Julian Green built and manages the music library for Carbon Sound and oversees content creation.  


Julian Green

The Hi Cotton Ball was the ultimate proof for Blu Bone’s concept of Hi Cotton. All in attendance felt the vision of Blu and his team. Those who weren’t in attendance are sure to feel the event’s reverberations throughout the Twin Cities scene. 


Derrick Gichaba

An evening with Blu Bone at the Hi Cotton Ball

The BET Awards air on Sunday night, and at least one notable person is highly unlikely to be in attendance: Lil Nas X.

, the pop star is presently incensed with the network because his name was nowhere to be found when nominations were announced earlier this month. That same day, he sent out a now-deleted tweet: "thank you bet awards. an outstanding zero nominations again. black excellence!" And for the last few weeks, the masterful social media provocateur has been trolling BET and

 "Late to Da Party," a new song that dropped on Friday and includes the repetitive chant, "F*** BET!"

I can hear the snark chiming in already: 

So ... you mean to tell me a super famous wealthy celebrity is out here complaining about not being nominated for a totally subjective award? Who even cares?

Lil Nas X's dismay has stemmed in part from the sense that his very overt queerness – still relatively rare for a pop star of his status, especially a Black male one – had something to do with the omission. In another since-deleted tweet, he wrote, "I just feel like black gay ppl have to fight to be seen in this world and even when we make it to the top mfs try to pretend we are invisible."

, in part, was that the network "love[s] Lil Nas X," and that its Voting Academy is made up of "nearly 500 entertainment professionals ... No one from BET serves as a member of the Voting Academy."

So it's crucial to note here that Lil Nas X has been nominated for two BET Awards and performed at the ceremony twice in the past; last year's ended with him sharing a passionate kiss with one of his male background dancers. He's also won two BET Hip-Hop Awards, and received two nominations at last year's ceremony. And since coming out in 2019 at the height of "Old Town Road" pandemonium, he's garnered an unprecedented and overwhelming amount of support from fans and celebrities alike.

Lil Nas X's new single, "Late To Da Party."

But! He's also faced plenty of homophobia and derision from online trolls and celebrities, too. (See, for one, rapper Boosie Badazz, who seems to have a

 with antagonizing him.) And his flamboyance has been

, who have accused him of being too "in your face" about his sexuality, especially following that BET Awards performance. His suspicions about why he was snubbed this year, after releasing a critically acclaimed and commercially successful

, haven't just appeared in a vacuum. (Meanwhile, his collaborator on "Industry Baby," the polarizing white rapper Jack Harlow, curiously scored a nod for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, and is also set to perform Sunday.)

Lil Nas X's contentions with BET speak to a paradox that's played out in high-profile fashion over the last decade: How to square the ostensible subjectivity of entertainment awards with historical biases among awards voting groups? Drake and Frank Ocean, for instance, have protested the Recording Academy and the Grammys, accusing the organization of being dismissive of Black artists. Ocean declined to submit his album 

for consideration – "[The Recording Academy] just doesn't seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from, and hold down what I hold down," he told the

. For this year's ceremony, Drake withdrew his two nominations for 

, piling on to a long run of criticisms he's had for the Grammys – "I'm apparently a rapper, even though 'Hotline Bling' is not a rap song," he said during

 in 2017, adding, "The only category that they can manage to fit me in is in a rap category, maybe because I've rapped in the past or because I'm Black."

Like Lil Nas X, Drake and Ocean have won awards from the same institutions they criticize, but I don't think that, or the fact that there are undoubtedly some self-serving interests at play, necessarily invalidates those arguments. Awards ceremonies 

have a lot of issues to contend with, starting with who, exactly, is doing the voting, and how. Just last year, it was announced that the Grammys would eliminate its secret nominating committees, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been working to diversify its membership against the backdrop of #OscarsSoWhite. The disgraced Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globes, came under intense scrutiny last year for its lack of Black membership. The industry seems to know it's got a problem.

Often the retort to accusations of bias with these awards is that perhaps the work wasn't good enough to be nominated, or win; "subjectivity" and "meritocracy" are easy ideas to get behind. But those two things are exactly that – ideas that are rarely, if ever, borne out in practice. Lobbying, expensive campaigning, and so many other factors go into putting these awards together every year, that it's impossible to suggest with a straight face that the only barriers to becoming a nominee or winner lie with the art itself. You need only recall how 

won Best Picture over, among other things, 

, people! – won Best Rap Album over Kendrick Lamar.

