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YouTube Music announces the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022 21 Oct 2021

PROVIDING OVER 50 CREATORS WITH DEDICATED PARTNER SUPPORT, FUNDING, AND MENTORSHIP FROM SLICK RICK
 
FEATURING SEVEN ARTISTS, PRODUCERS AND SONGWRITERS FROM THE UK INCLUDING BREE RUNWAY, KAMILLE, NSG & CADENZA


YouTube Music today reveals the international array of artists, producers and songwriters who have been chosen for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022. The initiative is dedicated to equipping rising Black artists and songwriters with the resources that they need to succeed on the platform.  

The seven UK recipients are artists Bree Runway, Kamille, Jords, NSG and Temera, and songwriters Cadenza and Compass. They will each receive dedicated partner support, seed funding to invest into the development of their channels, and opportunities to participate in training and networking programs focused on production, fan engagement and wellbeing.
 
The initiative is an opportunity to celebrate the innovation and influence that Black culture has had on virtually every genre of music, and to provide opportunities that will enable a new wave of talent to reach their full potential.
 
The #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class was launched in 2021 and successfully amplified the voices of the chosen participants. Its 21 artists collectively achieved 1.4 billion views on their official artist channels from January to April 2021. Four artists received 200% growth for views of their official channels, while six saw a 50% boost in their number of subscribers.
 
The initiative is continued and expanded for 2022 with the addition of a selection of up-and-coming songwriters and producers. Another key development is the appointment of the legendary producer Slick Rick as the inaugural mentor member of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Artist Class of 2022. In this capacity, Slick Rick will play an additional role, sharing his wisdom and experience with fellow grant recipients within a series of educational and networking programs.
The #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022 includes creators from the United States, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, United Kingdom and Canada - a blend which reflects the platform’s global impact. 

 

#YouTubeBlack Voices UK Music Class of 2022  
Croydon-based artistJordsis building a stellar reputation for his smooth hybrid of hip-hop, R&B and poetry, with growth and exploration key themes within his music.
 
Jords said,“My music is a shapeshifting, musical backdrop with rap at its core. Global but local! My earliest influence in music would be Wretch 32, Ghetts, Stevie Wonder, and Lauryn Hill. I started making music because it felt like a place where I could truly be myself. My identity is central to my work. Everything I do is because of who I am, who my ancestors are, and the community that surrounds me. I believe #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund will definitely be a massive elevation for my career. It just opens a lot of doors for myself and the people around me, and will help me a lot with my mission.”
 
With credits on five #1 singles, Kamille is already one of UK’s most successful songwriters, but now her focus is on becoming an unstoppable artist in her own right. That goal is well underway following features on tracks from Lotto Boyzz, Mabel and SG Lewis.
 
Kamille said: “My music is honest, melodic, empowering, super creative, and always tells a story. I’m a songwriter at heart, and I love telling a story through everything I do. A strong beat and iconic melody always lies at the center of my songs. As a Black Caribbean woman, my identity is everything. There’s a raw, unapologetic truth to the things I say, which is something I can only put down to the empowering way I was raised and the role models I had. Standing up for myself and being heard was a must for me growing up and still is now. I’m so grateful for this opportunity as it will allow me to fully capitalize on the platform’s capabilities and tools to help ensure moments of higher engagement and growth from fans and audiences that are invested into the #YouTube Black Voices campaign and what it represents!”
 
Hackney-born Bree Runway is a polymath, representing the sound of a new generation, blending pop, rap, dance, punk and more. She’s already on the radar of the world’s biggest artists, from Missy Elliott with whom she collaborated, and Lady Gaga, whose ‘Chromatica’ remix album she features on with Jimmy Edgar.
 
Bree Runway said,“There is a huge gap in the market for Black pop stars, for edgy Black women who are genre-less and are just popping. I’m that girl, and I'd like to continue to solidify my spot in the industry as that girl. My music is explosive, packed with confidence and sass. On the flip side, there are hints of the emotional to and fros that we as humans go through. It’s genre bending. Sonically there is no limit for me. All my releases have something completely different to offer. It’s what keeps the Bree Runway sound fresh and exciting. I think this is a great opportunity to collaborate with some creatives that I've always wanted to work with to help elevate my content. Fire content goes hand in hand.”
 
The six-piece collective NSG standout in the current UK music scene with their lively diasporic afro-bashment sound and their larger-than-life personalities. Already go-to collaborators for top level artists such as Tion Wayne and Nines, NSG now aim to go global with the help of the MOBO Award-winning producer Jae5 (Dave, J Hus).
 
NSG said, “We would describe our music as world music, a sort of vibe and feeling that can’t be located or reconstructed anywhere else. Our passion for music started from school and always recording ourselves, which grew into a hobby that we knew we were destined for greatness. The funding and opportunity with YouTube helps spread the message of NSG to a wider audience allowing us to infect more people with the vibe we bring to the music scene.”
 
Inspired by the likes of Missy Elliott and Whitney Houston, Tamera has released just five tracks so far but is quickly rising on the back of her recent singles ‘Wickedest’ and ‘Strong For Me’. 
 
