#Black Music Month And Tiny Desk’s Far-Reaching Impact

[ausetkmt]

Bobby Carter is slowly changing the music industry, one genre-bending performance at a time. As the Senior Producer for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts, he’s brought on an increasingly-growing roster of emerging artists, big names, and icons to the company’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. to perform not only for the building’s employees, but for an audience of millions worldwide.

The St. Louis native’s journey has been long and arduous, but fulfilling, to say the least. “I’ve been at NPR for 23 years,” Carter tells ESSENCE. “But my route to where I am now was a bit unconventional; I started out as an intern in the summer of 2000. I was in the digital media space at the time, my job was to edit our content for the web stream. I spearheaded or managed our live streams – and this predated Tiny Desk.”

“I knew at some point I wanted to get involved with music at NPR, but that opportunity wasn’t there yet until NPR Music came along,” he continues. “I slowly started to drift over into the music space by writing pieces here and there, and contributing to our year-end content. In 2014, that’s when I produced my very first Tiny Desk concert, and three years later I was officially over with Tiny Desk in a formal role.”

Since his full transition to Tiny Desk in 2017, Carter has developed partnerships with Complexcon, and HBO’s Insecure, along with creating new initiatives to grow and diversify the program’s reach. He’s also known for further innovating the Tiny Desk Concert Series with artists such as Usher, H.E.R., Anderson.Paak, Jazmine Sullivan, Kirk Franklin, and more. The process of choosing musicians for the now-iconic performance platform has shifted from the time of its inception, but for Carter, he’s more hands on than ever.

“Well, early on it was a lot of us pursuing artists from our end and selling artists on what the concept is and getting them to come and play,” describes the Jackson State University graduate. “Fast-forward to now, it’s pretty much a two-way street. Tiny Desk, as you’re aware of, has become a phenomenon of sorts, where artists and labels know at this point that it’s a vehicle for promoting music and selling music.”

While many musicians feel that Tiny Desk is critical to promoting their music, Carter has found that the promotion of Black music has been equally as important. “I’m really passionate about helping to tell the story of Black music, because the story of Black music is the story of American music, if you ask me,” he says. With the month of June being Black Music Month, NPR has observed it by honoring Black music’s influence through various mediums, and highlighting its impact so that the story is told properly.

“You can’t tell the history of music without black people,” the veteran DJ says. “What we’re trying to do here at the Tiny Desk with Black Music Month is to really present that in a way that shows us in different lights. You have R&B, gospel, etc.; there’s just so many layers to black music that have made American music what it is today. It’s a story that isn’t told enough, it can never be told enough.”

Outside of jazz the only other true artform produced in the country is hip-hop, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. During his earlier days at the platform, Carter speaks about the “internal conflict” that he has dealt with to get people to recognize that hip-hop and artists like Gucci Mane also need to be heard in a space like NPR. 

“I think that there is a struggle to be sure that every single perspective is heard, and understand that whether or not a they’re a street MC or a trap artist or a neo soul artist, that they all belong, their perspective deserves to be heard at the Tiny Desk, as long as the performance is right,” he says. There were people who were uncomfortable with a Gucci Mane at the Tiny Desk, given his history and whatnot. But he served his time for his wrongs, and he has been the ultimate redemption story.”

The Atlanta rapper’s appearance on Tiny Desk altered the trajectory of what the concert series was, helping to catapult it to the successful platform that it ultimately became. “I think that Gucci Mane, that Tiny Desk was a big, big game changer for the Tiny Desk in terms of hip hop, because it showed other artists in his lane that, ‘We can come and we can do our thing here too,’” Carter states, before pausing briefly.

He continues by saying, “There is an internal fight, because a lot of times people want to feel comfortable, they don’t want to feel threatened by hip hop. But if you’re a little uncomfortable, that’s okay – maybe it’s just not for you, but it is for somebody.” After Gucci’s performance in 2016, Tiny Desk featured Chance the Rapper, Big K.R.I.T., Rakim, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, and Trina, among others; bolstering the fact that the genre is still strong, and is here to stay.

Throughout the years, many legendary performances have taken place behind the desk of the All Songs Considered’s host Bob Boilen. Tiny Desk has risen to the heights of popularity, and is now a staple in today’s culture. Carter, who helped build it to what it is today, understands the task at hand, and knows how special this platform is. “I feel like it’s part of my duty to continue to do this,” he says. Not only continuing to push current stars and rising artists to the forefront, but also giving flowers to legends like El Debarge, Patti LaBelle, Charlie Wilson, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and more.