Back to Lil Nas X. The BET Awards are not the Grammys or the Oscars or even the Golden Globes. To the outside world, they're more like MTV's Video Music Awards, a ceremony where it's all about the fashion and the performances, and where almost no one's going to remember who won the year prior, much less who was nominated. I can't recall ever seeing an artist, movie, or show presented as a "BET Award-winner."

seem to matter to the artists and the industry itself, and for Lil Nas X, there's something about feeling rejected by his Black peers, in a predominantly white industry that has found every way to shun or dismiss them all at some point or another, that makes it particularly upsetting for him. When someone on Twitter pointed out his Grammy wins, he

, "this is my point exactly how can i get acknowledged by the most acclaimed award show in the world and then not even just 1 nomination from my own people? is that not crazy?"

OK, "most acclaimed award show" seems like a stretch, but I get his point. Awards shows are faulty metrics of talent or artistry, but they're also a part of the game. They exist to feed egos, but when you're Black and queer, that recognition – or lack thereof – just hits different.

This piece first appeared in NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. 

 so you don't miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what's making us happy.

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Aisha Harris

Lil Nas X's new single rails against BET after the star wasn't nominated for a single BET Award. 


Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Lil Nas X, Youngboy Never Broke Again - Late To Da Party (F*CK BET) (Official Video)

When Lil Nas X calls out BET, it means something 

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.

It's only right to think "New Monica!" when her Tiny Desk (home) concert begins. Surrounded by candlelight, dressed in pink, 

 stands ready to deliver a vibrant vocal masterclass.  

With her rich alto, Monica broke onto the music landscape in 1995 with her debut album, 

 In her class of '90s artists, the singer brought a mature sound, yet still tempered by youth, that made her relatable to audiences of any age who were growing into their own. Monica's albums are grounded in the here and now, the ups and the downs of life and love. For fans, she feels like a longtime friend to root for, not only for her talent, but because her realness is valued — an energy she brings to this performance. 

Here Monica and her musicians strip down 2003's "So Gone," allowing a mellow, acoustic guitar to shine alongside the vocals. She shows us that when it comes to any #SoGoneChallenges, the viral challenge that had artists putting their own spin on the song, her original still reigns supreme. She also gives us a teaser of her upcoming single, the collaboration with 

 "Friends," on which Monica presents a tale of a relationship that doesn't require understanding from anyone on the outside, her soaring and acrobatic voice bending over a declaration of love. And when Monica revisits singles from her debut album, "Why I Love You So Much" and "Before You Walk Out of My Life," in her Tiny Desk (home) concert they resonate on a different, and perhaps deeper, level now. 

Mitra I. Arthur

Monica delivers a vibrant vocal masterclass in this Tiny Desk (home) concert that spans decades.


Sam Aldrich

Monica

Monica: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti’s Wednesday night show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis was a defiant, joyous groove session.


Femi Kuti grooves and moves the Cedar Cultural Center

In the music video for her new track "Conceited," 

 gazes confidently at six perfect reflections of herself, stating the obvious as she raps the chorus: "Feeling myself / I'm conceited / Feeling myself / I'm conceited." She's surrounded by a group of Black women hyping and primping her up, and of course, she has her hair done, nails done, everything did as she continues to flex. 

The song is short and at face value has a simple premise: Flo should definitely be gassed up. She bounces off the beat with piercing claims like, "You can talk like this when you really that b****" and "I been that b**** since a fetus." But as the two-and-a-half minutes of knocking bass quickly come to a close, it begins to feel more like Flo's underlying message is a warning: "Hoes don't like when I talk like that / Please don't bark 'cause Milli bite back."

 "Conceited" feels like it puts Flo's enemies on watch that jealousy will not be tolerated. If you don't feel Flo as much as she feels herself, you can't stay around. And whether you identify more with the self love or the annihilation of enemies, this is definitely a must-add to your hype-up playlist.  

Gabby Bulgarelli

The rapper's new single has a simple premise: If you don't feel Flo as much as she feels herself, you can't stay around.