As the son of the legendary David Rodigan, Cadenza has been rooted in music culture his entire life. His credits stretch from big breaking names such as Pa Salieu and Aitch to global stars including Beyoncé and Diplo.
 
Songwriter and producer Compass is one of the UK’s most compelling talents, as evidenced by the roll call of artists he has collaborated with: FKA twigs, Snoh Aalegra, Jorja Smith and Tinashe. 
 
Compass said, “I wanted to be a psychiatrist at the time I entered the music industry. People always opened up to me, and I was always a good listener and hyper empathetic. If you look over my discography, a lot of the records I’ve created with artists are close to their hearts, speaking on subjects that they would never usually have told anybody. I like to write with substance, lyrics being first-string and then base the production around the song. It would be great if the #YoutubeBlack Voices Fund could shed even more light on the music and all other work I create. Not many people know who’s responsible for a lot of the work they love, so hopefully it encourages people to get to know more about the BTS of records etc, whether I’m involved in them or not.”

 

The full, global #YouTubeBlackVoices Music Class of 2022 is listed below:
Artists:
Azawi (Kampala, Uganda), Barkaa (The Malyangapa & Barkindji regions of Western NSW), Blanco Brown (Atlanta, Georgia, United States), Bree Runway (East London, England, United Kingdom), Budjerah (Fingal Head, Australia), Cico P (Jacksonville, Texas, United States), Cimafunk (Miami, Florida, United States), CKay (Anambra, Nigeria), Dijon (Ellicott City, Maryland, United States), Elaine (Pretoria, South Africa), EST Gee (Louisville, Kentucky, United States), Jonathan Ferr (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Jords (Croydon, England, United Kingdom), Kadhja Bonet (Long Beach, California, United States), Kamille (London, England, United Kingdom), Liniker (São Paulo, Brazil), Liza (Toronto, Canada), midwxst (Carmel, Indiana, United States), Monaleo (Houston, Texas, United States), Nija (Union City, New Jersey, United States), NorthSideBenji (Toronto, Canada), NSG (London, England, United Kingdom), Omah Lay (Port Harcourt, Nigeria), Rico Dalasam (São Paulo, Brazil), Savannah Ré (Toronto, Canada), Slick Rick (Bronx, New York, United States), Tai Verdes (Palos Verdes, Los Angeles, CA), Tamera (Kent, England), Tasha & Tracie (São Paulo, Brazil), Teezo Touchdown (Beaumont, Texas, United States), whiterosemoxie (Detroit, Michigan, United States)

 

Songwriters and producers:
Cadenza (London, England, United Kingdom), Compass (North London, England, United Kingdom), Dallas Woods (Wyndham, West Australia, Australia), Dj Lag (Johannesburg, South Africa), Gloria Kaba (Irvington, New Jersey, United States), HARV (Kansas City, Missouri, United States), IamTash (Boston, Massachusetts, United States), Jay Versace (Pleasantville, New Jersey, United States), jetsonmade (Columbia, South Carolina, United States), Kobie Dee (South Sydney, Bidjigal Land, Australia), Léo Casa 1 (São Paulo, Brazil), Major League DJz (Johannesburg, South Africa), Mu540 (Praia Grande, São Paulo, Brazil), Nova Wav (Tallahassee, Florida / Atlanta, Georgia, United States), OG Parker (Atlanta, Georgia, United States), P.Priime (Lagos, Nigeria), RDD (Paulo Afonso, Bahia, Brazil), Rodriguinho (Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil), Telz (Lagos, Nigeria), Walshy Fire (Miami, Florida, United States), WondaGurl (Toronto, Canada), YAOB (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)

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THE HEADLINES

19 Apr 2024

  • Creator Remuneration Working Group meet for the first time (see News)

  • Concord's takeover of Hipgnosis (see Analysis)

18 Apr 2024

  • Concord set to acquire Hipgnosis Songs Fund (see Business)

17 Apr 2024

  • Is the music industry gaslighting artists? (see Comment)

16 Apr 2024

  • BPI’s new Yearbook highlights an independent sector growing for a sixth consecutive year (see Reports)

  • Can’t cross the moat? Walk around it. (see Comment)

15 Apr 2024

  • The conversation around Fandom needs to change (see Opinion)

  • Viagogo: Carrying on ticketing, despite the controversy (see News)

12 Apr 2024

  • Taylor Swift songs return to TikTok (see Digital)

  • Spotify plans new remixing tools for the TikTok generation (see Digital)

  • Is Spotify plotting a largescale push into short-form video? (see Digital)

11 Apr 2024

  • AIM CEO Silvia Montello resigns for personal reasons (see News)

  • The techification of entertainment (and why it needs to reverse) (see Comment)

  • AI music startup Udio launches backed by artists and Instagram’s co-founder (see Digital)

10 Apr 2024

  • Artists are seeing their music removed from DSPs for streaming fraud they didn’t commit (see Features)

09 Apr 2024

  • Is there any room for fantasy in pop music these days? (see Features)

08 Apr 2024

  • Warner Music declines to bid for Believe (see Business)