L.A. or Bust 002

A Write-Up by Nat Lee

Hey friends,

It’s been a little longer than 2 weeks since the last playlist, but I’m excited to share L.A. or Bust 002 which features some of my favorite Black artists based in L.A.

Amidst a worldwide surge of protests and actions in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, people have looked to social media for education, resources, and ways to financially support Black lives. Think of this playlist as one of those “10 Black-owned Restaurants in LA to Support” posts; these are 15 Black Artists in LA* to Support. 

However, I chose one artist that is not based in Southern California at all to kick off the playlist. BLACKSTARKIDS is a three-piece creative collective from Raytown, Missouri who recently signed with Dirty Hit Records, the very label that boasts The 1975 on their roster. I’d also like to give a shoutout to a handful of the artists that I’ve discovered from the USC community: Vietta, NYALLAH, RYL0, iø, and Jensen McRae.

It’s imperative that if we are talking about Black artists in the LA scene, that we touch upon the blatant lack of diversity, especially Black representation in indie, punk, rock, alt communities that are aggressively white-male dominated. Although DIY is rooted in idealized inclusion, it isn’t exempt from racism. Non-black artists, fans, and organizers need to practice creating anti-racism culture and doing more to support Black artists whether it be going to their shows, adding them on a bill, buying their merch, etc. Inclusion creates community safety and accountability. We must positively affirm Black artists that they can take up as much space as a non-black person would and protect them while they do.

As a whole, popular American music owes acknowledgement to its major Black influences, including the aforementioned genres. While the music industry benefits from the efforts, struggles, and successes of Black artists, these entities should also be held accountable to protect and empower the Black communities in measurable and transparent ways. This can be said on the local level as well. That isn’t to say however, that Black lives’ value comes from their talent and entertainment. We need to be valuing black lives just as much as we value black art—not because we value black art; solidarity shouldn’t be transactional.

Some of the goals of these playlists as I mentioned last time, is to decolonize your music taste, as well as, engaging in tangible ways to give love to the artists that are featured. Consider the ways you are consuming music, art, and media—who are you opening your wallet for? This Juneteenth (June 19, from midnight to midnight PDT) and every Juneteenth hereafter, for any purchase you make on Bandcamp, they will be donating 100% of our share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Bandcamp has also been waiving their revenue share for all sales on every first Friday of the month. If you’re stuck deciding which Black artists to purchase from, consider the 15 artists on L.A. or Bust 002, choose from this list of 1800 + Black Producers/ Artists/ Labels, and my personal favorite queer Black punk group in L.A., Fuck U Pay Us.

Happy listening,

Nat

(@natatatatlee)

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See below for tracklist and playlist.