Celebrating 50 Years Of Black British Music With Trevor Nelson

This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, a genre that has made an unforgettably significant mark on the global music scene. Endorsed by British icon, Trevor Nelson, the ‘UNION BLACK: Sounds of a Nation‘ online exhibition is a remarkable collaboration between Google Arts & Culture and YouTube, curated to mark this historic moment.

The online exhibition hosts a rich gallery of multimedia content, encompassing videos, photographs, documentaries, and podcasts, crafted to honour Black British musicians, creatives, professionals, and movements. It’s a celebration of a significant milestone, paying homage to the trailblazers and pivotal movements within Black culture.

When reflecting on the history of Black British music, Trevor reminisces, “I have been a part of Black British music since the 80’s. Our primary influences were the Riddims and Pata from the Caribbean or the slick Soul and Funk from the States. In the late 70s, we nurtured our unique musical style based on these foundations. From Lovers Rock to Brit Funk, to Acid Jazz. I believe the 80’s and 90’s were the decades when we became the trendsetters, always on the cutting edge and at the forefront of musical genres like Drum and Bass, Jungle, Garage, and more recently, Grime.”

With an extensive scope, this project features a dedicated online hub of over 200 multimedia stories, carefully curated by 25 cultural partners. It’s worth noting that more than 10 new audio and video content pieces have been created through collaborations with a range of contributors, from YouTube creators to Trevor Nelson.

The collection has five chapters to explore several themes:

Game Changers – This chapter commemorates pivotal moments in British music history, driven by Black artists and innovators.

We Run Tings – This segment delves into the movements that have not only influenced music, film, fashion, language, and youth culture

Mixing, Migrating, Music – This examines the social and cultural communities and migrations that have given rise to influential music genres and cultures.

Express Yourself – This section spotlights musicians and individuals whose stories of resistance and triumph have influenced social and political change.

Today and Tomorrow – This final chapter examines the contemporary landscape of Black British music in 2023 and beyond.

Within this vast collection, some highlights stand out. ‘Black Sound (1930 – 1990)‘ by the Black Cultural Archives offers an introduction to Black British music’s journey of creative independence, spanning 60 years of musical creativity. ‘In Celebration of Stormzy‘ by TRENCH Magazine pays tribute to multi-hyphenate Stormzy and his profound impact on the youth. TRENCH Magazine’s executive editor, Laura ‘Hyperfrank’ Brosnan, takes a moment to write a personal tribute to Jamal Edwards in, ‘In Memory of Jamal Edwards’. Finally, a panel discussion led by influencer and host Wunmi Bello spotlights the conversation on ‘Black Women in Music‘.

Trevor Nelson shares his thoughts on the collection, stating, “The thing about our music and style is that even when at the top of the charts, it always sounds, and feels specialist. This allows us to sound cooler than most strands of pop, like when Dave has a number one song or Jorja Smith is in the top 20. In order to be a successful artist in the UK, you have to crossover to the mainstream. Back in the day, Black British music was only played on a small number of specialist radio shows on local stations. You had to go clubbing to hear the music. Fast forward to 2023 and the exposure is 50 times greater. If an artist makes a hot tune, it will get heard nationally.”

The Union Black project is now accessible on Google Arts & Culture.

Check out the full collection here and discover more from GUAP’s Music section here!