R&B Plus Hip Hop

Black Nativity, a Boston holiday tradition!

December 20, 2024/0 Comments/in Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop, Uncategorized /by mwilkey

Black Nativity (Showtime) 2024-33

(Below is a transcript of some of the interview)
Good evening. I’m DJ Mo Wilks of The Secret Spot, and we’re taking a deep dive arts-wise from studio 8-8-9 to celebrate the joy of Christmas and the holiday season. Musically, the season just isn’t here until we hear our musical gifts from artists you have been rediscovering, such as Donny Hathaway, Nat King Cole, and The Emotions. But did you know there is basically a chance to witness also to get the full spirit of the holidays as well.

The 54th season of Langston, Hughes’s Black Nativity is presented by the
National Center of Afro-American Artists, and it’s running through Sunday, December 22, (2024) that’s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows at the Orchard Stage at Emerson’s Paramount Center, which is 559 Washington Street, in Boston. It’s been performed since 1970, believed to be the longest running production of Langston Hughes’s Black Nativity in the history of the show.

I have the pleasure of sitting down with Adult Choral Director, Judge Milton Wright. He’s joining The Secret Spot to reflect on the show celebrating its 54th year. He’s also the narrator, and actually sings in the show. Welcome to The Secret Spot, Milton Wright.

Judge Milton Wright

Thank you. Thank you. Happy to be here.

Thank you very much for joining us today. I appreciate your time. Tell us a little something first about yourself, if you may. If you could give us a little bit of background history about you.

Well, I’m originally from Miami, Florida. I came to Boston in 1968, to go to law school at Boston University. I graduated from law school, practiced law for 23 years, and I was a judge for 17 years. But all the time, I sang. As a matter of fact, I recorded two albums while I was an attorney I recorded them down in Miami, for Alston Records and TK Productions . One was called Friends and Buddies. Actually, they didn’t do too well in the States, but did quite well in in Europe, and I recently was in Spain in 2023, for the Real Festival in Dubao, Spain, where I did an hour of my my album.

And I was in Germany at the Baltic Soul Festival last year, doing again, some of the numbers from my recording. You know that I’m from a family of musicians, my sister is Betty Wright, she passed in 2020, but she’s a Grammy Award winner. Betty Wright. Oh, the singer.

Yes, yes, my other sister Jeannette was with in K.C. and the Sunshine Band, my brother
Philip played with Junior Walker. King Curtis. My brother Charles played with Betty. Oh, my goodness, yeah, if I’m not mistaken, I saw something. It might have been 60 Minutes. They were talking about like the anatomy of a production, and she was one of the guests, and they were describing how I think she was a singer on, “Dance With Me”. I think that’s the song. Yes, and so they were describing how she overdubbed her vocals, and she was actually in the booth, and it was. It was quite amazing. Thank you for sharing that. I did not know that. So you definitely have music running through your veins.

Yeah. My mother played guitar. When we were five years old you were in the family group. You traveled all over Florida. We were there at first the Wright Spiritual Singers, and then the name was changed to The Echoes of Joy. So I’ve been doing this all my life.

Very nice, very nice. So were you a singer prior to your joining this production, or were you a singer and then you joined the production after, how did you come about connecting with Black Nativity.

I’ve been on stage since I was five years old. I connected with Black Nativity because I was a member of a church, Saint Mark Congregational Church. And a number of the members of my church were in Black Nativity. And I would go see it four, five times a year. I would go see Black Nativity. Sit in the aisle and sing with them when they march down the aisle.

Black Nativity performance

And some of the casts kept saying saying to me, ‘You need to be up here with us.’
Finally I and I had done, and I had also done some work with John Ross, who was the Director of Black Nativity. I sung at several events, and he accompanied me.

So I finally joined the cast. That was 40 years ago. Wow! 40 years ago. Wow!

And when John passed, I became the Adult Choral Director. We sort of had to split John Ross’s contributions into three parts. He was such a fantastic musician, director, everything. So we have Stephen Hunter on the keyboard playing with John, played. We have Marilyn Andre as the vocal specialist, also the choral director for the children. And I’m the choral director for the adults.

