Donna Ross-Jones’ Post

It’s Black Music History Month! So, it’s only right we explore how Black music shapes marketing in our latest blog by LeeAnah James, MBA. From storytelling to brand loyalty, read on to discover how it’s had a profound impact on consumer behavior. #KulurGroup #DopeThinkersOnly Read: https://lnkd.in/erAVrQXv

Beyoncé became the first Black woman to hold the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with her single “Texas Hold ’Em.” Country music is big business. According to a report by Economists Incorporated, the music industry creates $170 billion in value annually to the US GDP, supports 2.47 million jobs across a wide range of professions, and accounts for $9.08 billion in export sales. The report also states that revenues in the music industry have a 1.5x multiplier on the broader economy, and there are 236,269 music-related businesses across the country. In Nashville, the music industry contributes $5.5 billion to the local economy, for a total output of $9.7 billion within the Nashville area. Music events are also an essential part of the local economy, bringing in tourists, creating jobs, and generating income for local businesses. Overall, the music industry has a significant economic impact on the US and local economies.

Unfamiliar with The Music Inclusion Hub? Created by Boulanger Initiative, Castle of Our Skins, and D-Composed, The Music Inclusion Hub provides high-quality, culturally-competent, historically-expansive, and diversity-promoting resources for educators and students grades 2-12, early college, and beyond, including a variety of learning materials, resources, and music scores. MIH aims to: - Provide educators with culturally responsive pedagogical tools and materials. - Expose young minds to the power of music, storytelling, history and their connections to today. - Encourage students to draw inspiration from and find relatability to Black history, historical figures, modern day Black contemporaries, and women and gender-marginalized composers. - Challenge the definition of who is a composer, introduce other genres of music to the conversation, and bolster a more just and equitable narrative of artistic excellence on a national level. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gGvB85Rr

Continuing our journey into the influence of Black Music on consumer trends, today's focus shifts to the authenticity and relatability of these genres and their strategic use in marketing. Jazz, blues, hip-hop, and R&B not only shape brand identities but also foster a genuine connection with the Black community by reflecting their real-life stories and emotions. However, leveraging this influence in marketing demands a careful balance to avoid cultural appropriation and ensure representation feels respectful and authentic. Successful integration involves understanding the music's cultural significance, engaging with Black artists, and aligning choices with brand values. This respectful approach enhances brand relevance, supports economic empowerment, and avoids stereotypes, demonstrating the power of Black Music in creating meaningful consumer engagement while honoring its rich cultural legacy. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackMusic #MarketResearch #ConsumerTrends #MRX #Marketing 

Meet T.J. King of Artist CTRL Music LLC! Learn more about how he's bridging the gap between creatives and business for #NationalBlackBusinessMonth.

I had a chance last week to join Cara Kneer and her incredible team at Atlanta & Co. to talk about Black Music Month and Atlanta's musical contributions. The conversation around equity has to continue beyond June. Here are my big takeaways on the issues in the industry as it stands for black artists and professionals and my proposed solutions to help make the music industry a more successful industry for all. The Issues:  We have little to no control of how the music comes out and is shared/framed with the public, the labels and system do. This prevents us from moving culture in a positive way. We have little to no control over finances. This creates opportunities where young people and young leaders can be taken advantage and "pimped out" for short-term corporate profits.   We have little to no control of the people. Sure, we are seeing more black executives than in the past, but in the system they are reinforcing the institution. When I was in this system I gave up my freedom to be able to create systemic change and I knew that. That change has to be done by means of getting the full trust that other groups have over their music (Latins running Latin music, Nashville people running country music) I KNOW all of this is because I was in this and lived this and when I tried to change things I got the boot. The Solutions: Grassroots community building - we as a black community need to start investing in each other and passing our knowledge on in an impactful way to the generation behind us. We need to bring awareness to our non-black friends to understand what we are up against and how this is actually preventing moving culture forward for all of us. Real ACTUAL inclusivity, not empty titles/positions where black leaders can't actually lead https://lnkd.in/er-kD3jS #blackmusicmonth #dei #diversity #equity #blackprofessionals #blackbusiness #musicindustry #music #entertainment #entrepreneurship #raydaniels