“I think that it helps to bridge that gap and it helps to bring the youth over to these legendary legacy artists, and to remind them of their greatness,” Carter explains. “I think a lot of times  when I bring some of the artists that I bring to the Tiny Desk, this should serve as a reminder of their status in music.”

“So, I feel the ultimate responsibility, from a cultural standpoint, is to show people and use our huge audience to spread awareness about these artists,” he continues. “To grow and continue to be a voice for black culture, and for diversity as a whole.”

[momentsinsong]

Moments In Song No. 023 - Kotic Couture

Authentic. That’s one word that can be used to describe Kotic Couture’s current mindset. From their music, to their marketing, Kotic is making sure to put their genuine self in everything that they do, regardless of who cares. We talk to the artist about intersectionality in Hip-Hop, their love for relatable lyrics, and the never-ending journey towards authenticity.

Listen to Kotic Couture’s playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Words and photos by Julian.

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Julian: The first thing I noticed about your playlist is that a lot of the songs are introspective and thought provoking. There’s maybe only one or two celebratory party songs on there. Was that a conscious choice you made or just something that ended up happening? 

Kotic: It’s funny because I didn’t realize how introspective I was until the beginning of the year when I put a song and my friends were like, “You’re very conscious of yourself when you  write.” Looking at the songs on the playlist, it does include songs that I casually listen to, so it wasn’t really a conscious decision, but it was interesting to see the artists that I like and how they reflect on things and how that comes into my everyday life. I feel like I’m always thinking about shit or being conscious of how I move. I didn’t realize how much that was reflected in the music I listened to until I started looking at my playlist. 

Are those reflective songs new songs you’ve been listening? Or are some of them songs you’ve always loved?

I’ve always always always always listened to “Save Me” by Nicki Minaj. Since “Pink Friday” came out it’s been one of my favorite songs. I’ve literally been listening to “Ctrl” for the last 2 months. That’s why “Drew Berrymore” is my go to song right now. It’s just such a great song. Even “Family Business” by Kanye and “Daddy Lessons” are songs I’ve always cycled through. But as of recent “Drew Berrymore” has been on repeat everyday. 

You mentioned earlier the reason why that song sticks out so much is because it puts into words what you may not always be able to? 

Music is such a beautiful thing. A lot of times you think you’re the only person who’s experiencing something and I just think that SZA....SZA and I are very close in age and so I think that album and the way that she wrote it is for people of our generation. It’s very relatable. So as I’m growing and experiencing more things, and experiencing relationships, or different career goals, that was one of those songs that makes sense. It puts my emotions into words. I didn’t know how to say it but this song says it. 

When working on your own music, is expressing those not-so-easy-to express emotions through writing a skill you’ve developed over time or is it something you’re still developing? I also know that you are really into the club music scene, so is that more introspective side something that was always present at the beginning of your career?

I’ve always loved singer-songwriters, but it always felt like I had to make party music or club music because I was always in clubs. But as of late, and especially since we’ve all been quarantined, I feel a little bit more adventurous with expressing myself and wanting to challenge my writing. When I look onto the internet, or look on Twitter, or talk to people, a lot of people feel underrepresented and they want those songs to make them feel how “Drew Berrymore” makes me feel. They want something real, they want something relatable. This is what’s going on in my life. Just recently I came to terms with the fact that I’m not on the radio right now. I really don’t have a desire to be on the radio right now. I want to make music that feeds people’s souls and means something. That’s been a recent shift that’s starting to be reflected in my writing a lot more.

I honestly think that’s where you find longevity. Searching for just that radio play….

It’s going to fizzle out. 

Yeah, and like you said earlier when you’re really making that impact on people’s lives  and speaking to what they want to hear, that’s how you reach longevity and stay on people’s ears and minds.

People just want to be understood. And they want to express things to others, and sometimes that’s through music. It can be a conversation starter as well. 

Are some of the artists on this playlist big musical influences when you were growing up? Or are there some not on this playlist that you could tell us about?

Definitely coming up as a rapper Nicki, Missy Elliott, Left Eye. Missy and Left Eye are the reasons I started rapping. Even M.I.A. I always knew club music, but even outside of that I didn’t have a lot of exposure to different types of music. So my friends would hear Electronic music and say, “Oh that’s white people music.” So when I heard “Galang” for the first time and saw the visual I was like, “Oh shit!” And then I found out about Santigold and all these other artists, and it kind of opened up another world for me. It let me know I can make these different types of music, and pull from these different influences.

As of right now I’ve been experiencing a lot of influence from R&B music. Along with “Ctrl” I’ve been listening to “Shea Butter Baby” by Ari Lennox non-stop, literally. Tidal does a “most listened to” playlist for the month and my July playlist was one song and then the whole “Shea Butter Baby” album and “Ctrl.”