D. DaNubian interviews local legend Skippy White

October 29, 2024/0 Comments/in ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop, Uncategorized /by mwilkey

D. DaNubian and Skippy White at WERS

D. DaNubian sat down to talk with local legend Skippy White. Skippy is a respected record store owner who stocked all of the urban music hits of the day. They discuss Skippy’s start in radio and his commitment to R&B and Soul.

Skippy White has held a legendary role in Boston’s soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel music scene for over 60 years. His work as a record store owner, producer, on-air DJ, and concert promoter has led him to be likely one of the most knowledgeable people on Boston’s music scene in the early 60s.

Formerly known as Fred Leblanc he started his journey as a music lover in Waltham Massachusetts, falling in love with the rhythms and blues sung by mainly Black musicians. When he graduated high school he moved to Boston and began collecting records and buying them in bulk. His love for soul and gospel music grew as he worked in a record store.

Skippy White Record Store logo

Eventually, and by chance, he opened up his own record store, Mass Records at 1820 Washington St in Boston’s South End. He started his work as a DJ at the financially struggling WILD-AM on the condition he finds four sponsors for his two-hour show. When the record store he was working at refused to be his fourth sponsor, he decided to open up his own record store.

Skippy White became known as Skippy White while at WILD-AM (1090).

Skippy White DJ logo

During this era his record stores served as a mecca for all music lovers. His stores became prime locations for people to learn about upcoming concerts and White shared his knowledge of all music to everyone who came in. Eventually, he opened up multiple stores that fell under the name Skippy White’s records that expanded to Cambridge, Providence, Pawtucket, and New Orleans.

He started his work at WILD-AM, and continued to be on different radio stations throughout Boston, even DJing today, at the cheerful age of 87. White’s work is deeply embedded into Boston’s music scene. As a concert promoter and producer, cultural music historian, record store owner, and community expert Skippy White knew his music better than anyone else in any room.

After 60 years his last store, which was stationed in Egleston Square closed in January of 2020 due to pandemic-related economic troubles, and White’s desire to have more free time. Now, in his free time he’s managed to begin a memoir and hosts two weekly radio shows. “The Time Tunnel” on Saturday mornings from eight to eleven and “The Gospel Train” on Sunday mornings from seven to ten both on 98.1 FM Online Radio The Urban Heat.

Skippy White’s contribution to Boston’s music scene will never be forgotten.

Studio 88-9’s DJ Mo Wilks interviews legendary Hip Hop king, Big Daddy Kane!

August 16, 2024/0 Comments/in 50 Years Of Hip Hop, Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop /by mwilkey

What’s good Boston DJ, Mo Wilks inside Studio 88-9 with a Hip-Hop pioneer who’s definitely got the juice, having fun doing my homework for this great artist. He’s a lyricist, lyricist, fast or slow, he’s definitely got the smooth flow. An icon, Hip Hop’s first sex symbol and fashionista. He’s going to be appearing tonight over at City Winery, Boston, which is on Beverly Street right down by the TD Garden. Welcome to the, the phone and the mic, the King Asiatic Nobody’s equal. Big Daddy Kane. How are you doing, King?

I’m great. I’m great. Wonderful. Yeah.

So, you’re going to be in town tonight with a full band.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes, we are coming to do real big live instruments and everything.

Now. I’ve known you to do stuff on stage with definitely DJS. Is there a big contrast with the band? What can people kind of expect from your show?

Well, it’s going to be a whole different vibe, a whole different energy. We’re trying to bring back those James Brown elements, you know, OK, original kind of vibes.

I mean, hip hop celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. So happy anniversary. And you were there for at least 70% of that going back, at least to the mid-eighties. Did you think as the song goes, ‘Hip Hop would get this far’ and do these many things?

Absolutely, by all means. Yeah, I started it actually late eighties. But, I always, I, it was like, I, once I saw how big Run (DMC) and Whodini was getting to hear people say that it was just a fad. Those are the, you know, same sayings that they had about rock and roll. So, I knew that hip hop was gonna be just as big or even bigger.

And you’ve worked with some amazing names. I mean, Barry White,Patti, LaBelle, Quincy Jones, what was it like to work with such a producer like Quincy Jones?

