Hip-Hop Fridays: The Black Coffee Channel Announces The Debut Of Self Music ™

“Its evident that people want more than just hit music. They also want a provocative editorial voice. The day of the repetitive 25-song long, mind-numbing playlist is ending. The masses are ready to break through the barriers of genre categories, stiff programming, and political correctness. And that is why we are so proud to offer Self Music™,” says Black Coffee Channel CEO, Cedric Muhammad.

After months and weeks of planning and fine-tuning The Black Coffee Channel (http://blackcoffeechannel.com/) proudly debuts its first official week of inspiring, stimulating, and provocative music and sound bites, commercial free.

“What we are offering is not just greatest hits, new music, or activist radio. Those formulas are fine for what they accomplish. What we wanted to give our listeners was an experience. An authentic snapshot of the sojourn of Black people in the Western Hemisphere and Africa - in the past, present, and future tense, as well as the best, poor, and worst parts of our lives. We understand that our people are broad-minded, not monolithic, and have a multi-dimensional personality. No music format currently touches their mind, heart and soul, simultaneously, crossing all of the Black English-speaking music formats, mixing established and new artists from the major and independent record labels.” Mr. Muhammad explains.

The Black Coffee Channel also hopes that its new offering will fill a void that it believes exists in Black entertainment, political, business, and educational programming.

"We’re tired of and bored with whining activists who act like they that don’t laugh or appreciate beauty; businesspersons and entrepreneurs with no political conscience; and artists that dumb down themselves and their audience to receive fame and fortune. In the recent controversies involving Michael Richards and Don Imus, what I have been hearing is not that people want the artistic work and creative genius of this generation thrown out of the window; but rather that they simply want balance. For far too long our artists have sold just the worst or poor part of our experience to music corporations, and the public has seen through that, and wants better. By the same token, we all saw how the so-called 'golden era' of consciousness in Hip-Hop died because it became excessively 'preachy' and did not implement the proper economic approach to protect its substance. People don’t want a double-life with their cultural entertainment. They want originality, innovation, inspiration, a window to the streets, political consciousness, and even sex appeal, and a sense of humor.

“I hope that when people listen to our formula of eclectic, largely unedited and uncensored selections that they will feel uncomfortable at times - especially when they hear the worst or poor parts of our experience - but that they will also understand that there is a deeper reason, one involving a historical legacy, industry, and pathologies, that explains why this is the current state of affairs. But regardless to any offense or negative initial reaction to the content, I really want people to appreciate the creative genius and talent of our so-called ‘worst offenders,’ and consider how that energy can be channeled in a different direction, in our own community,” the founder of the Channel adds.

“Every song, snippet, speech, and skit that you hear is part of our collective testimony, for better or worse. I pray that entire families will listen to Self Music ™ at home. I want students pumping it in their dorm rooms. I hope that folks will put their headphones on at work and listen while they are typing documents and checking e-mails. And I encourage everyone, when they find time - at night, and on the weekends – to kick back, relax and just absorb the experience. In any setting, Self Music is sobering, stimulating and hot – capable of making you dance, laugh, think and cry. We’re hear to wake up the dead, and make the living more active.”


Cedric Muhammad is available for interviews on the music industry, technology, entrepreneurship and activism. Interviews can be arranged through e-mail at: media@blackcoffeechannel.com.

Cedric Muhammad

Friday, May 11, 2007