Urbanime is putting on a Black Music Month celebration. Its founder, Chris Walker, shared with Black Texas Magazine what an Urbanime Black Music Month celebration experience is like. Check out some of their upcoming events for the rest of the month!

Describe the vision behind Urbanime’s Black Music Month celebration.
To celebrate Black music you have to celebrate the people and the culture that created it. There is no separating Black music from Black people, our culture, our experiences in America, and the cultural output we’ve created to navigate the world. It’s why we created the tagline- Our Music. Our Story.

What have been some of the discussions during the Artist Master Classes on Clubhouse, and are there any key takeaways that would be beneficial for new artists?
The conversation on performing and shows was especially powerful. It focused on giving when you start your career. Every interaction you have cannot be about what you get, it has to be about what you give, what you put out there, whether it’s your show, your ability to network, everything.

What has been your favorite part of the New Music Takeover zooms, and who will be one of the participating guests?
The entire experience. Hearing the conversations and perspectives of the DJs. Their vibe makes every session a blast to attend. Vince Lawrence will participate in one of the last takeovers. Vince is the co-producer of the first house record. He has such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to music and Black culture we're excited to have him be part of one of those conversations.

Tell us about the celebration at the Creator House Juneteenth weekend.
The Creator House Pop Up is a celebration of Black artistic creativity and how that's being expressed in music, while showcasing the role art and visual culture play, how art can bring music to life in a new way. Music and art are kindred spirits and the Creator House Pop Up explores this as a way to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy and ability to express ourselves as Black people.

How has Urbanime already celebrated Black Music Month, and what’s in store for the rest of the month?
We celebrated the first half of the month with programming that elevates conversations around Black music with a focus on how it comes to life and speaking to the journey of emerging artists. The second half [we focused] on the cultural legacy of Black music sharing stories, speaking to the intersection of music and comics. [We closed] with a Black Music Month edition of our Mixtape, think of it as a culture zine with comics and art to tell the story and our listening party on Twitch. We have stories with the Apollo theater, Schoolly D, and Vince Lawrence that we are excited to share.

What’s next for Urbanime?
To ask what's next for Urbanime is really to ask what’s next for the culture. What the culture is excited about, talking about with one another, moving us forward, or being an obstacle, that’s what is next for Urbanime, that's where we go to be of and by the culture. In particular, we have a STEM comics initiative we’ll be rolling out featuring Codex, a young hacker who is able to hack the source code of reality, and using that to create a conversation about Black and Brown folx and their ambitions for their future in STEM.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Enjoy this month where you get to think about yourself, your culture, your people, and the music that inspires the mainstream. Look for Urbanime on Spotify and listen to our playlist. We'll be adding great songs from Black Music Month. Stay tuned for more from Urbanime, because we’re just getting started.