Well, that was amazing because I must submit that. Quincy actually produced me, you know, it wasn’t a type of thing where, you know, he made a beat and I came in and rhymed. It was like, he said, “what you know about Dizzy Gillespie?, what you know about Sarah Vaughn? and then was sitting there looking in on Black encyclopedias, which I also didn’t even know existed at that time, you know, and reading up on these artist before I even wrote the rhymes, you know, and he’s telling me nicknames that he used to call Dizzy and stuff to him. And Ella Fitzgerald used to talk about to incorporate that. So, I can actually say that he really truly produced me when we worked together.

There are a lot of parallels between like the early Jazz Bebop and Hip Hop, huh?

Yeah. He, he noticed that like he was comparing, he was comparing like my fast flow to Ella Fitzgerald the way she scats and he was saying that the reason why the way she scats was so different than others is because most people follow a piano or a bass.

But Ella followed the horn. So that, yeah, so that became my new rhyme for Busta Rhymes because the way his flow changes so much so that I call Buster ‘Fella Fitzgerald’.

ERS+ peeps City Winery Boston’s Poetry Vs. Hip Hop Event, Part 2!

August 2, 2024/0 Comments/in 50 Years Of Hip Hop, Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop /by mwilkey

Mic Check 1,2,1,2… SLAM!!!!

Bostonians have gathered at City Winery for a second time to witness Queen Sheba’s Poetry Vs Hip Hop event at City Winery Boston. This time Amanda Shea was a host, not a guest performer, always making Boston (specifically Roxbury, the berry but not the fruit y’all) look good. Like last time the show started off with 3 special guests, a demonstration of what the competition looks like and what audience members are expected to do, and then it’s a battle of the illest…who will win? Poetry, or Hip Hop?

Poetry vs. Hip Hop Comedian Corey Manning

Starting off the special guest performances was Corey Manning who once again striked the crowd with his comedic gold. This time he brought his oldest son Corey Jr. with him and they both cracked on each other, which in turn cracked up the crowd. Alumni of the Berklee College of Music, Autumn Jones followed up with some jazzy, neo-soul music. She’s opened up for R&B artists such as Vivian Green and Jon B and has released multiple albums in the past couple years. She graced the crowd with covers from Jill Scott like “A Long Walk” and original pieces that had them moving and bopping for her whole set.

Poetry vs. Hip Hop Singer Autumn Jones

Lastly, We had DJ WHYSHAM on the turntables keeping the crowd live, for it was about to go down for a second time here in Boston, MA. Now this battle was different from the last. This battle had a mixture of rappers and poets on both sides for it was Team Boston vs Team ATL. On team Boston we had Cloud, D Ruff, Cakeswagg and Rayel while Team ATL had Rise Felicia, King Jai, Exit Fame, and Chev. When it was time to start the competition every lyrical contestant was battle ready.

Poetry vs. Hip Hop Amanda Shea and Queen Sheba

Poetry Vs Hip Hop Bryan Edouard emceeing

Everybody came and left their craft on stage. It was a blast watching Black excellence from different parts of the nation come together and put on one hell of a show for an amazing crowd. The battles were so good, deciding who would win turned out to be a difficult task.

Poetry vs. Hip Hop Pt. 2

Queen Sheba will be back here in Boston at City Winery on February 14th, 2025. So make sure to cop some tickets if you love Hip-Hop and poetry for this will be a showcase of talent.

This is Bryan Edouard aka Bishop Toussaint representing studio 88.9 FM and I’m signing out.

Until next Time Boston!

ERS+ peeps City Winery Boston’s Poetry Vs. Hip Hop Event!

July 2, 2024/0 Comments/in 50 Years Of Hip Hop, Boston's Black Experiece, Discover WERS, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop /by mwilkey

written by Bryan Edouard aka Bishop Toussaint

Check it, right? Bostonions from all over the city gathered at City Winery to watch local Hip-Hop performers and poets go face to face in a battle of wits.

Through the doors of the wine venue was the Grammy nominated artist, Queen Sheba and her right-hand man Jamal Moore aka “Jamellow,” emceeing the event. Queen Sheba has been a host for the Poetry vs. Hip-Hop slam for nine years, but this event marks the first one she’s hosted in Boston.

