June is Black Music Month, also known as African American Music Appreciation Month. It began in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter recognized June as a time to celebrate the impact of Black music on American culture. The celebration was driven by music industry leaders, including Kenny Gamble, Ed Wright, and Dyana Williams, who understood that Black music deserved applause, recognition, protection, and economic power.
Black music is one of America’s greatest cultural exports. It gave us spirituals, blues, gospel, jazz, soul, funk, R&B, hip-hop, house, rock and roll, and so much more. It shaped the sound of radio, dance floors, churches, clubs, stadiums, movies, commercials, and family gatherings. It gave voice to joy, grief, resistance, love, faith, struggle, celebration, and freedom.
But Black Music Month is not only about nostalgia. It is also about ownership, opportunity, and legacy. Too often, Black artists created the sounds that changed the world while others controlled the rights, money, platforms, and narratives. To truly honor Black music, we have to honor the people who make it, protect the songs they create, and build systems that allow artists to benefit from their own work.
That is why Black Music Month matters to Mocha Man Music. Our mission is rooted in artist development, music publishing, sync licensing, live performance, and long-term creative value. We believe real music deserves structure. Artists deserve guidance. Songs deserve protection. And culture deserves to be carried forward with care.
This month, we celebrate the legends, remember the voices we have lost, and continue building for the artists who are creating what comes next.
Remembering Musical Legends
The world of music recently lost three legends whose work shaped hip-hop, R&B, and jazz in powerful ways.
Rob Base helped bring hip-hop to the center of the party. With records that still fill dance floors, he gave us music built on joy, rhythm, movement, and connection. His work captured the energy of an era and continues to bring generations together.
Peabo Bryson gave R&B one of its most elegant and expressive voices. His songs carried romance, tenderness, and emotional depth, becoming part of weddings, family memories, movie moments, and love stories around the world.
Sonny Rollins was one of jazz’s great architects. His sound was bold, searching, and unmistakable. Through his tone, imagination, discipline, and fearless improvisation, he expanded the possibilities of the saxophone and helped shape the language of modern jazz.
Each of these artists gave us music with staying power. Their artistry moved people in different ways, but their impact is lasting. We celebrate them with gratitude.
Fans of all ages came together to honor the life, music, and legacy of Prince. Attendees mingled, danced, sang along, and shared memories while DJ Alkemy played the hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts only true Prince fans would know.
The evening was filled with joy, nostalgia, and appreciation for one of the most creative artists in music history.
Mocha Man Music Development & Management Submissions are Open
Mocha Man Music is currently seeking serious emerging artists for development and management consideration.
We are looking for artists who are ready to grow, put in the work, and build long-term creative careers. Our focus is on artists with originality, strong songwriting, live performance potential, professional communication, and a clear desire to develop.
We are especially interested in artists working in R&B, soul, hip-hop, jazz, rock, alternative R&B, and singer-songwriter music.
Selected artists may receive support with creative direction, songwriting, performance preparation, brand development, release planning, publishing guidance, booking strategy, and career development.
If you are an artist ready for structure, strategy, and growth, we want to hear from you.
Join us on Thursday, June 11th, at 6 pm for the Moviemaker & Musician Mixer, an in-person gathering created to help local creatives meet, connect, and build real collaborations.
Mocha Man Music is hosting Community Make Music Day at Kindred Stories as part of Make Music Day, a global celebration of music held every year on June 21. Musicians, singers, poets, beginners, families, and music lovers are invited to come together, play, listen, and connect.
Rob Base Gave Us Pure Joy In 1988, I left Houston for Howard University and experienced a culture shock I wasn’t prepared for. Back home, my soundtrack was soul, R&B, gospel, and the laid-back drawl of Southern rap. Howard introduced me to East Coast rap, house music, and dancehall. I immediately fell in love with those new sounds because they felt fresh, urgent, and alive. Rob Base’s music sat at the intersection of everything I was discovering. Read Article Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus...
Mocha Man Music is entering a new phase. When I first started building this company, the idea was broad: create a space to support music, artists, and culture in Houston. That mission is still there, but the focus is sharper now. Mocha Man Music is now centered on three core areas: artist development, publishing, and sync. We want to help artists grow creatively and professionally, protect the value of their songs, and create opportunities for their music to live in film, television,...
Kandy G. Lopez Stitches Everyday People Into Majestic Portraits When I first saw a photo of Kandy G. Lopez’s work online, I thought I was looking at a painting. Then I looked closer and realized it was not painted at all. It was made with yarn, thread, and fiber, built strand by strand with an extraordinary level of patience. I was amazed by the skill and precision, and I knew I had to see her work in person. Read Article Clarence Heyward’s “Eden” Reimagines Paradise Through Black Experience...
