Mo Wilks interviewed co-founder Lisa Simmons about in the Roxbury International Film Festival (aka RoxFilm) in Boston, MA, which runs from June 18th through July 2nd. Lisa, who is an @EmersonCollege alum, discussed her background as an actor, film documentarian, and event curator. Lisa Simmons is RoxFilm’s Artistic/Executive Director. She along with her sister Alison…
Mo Wilks interviewed playwright Mfoniso Udofia about her nine-play cycle of the Ufot family in the production “In Old Age” which will be performed at ArtsEmerson’s Liebergott Black Box Theater, 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA, from June 13-28. The play is courtesy of theatre company Front Porch Arts Collective @FrontPorchArtsCollective Mfoniso discussed her background as…
It was September 16, 1979. Rap music had been around for roughly seven years, but many in the music industry believed it to be a passing trend that was not a profitable investment. Then the revolutionary song, an original 12-inch vinyl release lasting just under 15 minutes, changed everything. “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang…
The history of Hip-Hop cannot be written without acknowledging the structural shifts of the mid-1990s. As the genre exploded into the mainstream, a fiercely talented, effortlessly cool artist from Chicago stepped up to rewrite the rules for women in rap. Shawntae Harris, universally known as Da Brat, didn’t just break through the glass ceiling—she shattered…
Every year on the unofficial holiday on September 21st, we sing the unforgettable song by the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire. Decades later, their music still makes people get up and dance no matter what generation you are a part of. They are one of the most musically accomplished, celebrated, and commercially successful pop-funk…
In recognition of Black History Month, here’s a few words and some history on the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. During a time when Black people were the subjects of racial discrimination and a time when there was significant unrest from social and political tension, James Brown transcended the racial divides through his incomparable and…
Mo Wilks welcomes The God MC Rakim, for a phone interview inside Studio 8-8-9. His conversation takes place prior to Rakim’s being inducted into Berklee College of Music’s Hip Hop Hall Of Fame ceremonies Thursday, November 13, 2025, 8pm. You can hear WERS‘ sister station ERS+ – Boston Black Experience online at wersplus.org and 88.9FM…
For Black Music Month we’re celebrating one Black musician that we play on ERS+ a week. This week it’s Ice Cube, who’s always keeping it cool. By Fiona Brown Biography Ice Cube was born on June 15, 1969, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in South Central LA, a neighborhood deeply affected by gang…