🚨 Bias Alert in Country Music: Time to Break the Gatekeeping Cycle! 🚨 Recently, Luke Bryan’s comment about Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter being snubbed at the CMA Awards exposed something much bigger than just a music debate—it reveals the deeply ingrained anti-Blackness and gatekeeping in the country music industry. Bryan's words, "come into our world and be country with us," reflect the long history of cultural exclusion. It suggests that Black artists like Beyoncé don't naturally belong in country music—a genre BUILT on Black musical traditions like blues and gospel. Yet, here we are in 2024, still seeing racial boundaries being policed, maintaining white dominance within these cultural spaces. 🌍 But this isn't just about Beyoncé—this is about systemic bias across ALL industries! We can't keep ignoring the cultural erasure and the marginalization of Black voices. Whether it's in music, tech, or the workplace, gatekeeping like this is holding us ALL back from true inclusion. 💡 So, what can we do? It’s time to break the cycle. Tools like Justice AI can help us decode bias and actively build inclusive environments, not just in music but everywhere bias exists. 👉 Want to disrupt bias and promote inclusion? Start using Justice A.I. today to break down barriers and build a more equitable future. Visit https://lnkd.in/g-9dPvmb #Inclusion #Equity #CountryMusic #JusticeAI #Decolonize #Bias #EquiBot #OyeMira

“Quote from Loren Kajikawa’s “Leaders of the New School? Music Departments, Hip-Hop, and the Challenge of Significant Difference,” published in Twentieth-Century Music 18/1, 45-64, 2020 (emphasis added): ‘Personally, I find it pretty wild that engaging Black culture too often involves strategically navigating whiteness. We operate in a system where white gatekeepers present Black culture for the white gaze. Black cultural spaces exist in isolation until they produce something that white people desire. White people rarely enter them until there is something they want to enjoy and eventually control. They exploit structural inequalities by using their capital, connections and other resources (like our grants/philanthropic culture) to control artists and art forms. They become gatekeepers. Sometimes they're scholars, experts, agents, managers, documentarians or non-profit heads. Access goes through them. They create organizations for these traditions and then only hire other white people. Imagine being Black and having to navigate white folks to engage something that emerged from your community. Imagine some white guy vetting you for access to your kinfolk. This is a process of cultural extraction. White gatekeepers use their resources to present these Black traditions to monied white audiences. They present performances, showcases and symposium in spaces far removed from the Black community. And, it's not that there's a lack of spaces in the Black community. It's because the cultural sector is dependent on the white gaze. The goal is to bring the margins to the mainstream because the mainstream won't go to the margins. The processes of white gatekeeping and cultural extraction perpetuate severe inequalities. Sure, these white-led organizations may have diverse programming, but it means very little to me if Black folks (and other people of color) have little access to it. Black-led organizations are resilient, but 'bending but not breaking' is woefully unhealthy. Black culture workers struggle to find any sort of balance between cultural respect, personal fulfillment and financial stability. It is a dirty structure that needs to be destroyed and rebuilt.’ ~Langston Collin Wilkins”

Examining Racial Bias in Grammy Awards: An Urgent Call for Equity In the realm of prestigious music accolades, the Grammy Awards serve as a pivotal platform for celebrating artistic excellence. However, a sobering reality emerges when we scrutinize the patterns of recognition, particularly regarding racial bias. Despite the undeniable talent and profound impact of black female artists on the music industry, it is disheartening to note that not a single black woman has been honored with the Grammy for Album of the Year in the past twenty-five years. This stark absence of representation underscores systemic issues of racial bias within the awarding process. While artists like Taylor Swift have rightfully received acclaim for their work, the repeated oversight of black female artists raises troubling questions about the fairness and inclusivity of the Grammy Awards. The failure to recognize the immense contributions of black women in music speaks volumes about the underlying biases that persist in the industry. It is imperative to confront and address these biases head-on, as they perpetuate inequality and undermine the true diversity of musical talent. By shining a spotlight on this glaring disparity, we are not seeking to diminish the accomplishments⬤

The Music Industry Shakeup: A Reflection on Power Dynamics in America In a tumultuous week that shook the music industry to its core, we witnessed a series of events that highlight the persistent power imbalances in American society. Here's a breakdown of what transpired and its implications: 1. Atlantic Records dropped 59 prominent artists in a sweeping move that sent shockwaves through the industry. 2. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, co-founder of The Roots and influential figure in Hip Hop, was reportedly detained and placed on suicide watch, though exact details remain unclear. 3. A wave of resignations followed, primarily involving long-standing Black executives across various music labels. 4. Sean Diddy Combes the King maker of Hip Hop , was arrested and remanded in custody, with bail denied twice by Federal Justices . These events serve as a stark reminder of the power structures that continue to dominate not just the music industry, but American society as a whole. It underscores that despite progress, control over key economic and cultural institutions remains largely in the hands of White America. This reality calls into question the rhetoric of figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who often stoke fears about shifting power dynamics. The truth is, the established power structures remain firmly in place, regardless of who occupies positions of visible leadership. For the African American community, this setback represents another missed opportunity for advancement and equal representation in a major cultural and economic sphere. It suggests that true equity and power-sharing in American industries may still be decades away. As we process these events, it's crucial to consider their broader implications for racial equity, economic power, and cultural representation in America. #MusicIndustryShakeup #PowerDynamics #RacialEquity #AtlanticRecords #HipHopCulture #AmericanPolitics #CulturalRepresentation