This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.

Suraya Mohamed | June 23, 2022
Almost 30 musicians, choir members and staff of the contemporary worship music collective Maverick City Music entered the NPR lobby and crowded the security desk to undergo COVID protocols. Even through the dull process of checking vaccination cards and test results, there was a real feeling of excitement for what was about to happen.

Some of the choir members were eager not only for the upcoming Tiny Desk concert but for later that evening, when they were scheduled to perform at a sold-out 20,000-seat arena nearby. A few of them had only previously performed with Maverick City Music in small venues and couldn't wait to move from the Tiny Desk to a big stage. Once upstairs, the group's enthusiasm grew during the set up and sound check. Even the NPR production staff was buzzing because we had not recorded such a large ensemble in our office in more than two years.

Once the performance started, Maverick City Music did what it always does. The members of the group became one voice, sharing beautiful music and spreading the good word with messages of hope, change and love. The group describes itself as a megaphone for a community of creatives that has been pushed to the margins of the industry of church music. Even for those who aren't fans of gospel music or for those who don't believe, it is possible to still find appreciation in this music's comforting and uplifting sound.

Most of the songs performed here are from the collective's new album, Kingdom Book One, which was produced in collaboration with gospel legend Kirk Franklin. It was a blessing to watch him perform here alongside talented vocalists Naomi Raine and Chandler Moore on the last song, "Kingdom."

SET LIST
"Man of Your Word"
"Million Little Miracles"
"Jireh"
"Kingdom" (feat. Kirk Franklin)

MUSICIANS
Chandler Moore: vocals
Brandon Lake: vocals
Naomi Raine: vocals
Kirk Franklin: vocals, keys
Harold Brown: MD/drums
Sam Simon: keys
Matt Ramsey: bass
Elijah Kaiween: guitar
Jason McGee: vocals/choir director
Ashley Perry: vocals
Audrey Oquaye: vocals
Antonio Drakes: vocals
Cameron Williams: vocals
Jelani Caldwell: vocals
Maraya Stewart: vocals
Pierina Santa Maria: vocals
Tabitha Harris: vocals
Victoria Fitzgerald: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Recording & Mix Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Kara Frame
Editor: Josh Bryant
Series Creator: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Josh Bryant, Michael Zamora, Pierre Kattar, Alanté Serene
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Jill Britton, Joby Tanseco, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #BMM #maverickcitymusic

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This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.

Bobby Carter | June 30, 2022
"We celebrate Black Music Month. This has been Black magic." Truer words may have never been spoken behind the Tiny Desk as R&B goliath Usher caps off our month-long celebration of Black music, highlighting a catalog chock-full of hits spanning 25 years. It's been over two years since NPR headquarters was abuzz with chatter of a legend in the building. After an early morning rehearsal for his set at the Something in the Water Festival in Washington, D.C., he made his way over to deliver an unforgettable performance.

Usher and his band, all dipped in black, set it off with an introduction over a funky horn-laced instrumental reminiscent of a Blaxploitation flick. They keep that groove going right into a reworked version of his 1997 breakout single, "You Make Me Wanna..." Twenty-five years later, Usher sits arguably as the king of R&B. Between 2000 and 2010, there was no debate whatsoever, with his string of records that included the biggest R&B album of the 21st century, Confessions.

What he's done in the vocal booth is only half of his claim to fame. The stage is where he's continued to shine as he prepares for the second leg of his Las Vegas residency. This loose and playful set touches on his many career phases; the crooning, the deeply personal, the club bangers and even the Tik Tok challenges indicate that he could just be reaching his prime. Recently, we've heard plenty of hot takes, wild battles and social media fodder about who sits at the mountaintop in the world of R&B. Usher Raymond has entered the chat.

SET LIST
"You Make Me Wanna..."
"Superstar"
"U Don't Have to Call"
"Nice & Slow"
"Confessions Part II"
"My Way"

MUSICIANS
Usher: vocals
Eric Bellinger: vocals
Vedo: vocals
Dmitry Gorodetsky: bass
Lemar Guillary: trombone
Brandyn Phillips: trumpet
Jay Flat: saxophone
Darek Cobbs: keys
Erick Walls: guitar
Ryan Carr: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Recording & Mix Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Kara Frame
Editor: Michael Zamora
Series Creator: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Michael Zamora, Pierre Kattar, Alanté Serene
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Jill Britton, Joby Tanseco, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #usher #BMM

Alex Haynes unpacks the latest headlines and discusses Black support for Donald Trump.

black man: hear me, an Unmuted Nation special hosted by Alex Haynes. a focus on the thoughts, emotions and perspectives of Black Men. 2020.

This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.

Ashley Pointer | June 29, 2022
After taking a sip of his tea towards the end of his six-song set, Denzel Curry turns to his band and exclaims: “We lowkey breezed through this b****! That’s great for two rehearsals!”

From the moment Curry and his people stepped foot into NPR headquarters to record their Tiny Desk concert, the vibes were right. With a 10-piece configuration — consisting of drums, bass, keys, guitar, horns and percussion — the rapper put on a flawless and inspired live performance of songs off his latest LP as well as some of his biggest hits, all freshly arranged for the Tiny Desk.

Over the course of a decade, Curry has released a number of albums and EPs, becoming one of the most versatile emcees in hip-hop today. His sixth studio album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, marked a new artistic beginning for him: infusing neo-soul, jazz and traditional hip-hop influences into the album, with less “rah” and more mature introspection. Throughout this concert, you get a little bit of both.

Curry and the Cold-Blooded Soul Band open their set with “Melt Session #1,” a feel-good neo-soul groove where Curry’s introspective lyrics flow beautifully, taking center stage. Then kicking it up a notch, Curry performs “Walkin” and “Troubles” with an assist from DJ POSHtronaut, employing some serious bounce complimented by catchy horn lines. In the second half of his set, Curry takes us back with “DIET_.” Evoking instant head-bops as bass and drums smoothly lock in, Curry charms our audience with his improvised rhymes and exuberant personality.

As Curry and the band closed out the concert going absolutely bonkers with “RICKY,” I could feel how light the room had gotten as everyone in the audience fed off Curry’s infectious energy fueled by distorted guitar and bass and punchy horns. “You know I killed that s***. You know I murked that s***!” Yes, Denzel Curry. Yes you did.

SET LIST
“Melt Session #1”
“Walkin”
“Troubles”
“DIET_”
“CLOUT COBAIN | CLOUT CO13A1N”
“RICKY”

MUSICIANS
Denzel Curry: vocals
DJ POSHtronaut: vocals
Marcus Paul: trumpet
Brandyn Phillips: trumpet
Tim McKay: saxophone/flute
Alex Csillag: trombone
Brian Gazo: percussion
Brian Patterson: drums
Jay Winfield: keys
Jack Siegel: guitar
David McKinzie: bass


TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Recording & Mix Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Joshua Bryant
Editor: Kara Frame
Series Creator: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Michael Zamora, Pierre Kattar, Alanté Serene
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Jill Britton, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #BMM #denzelcurry