What about Missy Elliott and Left Eye specifically inspired you to make music?

I never connected with male figures growing up. Male rappers never talked about anything that I thought was relatable, or anything that I really liked, until Kanye came out. So hearing Missy, and hearing Left Eye, these artists are talking about things that I was relating to. They’re both super creative. I feel like they’re opposite ends of the spectrum where Missy is so out there and iconic visually and is dangerous as a songwriter, Left Eye was very upfront and vocal about her beliefs and the way she felt about things. I feel like it was the marriage of the two of them that built me as a person, even to the point of me standing up for what I believe in. I remember listening to a TLC interview and they said in the “Creep” video Left Eye didn’t agree with the message so she wore tape over her mouth and didn’t want to put a verse on the song. So it’s things like that that remind me to say what I feel and to always be ahead.  

I feel like you can also see that with some of the newer artists you have on your playlist. I feel like CHIKA falls into that category you just described as far as doing her and saying what’s on her mind regardless of what other people are saying. 

If you haven’t listened to anything else, you should definitely listen to her Tiny Desk. I love listening to EP’s, but my favorite thing is performing. So watching people perform something in a more acoustic way is always interesting to me. And the way the production was done, with the background singers being brought out for the Tiny Desk is really dope. So CHIKA is someone I really love. I love her, I love Tank and the Bangas, that's just what I enjoy. I enjoy poetry, I enjoy art. I’m very receptive to people who make art with their words. 

Do you have any other artists that you admire as far as their live performances go?

I saw NAO at Afropunk, she is amazing live. Jill Scott, she is amazing live. And very captivating. I did theater in high school, so performance is a very important thing to me. Watching how people put things together, I love instrumentation, I love bands. Someone who I think is very slept on is Azealia Banks. When she performs live it’s crazy. 

You brought up Azealia and it’s really crazy what happened to her. She’s an incredible artist but I feel like all that extra stuff overshadowed her talent and music. You could honestly make the argument that she laid the groundwork for a lot of the female, and male artists even out today. 

I think Azealia is a great example of how the industry, and more specifically the Black community, responds to mental illness. How they respond to mental illness coming from Black women versus Black men. Because you can make the comparison of Kanye and Azealia and it's going to be two different things. I think that when you hear Azealia and some of the things she went through, and then look at some of her actions, she’s someone that’s been hurt. You can tell she’s someone who has issues with mental illness. But I think that the way the world attacks women, and demonizes women, especially darker skinned Black women, it says a lot about the way the industry carried her out. 

“Broke with Expensive Taste” was an amazing album. I don’t think the label pushed her the way they should have. There’s a lane of people who craft the way artists move, especially underground artists, and I feel like Azealia opened the doors for Black people to come back to Electronic music, to come back to House music, to rap and to sing. And then visually and aesthetically, I feel like Azealia laid down that groundwork which made people more receptive, and opened up the doors for someone like Rico Nasty to take it to the next level. 

I feel like Rico doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. For alternative girls in Hip-Hop Rico changed the aesthetic and the sound. And I think it just says a lot about how this industry handles and disrespects Black women. People are just so used to that being the way, they don’t think about it or question it. But yeah Azealia is just super talented, and she’s opened up a lot of doors and pushed a lot of envelopes, and I don’t think she gets the respect she deserves for that. 

She definitely helped pave the way for like a Rico Nasty, and even then you were saying Rico doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. She’s very in your face, with that almost angsty punk rock, emo rock type of energy, and not to pit them against each other, but that doesn’t get the same type of love and recognition as a Cardi B or Megan the Stallion. So that goes back to your point of making sure the playing field is level and everyone gets the shine and attention they deserve. And like you said it’s a societal issue, not a Cardi or Meg issue. They’re not trying to be the one and only voice for female rappers out here. 

Even Cardi just recently said, when they were talking about “WAP” and someone made a comment about conscious female rappers and Cardi was like, “Y’all don’t listen to them!” There’s a lane for everybody because there’s something everybody wants to listen to, but I think that if you are a femme-identifying person and youre not selling sex then people don’t want to hear you. Or you have to play the game a certain way. Even if you think about Nicki she was like I’m going to put these blonde wigs on and give you this bubblegum pop shit but I’m also going to put rap songs on my albums because I recognize where I come from. So I guess it’s about learning to play the game, or wanting to play the game because some people don’t want to. 

