NEWS & EVENTS

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Public Enemy have been going strong since 1987. We rounded up some of the most iconic photographs from their legendary career — spanning not only the globe — but more than three decades.

Rock The Bells presents a photographic retrospective. 

Listen back to the great Ansel Collins in session on the Drop Da Biscuit podcast. Ansel, who started out as a singer and drummer before becoming one of Jamaica’s greatest ever keyboard players, retells the stories behind several classic tunes including Double Barrel and Stalag 17 plus much more. Ansel’s broad musical journey ranges from performing on Vere Johns’ Opportunity Knocks through to linking with just about everyone who’s anyone in Jamaican music – a true legend.

  Tracklist:

Dave and Ansel Collins – Monkey Spanner

Dave and Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

Ansel Collins – The Conqueror

Ansel Collins – Let Your Yeah be Yeah

Gregory Isaacs – Love is Overdue

The Mighty Diamonds – Country Living

Marcia Griffiths – Survival 

In 2020, the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee in the UK Parliament began a wide-reaching inquiry into the ‘economics of music streaming’ and considers whether changes to music business practices and copyright legislation would help ensure that British artists, songwriters, musicians and record producers are truly sharing in the benefits created by the digital music revolution.

The FAC and MMF have published a white paper that discusses record contracts and artist royalties, royalty chains and the black box, platform licensing, transparency and streaming service advances.

The Guardian reports that despite increased representation within the British music industry, the UK sector remains hostile to Black creators and professionals, according to a report that highlights the effects of systemic racism on mental health and a racial pay gap that disproportionately affects Black women.

The first Black Lives in Music report found that 63% of Black music creators had experienced direct or indirect racism, including explicit racist language or different treatment because of their race or ethnicity, and 67% had witnessed such behaviour. Racial microaggressions were rife, experienced by 71% of Black music creators and witnessed by 73%.

A panel discussion with music exploring how Reggae music soundtracked an era of upheaval, and changed British musical history forever. Thu Oct 21 2021 at 06:00 pm, Morley Gallery, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London, United Kingdom.

This panel discussion, which will include music, will explore how Reggae music soundtracked an era of upheaval and social injustice, and how, since its arrival, it has changed British musical history forever. 

Panellists include: Edward George (Black Audio Film Collective and ‘The Strangeness of Dub’, Morley Radio); June Reid (Nzinga Soundz Soundsystem); Lynda Rosenior-Patten (Nzinga Soundz Soundsystem); Professor William ‘Lez’ Henry (University of West London); Markie aka Jah Lingwa (Universal Roots Records, Brixton.)

This event is curated and hosted by Melissa Baksh, Gallery and Exhibitions Officer at Morley College.

It’s great to meet a new generation of reggae enthusiasts. Drop Da Biscuit links up with 14-year-old podcast journalist, Freddie M, who has launched a podcast series that celebrates, preserves and promotes reggae music, history and culture. Freddie, who is also a multi-instrumentalist and aspiring sound engineer, has had some great guests on his pod including Selwyn Brown, Sydney Mills and Aston Barrett Jnr among others. Check out Roots Madiaq TV on YouTube. Enjoy!

The Social Gathering publishes a short piece accompanied by a 23 track playlist curated by David Katz to announce the forthcoming publication of the new edition of People Funny Boy at White Rabbit on 2 December 2021. 

Lee Brackstone, White Books, and David Katz himself explain the motivation behind the new update.

She’s play Rita Marley in a new West End musical, but Gabrielle Brooks has her sights to set on changing the theatre industry inside-out. 

Gabrielle Brooks needs her work to matter. In the past eighteen months, the actor has made a documentary series about the experiences of black creatives in the arts, co-founded an all-female, all-black Shakespeare company, and starred in the utterly life-giving J’Ouvert in the West End, which put the Notting Hill Carnival on stage and had some of the most diverse audiences I’ve ever seen. She might also need to have a nap, but there’s no time. She’s straight back in the West End for Get Up Stand Up, playing Rita Marley in a musical about Bob Marley's life. 

David Katz provides a review of the Carnival in the Barn 2021 Festival for World A Reggae.

Since 2015, the Wilkswood Reggae Festival has been a summer highlight, a relaxed three-day event held in late July on a farm near the village of Langton Matravers, outside Swanage in southwest England. 

This area of outstanding natural beauty is a stunning location near the Jurassic Coast where dinosaurs once roamed and since Wilkswood is run by a small team devoted to roots reggae and sound system culture, there are always high-calibre artists on the line-up and extracurricular activities, such as spoken word events and artists’ panel discussions.

On September 28, 1976, Stevie Wonder’s masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life was released. Okay Player spoke with members of Wonderlove and legendary engineer Gary Adante (Olazabal) about how this timeless album was made.

In the latest edition of Drop Da Biscuit I check in with talented upcoming artist Yungg Muta, grandson of the great Mutabaruka. Yungg Muta is skilled in his two great passions, music and football; he finally settled on music and after some early event promotions he is now developing a career as an artist in his own right. Look out for some exciting Yungg Muta collabs with reggae legends coming soon. Respect to Yungg Muta for doing the interview whilst driving his car (yes really) and for working with the really bad tech problems we had on the day.

Alfred 'Pee Wee' Ellis, a saxophonist, arranger and composer who fused jazz, funk and soul as the musical director for James Brown and Van Morrison, died on Thursday. He was 80.

Mr. Ellis also performed, arranged and recorded extensively with his own jazz groups, in funk bands with fellow James Brown alumni and as a sideman for a broad array of musicians in jazz, R&B, pop, rock and African music. And his association with Mr. Morrison stretched across two decades.

Mr. Ellis shared credit with Mr. Brown for writing 26 songs performed by Mr. Brown, including “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud.”