Flo Milli/RCA Records

Flo Milli - Conceited (Official Video)

Flo Milli drops new single, 'Conceited'

The Legacy Building, a brand-new Black-owned business located in South Minneapolis, had its grand opening on Friday, June 17th. Founded by Emmanuel Duncan and Sarah Lanier-Duncan of the group iLLism, The Legacy Building’s mission is to foster growth and connect the community through music.  

Emmanuel and Sarah hope the Legacy Building will create a space for artists of all kinds to create their legacy. “We built this place out of necessity,” Emmanuel responded when asked why the building was created. As artists themselves, iLLism found it hard to find the resources needed to create. Obstacles outside of music kept them from creating.  By founding the Legacy building, they hope to eliminate some of those barriers by being the provider of necessary services for anybody in the community who needs them. 

Amenities for creatives in the Legacy Building include a natural light studio, performance space, a recording studio, and a storefront.  

“We did this for our family,” Sarah said during her ribbon-cutting speech. “This building doesn’t just secure us with a space to create, but our kids and your kids as well.” It was the belief that creators are stronger when people work collaboratively that founded the Legacy Building. 

The weekend included an in-house jam session, community forum, children’s book festival, and Black movie night. The grand finale was the Soul of the Southside festival held on Juneteenth at Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis -- A free community festival showcasing local artists and businesses. 

Artists and community members in attendance on Friday shared a sense of excitement for the new possibilities the Legacy Building represents. “It’s named Legacy Building for a reason,” Sarah said. “Today, we are making history.” 

Andre Griffin will be helping elevate and amplify local music and artists on the stream and airwaves, and providing digital and physical spaces for artists and fans to engage and connect.  


Andre Griffin

The Legacy Building, a brand-new Black-owned business located in South Minneapolis, had its grand opening on Friday, June 17th.


Two people standing while posing for a picture.

Carbon Sound

iLLism build a new home for Twin Cities creatives

'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, 

 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, 

, already shaping up to be one of the best albums of 2022. 

Her Tiny Desk concert commences with three songs off 

. 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 

, I can't help but sing along to her catchy hook — all while realizing that only Lenae can do it quite like 

Ashley Pointer

The genre-melding R&B artist Ravyn Lenae brings a funky, futuristic set to the Tiny Desk.


Bob Boilen

Ravyn Lenae: Tiny Desk Concert

Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis

A recap of the music, the people, the heat, the optics, and the challenges of staging a new cultural happening on Juneteenth.


Awa Mally for MPR

The highs and lows of Planet Afropunk: Minneapolis

Hold onto your wigs, the Queen is back. Four days 

 date of her seventh solo studio album, the eagerly anticipated 

." A co-production between Beyoncé, Tricky Stewart and 

 (who last collaborated on 2009's "Single Ladies"), "BREAK MY SOUL" honors a long lineage of liberatory queer anthems, like 

Whether it's a dead-end job or a relationship that's not going anywhere, Beyoncé wants you to release the stress. Over a pulsing dance melody, she croons, "Got motivation, I done found me a new foundation, and I'm takin' my new salvation and I'ma build my own foundation," before delivering an uplifting mantra of "You won't break my soul" in the chorus. Built around a four-count sample of the gay club staple "Show Me Love" by Robin S. and an interpolation of NOLA rapper 

's 2014 bounce record "Explode," the retrofuturistic track is a seamless blend of disco, house and gospel pop with dulcet, meticulously-arranged vocals ready for the ballroom.  

LaTesha Harris

A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

Beyoncé - BREAK MY SOUL (Official Lyric Video)

Beyoncé's new single is out. Listen to 'BREAK MY SOUL'

The Something In The Water music festival had its first run in Washington, D.C., over the weekend.

The festival's creator, Pharrell Williams, moved it to Washington, D.C., from Virginia Beach, Va.

The three-day event included performers such as Anderson .Paak; Ozuna; Raveena; Tyler, the Creator; J Balvin; Denzel Curry; Omar Apollo and many more.

Stories

An evening with Blu Bone at the Hi Cotton Ball

When Lil Nas X calls out BET, it means something

Monica: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

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Femi Kuti grooves and moves the Cedar Cultural Center

Flo Milli drops new single, 'Conceited'

iLLism build a new home for Twin Cities creatives

Ravyn Lenae: Tiny Desk Concert

Connect with Carbon Sound

The highs and lows of Planet Afropunk: Minneapolis

Beyoncé's new single is out. Listen to 'BREAK MY SOUL'

See some of our favorite pictures from Something In The Water Festival

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