2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture press conference kicks off four-day event

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 22, 2022
Hearing Ravyn Lenae’s voice resonate from behind the Tiny Desk for one of our first concerts back in the building had me entranced. With her voice raw and unamplified, Lenae and her dynamic band transformed our office into a funky, futuristic space where she was completely in her element.

Hailing from Chicago, Lenae dropped her first EP, Moon Shoes, in 2015. Since then, she’s released two more EPs, her sound permeating the world of contemporary R&B and blurring the lines between soul, funk and R&B. This year Lenae reemerged with the release of her debut full length, HYPNOS, already shaping up to be one of the best albums of 2022.

Her Tiny Desk concert commences with three songs off HYPNOS. Opening with “Venom,” an electro-funk song that seethes, Lenae sings: “Why do you play me for a fool?” Her signature falsetto descends over spacey synth melodies while her drummer keeps an insistent, metallicy groove. Then Lenae performs perhaps the most vulnerable songs from her new album, including “Skin Tight,” a melancholic guitar-led ballad that addresses a past romantic relationship and the energy that was once shared, and “Inside Out,” a love letter to herself that channels a ’90s R&B sound with dramatic piano harmonies, a soulful lead melody and dynamic drums.

“I think it’s a lifelong journey, learning to love yourself and trust yourself, and believe in the skin you’re in,” Lenae says of “Inside Out.” “I wrote this song when I wasn’t so sure… that’s why we sing it together.” With a fiercely energetic upsweep, she closes the show with her hit “Sticky.” As she slides into those distinct shrilling oohs, I can’t help but sing along to her catchy hook — all while realizing that only Lenae can do it quite like that.

SET LIST
“Venom”
“Skin Tight”
“Inside Out”
“Sticky”

MUSICIANS
Ravyn Lenae: vocals
Marcus Reddick: bass
Danielle “Dee” Thompson: drums
Harrison “Achee” Hawkins: keys/MD
Garrett Jones: guitar
Aja Grant: vocals
Phylicia Hill: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Recording & Mix Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Series Creator: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Josh Bryant, Michael Zamora, Pierre Kattar
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


#NPRMusic #TinyDesk #RavynLenae

Catch Tiffanie Lanelle on today's Unmuted Nation show talking #Tulsa, Blackness, American Terrorism, Potato Salad and human decency. The Nation memorializes those lost during the American terrorist attack in Tulsa, OK 100 years ago.

Unmuted Nation airs live weekdays at 1pm ET on Boss FM TALK and is available anywhere you get your podcasts.

#tulsa #greenwooddistrict #terrorist #bossfm #unmutednation

Alex Haynes sits down with Tabitha Moore, Director of The Rutland Area NAACP to discuss how racism recently drove her from her home. Find out what she's doing to combat that racism and how the fight to end oppression in America starts with each of us!

Live Coverage of the unfolding terrorist attack at the US Capitol with Black News Alerts and BossFM correspondents.

⁣You are the living proof that adversity builds CEOs. But here’s the cheat code—resilience alone won’t scale you. You need to digitize. Automate. Lead with data. This is the economy of now—and if you’re waiting for someone to hand you permission to succeed, it’s never coming. Write your own code. Lead your own company.


Let's talk. You first.
unmutedco.com/start

⁣Environmental justice advocate Eriqah Vincent joins Dr. Vonnetta L. West for an actionable conversation on climate care as neighbors. This session explores how our treatment of the environment directly impacts our human neighbors, particularly those in vulnerable communities. Discover practical steps for personal and collective climate action demonstrating love for both planet and people. The session concludes with affirming action steps for environmental stewardship.

⁣Tariffs? Out of control. Prices? Skyrocketing.
Emergency powers? He’s abusing them.
And yet… not a single question about whether he’s even fit to serve.

The math ain’t mathing. -- Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, (D), Texas