The pair greeted the energetic crowd whilst servers opened wine bottles, and conversation and laughter traveled through the room. Once the crowd settled they introduced the special performers of the night before the competition took place. Boston brand ambassador Amanda Shea began the show with her iconic poem “Social Media,” while a Sax player played in the background. Next up was the cheeky comedian Corey Manning, who made the audience hold their stomachs from laughter. The last performance before the battle was Roxbury native Najee Janey and an ensemble. He is a Hip-Hop songwriter, rapper, and poet. He temporarily turned the venue into a dance floor with his suave performance and funked it up with sweet tunes and groovy vibes.

After the special guests were finished, the main event ensued. The hosts explained and demonstrated the rules of the competition, emphasizing that this battle is one of peace and love. Queen Sheba displayed her classy style which explained why she was Grammy nominated and Jamellow slammed the mic with such a poetic sway that it could’ve started a revolution.

Team Hip-Hop was led by Queen Sheba and Team Poetry by Jamellow, and boy it was intense. We had King David, Brandy Blaze , and Milkshaw Benedict on team Hip-Hop while Cloud , Anita D, and D for Team Poetry, all over the Boston metropolitan area. The battle was an enticing one and kept you entertained while educating you on the arts alongside the artist showcasing their craft. Poets and rappers ranged from lighthearted topics, to their own personal grief.

The audience laughed and cheered towards the end of it. If you want a chance to join in on the fun, you can, when they swing back to City Winery, July 10th. So make sure you swing on by before and after the event in July by checking out City Winery on 80 Beverly Street, Boston, MA and check out the website at citywinery.com/boston to see what’s happening around if you’re ever in town. This is Bryan Edouard aka Bishop Toussaint from ERS+, the sister station of WERS 88.9 FM and I’ll Catch you on the Flip. God bless, GodSpeed, and GodBody.

Rapsody shares her ‘gratitude’ with ERS+ before performing at BAMSFest!

June 25, 2024/0 Comments/in 50 Years Of Hip Hop, Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop, Uncategorized /by mwilkey

written by Bryan Edouard aka Bishop Toussaint

During June’s Black Music Month, I had the honor of interviewing Marlanna Evans who’s known to the world as the three-time Grammy nominated Hip-Hop emcee, Rapsody. Rapsody is known for her lyrical bars, cadence, direct openness, and beyond. She’s been a professional rapper for over a decade and continues to reign supreme. Rapsody recently dropped her newest album, “Please Don’t Cry”, this past May 17th, 2024.

Rapsody graciously sat down with me for an ERS+ a phone interview prior to her performance. We talked about her career path thus far, her album “Please Don’t Cry” and memories about why she enjoys performing in front of a Boston audience. She shared thoughts about how covid assisted her creative process. From the cover art, to making new friendships like the one she formed with Erykha Badu, and overall growth she forged, Rapsody continues finding herself and provides first hand testimony within her music projects.

Rapsody will be performing in Boston, Massachusetts for BAMSFest aka Boston Arts & Music Soul Fest June 29th and June 30th at Franklin Park Playstead Field. For more information about this festival an other scheduled local and national acts go to bamsfest.org

Butcher Brown’s drummer sat down before they throw down at this year’s BAMSFest!

June 22, 2024/0 Comments/in Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop, Uncategorized /by mwilkey

written by Bryan Edouard aka Bishop Toussaint

Our series of installments highlighting June’s Black Music Month artist musician interviews continues. For the upcoming BAMSFest, we have Butcher Brown’s percussionist, Corey Fonville. Corey sat down and shared a few minutes with us providing insight into his role in a unit of five producers. Butcher Brown originates from Richmond, Virginia and is inspired by a variety of music genres. From Jazz to Blues, Hip-Hop to Electronic music, you name it, Butcher Brown incorporates it. Butcher Brown tries to include all music artforms for they have been inspired by music as a culture and not as a sub genre. This was displayed on their debut album in 2014 named, All Purpose Music.

Corey Fonville thoroughly enjoys music, but highly respects all who contributed to not only his growth but the growth of the drummer culture as a whole. Corey discussed his love for music, when and why he started drumming, who and what helped him develop his style, and how Butcher Brown was able to just take their love and passion and apply it in a way that rewards them by going to different cities and performing for people.