At the end of the day some people are like, look I just want to make what I want to make, create what I want to create, and if they like it they like it, if they don’t they don’t. And I feel like now it’s hard to have these conversations because some people in our generation and younger are conditioned to think that their opinion is the only thing that’s correct. So when people are trying to have a conversation or debate it’s automatic, I don’t agree with you let’s shut it off. And there’s a lot of tension and things that get involved. Like Rico and Meg can exist within the same world but the world tells us that they can’t. And I think people hear what they want to hear, and see what they want to see out of that and just cut it. It definitely says a lot about society, but things are changing. 

Women are running the rap game right now. Between City Girls, Meg, Cardi, even artists like Mulatto coming up. I don’t care what anyone says CHIKA is the best rapper in the freshmen class. Women are really starting to be like, look I’m running this shit, I’m making the content, I’m bringing everything to the game that other people aren’t. A lot of the other younger rappers that are coming up are lazy. Because for 5 minutes when Black Lives Matter happened everyone wanted to be an activist, but now everybody is like let’s go back to playing party music. And it’s fine you don’t have to, everybody don’t want to express it in their art. So I just think it goes to show the wave, and who’s real. And people are leaning towards authenticity now. 

I would make the argument that this decade of rap, the 2020’s, is going to be leaning towards women taking over, and them taking the spotlight, and their voice taking priority. I feel like the 2010’s was when it just started being ok for you to not be rapping about trapping or gangbanging. You saw the Drakes and the Tylers and all of those guys come up this decade, so I feel like the 2020’s now will have women come in and take that role. Plus some of the male rappers are getting lazy. The last three albums you put out sound the same. Nothing is new, nothing is different. You’re still talking about the same stuff.

And I always question artists who put, not to question their creative process, but if you’re putting out two or three albums in a year or year and a half did you really take the time to craft that? There’s certain people now who I’m really starting to listen to more. Amine I’m starting to listen to more, and his visuals are really dope. I really like Saba, I like Smino, I like Noname. I think we’re breaking out of that time of there can only be one. It took almost 10 years of Nicki being out before someone was like, oh we can have multiple women. She was like, Ok I’ve been telling y'all there doesn't have to be only one. Or you have like J. Cole who was the only “conscious” rapper that people were paying attention to but now people are realizing you can like more than one person and it’s ok to diversify what you take in. 

It’s making room for people to create. And I think people have always been afraid because I think back to watching Jay Z “Fade to Black'' and there was a point where they were in the studio and the guy was like, “I don’t want to talk about the shit that I’m talking about but that's the only thing labels want to push and hear,” and Jay Z was like “Y’all hear that? Y’all got people afraid to be themselves because y’all won’t listen to it.” And I think we’re out of that time because the internet has grown, the internet is more accessible so people can go find exactly what they want to listen to. 

I feel like that goes back to the piece you were saying earlier, like when you’re making music to impact people’s lives. There’s an audience for everyone, there’s a space for everyone. If you’re making music to get on the radio your audience is only gonna be so big, but when you’re making music to impact people’s lives, that’s going to increase the size of your audience tenfold. 

I like to think of my music as a book, and each song being a chapter. Like overall, what do I want this book to be about, and who do I want this chapter to relate to? But away from everything else, how do I want to express what I’m feeling and how do I want to be vulnerable to help someone else is my biggest thing. I just recently realized I’m not going to be Beyonce. That’s not my role, I love Beyonce, but that’s not my role. I can still love somebody’s work and their art and respect it, and want to go in another direction. So I think the realization of like, “I’m cool being like the Saba, the Smino, the Mac Miller that does the festival stage, that sells out shows, but I might not be on the radio,” that’s fine. It’s more important for me to create something that I can perform for 5 to 10 years and still be happy with it. And I’ve just come to that realization, and I think that’s changed a lot of the music I’m creating.  

Would you say your latest release, “Pink Durag” embodies that new message you're trying to get across?

Yeah I feel like that was kind of a spiritual graduation for me. I think the reason why that song was different was because I produced it. So even making the beat, I’m making this knowing what I want to say, knowing what I want to do. I just think it was a different connection with the music. I think more now I’m in the realm of, “If you don’t like it, it’s not for you but I love this.” I’m making music for me, that I hope touches other people. But if it doesn’t, I want to make sure the stuff that I release, I can look at it and be like you know what people weren’t receptive to it but I’m 1000% proud of what I put out. And that’s just the mind-frame that I’ve been in. I’m not trying to sell myself to anybody else anymore. Labels don’t know how to sell me. Marketing teams don’t know how to sell me. So I’m just going to do it myself, and in order for me to do it myself it has to be authentic. It has to be something I believe in. 

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