Memphis Rapper Al Kapone Brings Blues Education to Berklee
Image courtesy of Berklee's Music Business/Management Department
The Music Business/Management Department at Berklee hosted its 18th annual Business of Hip-Hop Music Symposium on Thursday, October 17 on the Boston campus. The event featured Memphis rap pioneer Al Kapone discussing his Blues-Rap Education Initiative.
The Memphis–born-and-raised multiplatinum and award-winning rapper, songwriter, and producer followed in the footsteps of the city's musical legends such as Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Al Green, Ann Peebles, and others. He developed a new southern hip-hop sound that would later become the Memphis rap standard. During the symposium, Kapone brought the historically significant genre to life with a rousing performance of original blues compositions featuring his signature Memphis rap flow. He was accompanied onstage by the soulful vocals of Berklee alumnus Ashton Riker ‘13 and the electrifying guitar solos of singer, songwriter, and producer Singa B.
The two-part event also featured an A&R Listening Session featuring student submissions critiqued by Rap Coalition’s Wendy Day and entrepreneur Yudu Gray Jr., cofounder of 24/7 Artists. The session was moderated by Chris Wares, the assistant chair of Berklee’s Music Business/Management Department.
After an interview by professor Tonya Butler, chair of MB/M, the trio was joined by Berklee freshmen Andre “Dr3” Harris on guitar and his brother Andrew “Drizz” Harris on drums. In between songs, Kapone shared insights and commentary about the origins of the blues and its intersection and influence on rap and hip-hop music.
According to Kapone, “The mission of the Blues-Rap Education Initiative is to educate music lovers of all ages about the history and legacy of blues music using commentary interspersed in between modern blues-rap music, from how the genre originated with enslaved Africans in the 1800s, to how it grew to become one of the most important influences on the development of popular music in the United States.”
Kapone shared insights and stories of how the blues made a significant impact on the development of jazz, R&B, rock, country and even hip-hop music. As a bonus, he performed several energetic renditions of his original blues-rap songs for a live demonstration of the amazing evolution of this uniquely Black American artform.
The initiative’s efforts have been captured on record with the release of Kapone’s Blues Rap Mane EP featuring collaborations with renowned artists Bobby Rush, Eric Gales, Sir Charles Jones, and Luther Dickinson.
About “Al Kapeezy” Kapone
Affectionately known as “Al Kapeezy”, Kapone achieved mainstream success when he wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack for Craig Brewer and John Singleton’s 2005 Oscar-winning film Hustle & Flow. He earned a Critics' Choice Award for the film's theme song “Hustle and Flow (It Ain’t Over).” The film’s iconic anthem, “Whoop That Trick,” would become one of the most memorable crunk songs of all time, widely recognized and adopted by the Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis. Kapone currently serves as the music consultant for the Memphis & Shelby County Film and TV Commission and was the first ever hip-hop artist to be named president of the Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy from 2007 to 2009.
About Business of Hip-Hop Music Symposium
Now in its 18th year, the Business of Hip-Hop Music Symposium focuses on behind-the-scenes aspects of the genre as well as its worldwide influence on popular culture. Previous symposium guests have included music industry executives Gordan Dillard, Kevin Liles, Ethiopia Habtemariam, Shanti Das, Prophet, Johnnie Walker, and Courtney Stewart; super producers Hank Shocklee, Boi-1da, D’Mile, DannyBoy Styles, Che Pope, Rob Lewis, DaHeala, and Claude Kelly; and artists Kenny Lattimore, Talib Kweli, Belly, Yolanda "Yoyo" Whitaker, and many more.
