways it’s just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, música urbana by Spanish artists has seen 80% growth in worldwide popularity over the past two years.

Little by little, Spanish artists are beginning to carve out their own lanes within a genre traditionally dominated by Latin American musicians. The Madrid-based trap artist C. Tangana—one of Spanish música urbana’s biggest stars, with over 5 million monthly listeners—brings an unmistakably Madrileño attitude that sets him apart. Granada’s DELLAFUENTE draws upon his flamenco roots in music that fuses reggaeton, trap, and tropical.

And while there is no distinctive Spanish sound, says Federica, the fact that the worldwide música urbana scene is a big melting pot works in Spanish artists’ favor. “Listening to an urban song from Puerto Rico, Colombia, or Argentina, you can’t really tell the difference other than the accent and the slang they use,” says Federica. “I wouldn’t say there’s a sound to each region, the way there was maybe five years ago.” And the more that urbano artists collaborate internationally, the more exposure they get.

For example, Rels B has done collaborations with Latin American artists and worked with Latin American producers. Tangana has put out songs with Paloma Mami and Becky G. Maikel Delacalle worked with Sky, a super-popular Colombian producer who works with J Balvin. Those collaborations have helped Latin American artists find an audience in Spain, and Spanish artists to reach Latin American fans. 

The big question now is: What comes next? As música urbana connects Spanish-speaking audiences around the globe, it seems inevitable that Spanish artists themselves will continue to put their own unique stamp on the music—whether that means DELLAFUENTE collaborating with groundbreaking flamenco artist Lin Cortés or indie group Cupido releasing a remix of the hit single “Autoestima” featuring Lola Indigo and Alizzz.

With the Iberian urban scene growing at a fast clip, these are some of the Spanish música urbana artists to listen for: 

C. Tangana

Since emerging a decade ago, the Madrid rapper’s hypnotic delivery, futuristic beats, and savvy taste-making have placed him at the forefront of the Spanish scene.

Rels B

The Mallorcan rapper is the rare Spanish música urbana musician for whom Spain isn’t his No. 1 streaming market—it’s Mexico.

Lola Indigo

This Operación Triunfo contestant has parlayed collaborations with Mala Rodríguez, Maikel Delacalle, Lalo Ebratt, and Don Patricio into an effortless balancing act between pop and música urbana.

Maikel Delacalle

On both his solo tracks and collabs with Rels B, Cazzu, and Fuego, this Tenerife-born singer brings a serious dose of R&B smoothness to Spanish urbano.

DELLAFUENTE

Granada’s DELLAFUENTE represents his native Andalusia by weaving elements of flamenco into his music.

Mala Rodríguez

The Seville-bred musician represented one of the first generations of Spanish rappers back in the early 2000s, and her recent collabs with DELLAFUENTE and Lola Indigo prove she’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Alizzz

This Barcelona producer graduated from early releases on Diplo’s Mad Decent offshoot, Jeffree’s, to become Spain’s premier beatmaker, with dozens of records under his belt for the likes of C. Tangana, DELLAFUENTE, Becky G, Aitana, and even a pre-fame Rosalía on the C. Tangana collaboration Antes de Morirme.

Bad Gyal

The Barcelona artist is heavily influenced by Jamaica’s dancehall scene and is leading a wave of women making a major impact in the reggaeton and neo-perreo scenes, including Ms Nina, La Zowi, and Bea Pelea.

Interested in exploring more? Check out De Tranquis, Radar Urbano, and Leyendas Urbanas.

Spotify House of Are & Be Highlights Black Women in R&B and Podcasts

July 5, 2019

Essence Fest, held annually in New Orleans, LA, is the ultimate “Party with a Purpose.” The music festival serves to magnify the voices of Black female creators, and this year, Spotify’s House of Are & Be will help turn the volume up even higher. 

The House of Are & Be celebrates Spotify’s Are & Be playlist hitting five million followers. The house is also a multi-storied tribute to Black women in R&B and podcasts that includes an art gallery showcasing musicians and podcasters, recording studio, and performance space. 

Each of the six rooms on the first floor of the house are designed based on different eras in R&B. Album and podcast art on display tell the stories of true works of art from legends Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu, Sade, Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige, Destiny’s Child, H.E.R, and more.  

In the Bar Room, find The Classics. Move onto the Red Room for Neo Soul, followed by Contemporary R&B in the White Room. Things heat up in the Pool Room, which is a tribute to the many ladies of 90’s R&B, followed by R&B Excellence in the Dining Room and New R&B in the Backyard. 

Move from the first floor to the second and remember that Black women’s talents extend beyond music, with a podcasting studio and gallery showcasing six Black women-led podcasts including Jemele Hill is Unbothered, Dope Labs, The Nod, Still Processing, and Therapy for Black Girls. The focal point of the room is Jemele Hill is Unbothered, an honest, thought-provoking, always-entertaining weekly podcast that focuses on American life, culture, politics and more. 

Beyond the installations, Spotify House will also host a live recording of Jemele’s podcast, featuring Kamala Harris, The Black Girl Magic brunch and day party with performances from Summer Walker and Ari Lennox as well as an evening Are & Be Jam Session curated by musician and producer Raphael Saadiq.  

Black women have incredible stories to tell—and the Spotify House of Are & Be is handing them the mic.