Corey along with his Butcher Brown brethren will be taking BAMSFest’s stage in Boston, Massachusetts June 29th at Franklin Park Playstead Field. BAMSFest stands for Boston Arts & Music Soul Festival For more information about this festival and other scheduled local and national acts go to bamsfest.org

DJ “Where’s Nasty” chopped it up with Mo Wilks prior to droppin’ beats at BAMSFest!

June 21, 2024/0 Comments/in 50 Years Of Hip Hop, Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop, Uncategorized /by mwilkey

DJ Where’s Nasty

written by Bryan Edouard aka Bishop Toussaint
interview by DJ Mo Wilks

Our second profile guest for June’s Black Music Month is a DJ performer and producer who will be showcasing his talents this summer at BAMSFEST, which happens for two fun days, Saturday and Sunday, June 29th and 30th. Jason Almeida goes by the DJ name Where’s Nasty hails from neighboring Providence, RI. Nasty, who first caught the desire to move the crowd at the young age of 16, specializes in crowd rockin’ family fun. His DJing abilities have allowed him to travel nationwide as well as led him into the remix production sphere. Using digital production software, he has created numerous mixes and remixes, which can be streamed on SoundCloud like Formation by Where’s Nasty and Heard It All Before by Where’s Nasty. His philosophy is to keep the party jumping no matter where his spinning travels take him.

Nasty’s entrepreneur endeavors also extend into managing companies. He is the co-founder of Stay Silent and Trade, which are both non profit organizations. He not only sets the mood for parties to vibe, but creates an eventful series that continues to grow, not just in numbers, but inside communities in and out of Boston.

Where’s Nasty will be performing in Boston, Massachusetts for Boston Arts & Music Soul Fest aka BAMSFest June 29th and June 30th at Franklin Park Playstead Field. For more information about this festival an other scheduled local and national acts go to bamsfest.org

Dorchester’s ChezVous swerves April 5th thru 7th!

April 4, 2024/0 Comments/in Boston's Black Experiece, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop /by mwilkey

Produced by Bryan Edouard
Friday April 5, 2024 through Sunday, April 7, 2024 evenings in Boston will have some extra roll in their bounce as an event unique to Boston jams through. ChezVous Roller Rink in Dorchester, MA hosts their annual weekend roller skating event named Swerve Boston.
ERS+’s Urban Coordinator Bryan ‘BishopToussaint’ Edouard stopped by ChezVous to document this upcoming special occasion. Special thanks to Trudy Benoit, co-founder of Swerve Boston and @2feet8wheels along with Derick Foster-Toney ower/manager of ChezVous and co-founder of Swerve Boston.

Meet ERS+’s New Editions!

February 6, 2024/0 Comments/in Boston's Black Experiece, Discover WERS, ERS+, R&B Plus Hip Hop, Uncategorized /by mwilkey

Happy 2024 and Black History Month!

ERS+, Boston’s Black Experience is pleased to be not only in it’s new year, but also have the privilege of introducing two of our newest Urban Coordinators and content creators. Meet Kathia and Bryan. Below are a few little snippets about them and what we can expect in the months ahead.

Urban Coordinator Kathia

Hi all! My name is Kathia Dawson and I’m a senior student at Emerson College studying journalism. I have always loved music of every genre, and I am so excited to be working at ERS+. Looking to the future, I hope to continue writing about music, sharing my opinions and learning more about the music world.

Urban Coordinator Bryan

Ayo! What’s poppin to all the boppers out there reading this. My name is Bryan Edouard. A.k.a Fry and I’m from Mattapan, Boston, Massachusetts (Have to let y’all know). My artist name is Bishop Toussaint and I’m a MC who was inspired by the golden era of Hip Hop. I was born in 1999 but lived as if I was a mid teen in the 90s. Getting into music was bound to happen for i used my resources to obtain music and my main 3 was the Radio, Film, and video games. It was a process because outside of life experiences, Friends and mentors in the game like Devin Ferreira who now works at Berklee, KEI who brought home a BMA, Back to Back, Jo Saza, who’s up and coming and so on and so forth. Being a Bboy first and now being a MC who films is really something that brings me joy for It became my purpose to help show that hip hop isn’t dead… If anything it’s being recycled and revamped. Hip Hop isn’t just a culture to people like me and with differences. It’s life and a life saver and that’s ILLmatic, word up.