So for this week’s Dayton Music Insider blog, in honor of Juneteenth, I have attempted to list as many of the current black musicians and bands performing in the Dayton area as I can. It’s been a challenging task, so please forgive me if I omitted anyone and please let me know who we should add to this list.
Credit: Photo by Josh Saxon
Credit: Photo by Josh Saxon
Juneteenth is also a great time to purchase music online. On Friday, June 19, Bandcamp is donating 100% of its share of music sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a racial justice organization with a long history of enacting change through litigation, advocacy and education.
I encourage you to explore the musicians below by clicking on their names with hyperlinks to music and info. If you enjoy, please consider purchasing and supporting their work (if available), and of course, share with friends.
>> READ MORE: How to celebrate Juneteenth in Dayton
Note: The quotes are descriptions and bios from the artists themselves. Also, several of these artists recently performed in a virtual concert that we hosted on Facebook entitled “Tip Jar: A Show of Thanks” which helped raise funds for hospitality workers affected by coronavirus. You can watch that show here.
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Anna Marie - "Singer/Songwriter in the Gem City. My baritone Uke is my companion (her name's Lucille, by the way). I play acoustic/folk with a dash of 1950s flavor."
Antoine Edmonson - "As a Hip Hop artist, husband and father, I create music that explores the challenges, triumphs and the mundane of balancing big dreams of touching the world with this music, being an intentional husband and present father."
Awfultruth - "Awfultruth is not your average rapper. Raised in Dayton, Ohio, Awfultruth grew up listening to roots reggae and hip-hop artists like Dead Prez. Not only does Awfultruth have talent, but he has the team to back him up...Take a listen and see for yourself."
D Funk All-Stars - Dayton Funk All-Stars, sometimes called Dfunk, offers the best of the iconic sound of Funk: soulful with horns, sparkling vocals and plenty of flash.
Credit: Libby Ballengee
Credit: Libby Ballengee
Dave Berry - "One man and his guitar singing about his triumphs, his struggles, his loves and his losses."
Daylone - A popular 25-year-old rapper from west Dayton. His latest project, "Lingo Tunes," is a call to action. Read more about him on Elevate Dayton.
Demolition Crew - "Hard driving, horn-led, funky reggae and ska. We use the positive power of music down the walls of greed, hate, poverty and injustice to spread peace and love."
Duante Beddingfield - "Jazz singer specializing in unique takes on classic standards, as well as unexpected covers of pop tunes." Duante is also known for his Equinox program that airs on WYSO 91.3 FM on Monday nights from 8-11 p.m. He leads listeners on a jazz journey, which includes local musicians, obscure performers, and artists from all over the world putting their own unique stamp on the music.
Credit: Andy Snow
Credit: Andy Snow
DJ Cuest - a music producer and DJ based in Dayton.
D Knight - Springfield native starting writing raps at the age of 6. He started recording while in high school. He won the Hot 102.9 Talent Showcase in 2016, and has received radio airplay. His music can be described as introspective and inspirational.
Elijah Seabrook - "I make hella dope music with a purpose." He recently participated in the recently released virtual concert Tip Jar: A Show of Thanks, and has released his newest single "Nissan."
Eman Jones - A powerful voice in Dayton, and up-and-coming hip hop artist at large. Personally, I've been impressed by his music videos and compelling live performances.
Flam Feeva - "Lyrical, charismatic hip hop artist from west Dayton."
Freakquency - "A high energy band from Dayton with a collective of talented musicians. They will leave you in awe with their remixed covers and high-energy originals." The singers, Mykal and Sayyid are amazing!
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Gem City Chill and Crewsheff - "Expressionists create from a subjective perspective to create a mood or feeling meant to express meaning or ideas and emotion. Its how they feel about reality rather than physical reality itself. I'd like to call myself the same. A modern day interpretation."
Jermar Alexae - a hip-hop artist from Dayton. You can check out his music on Spotify - click here.
K.A.M. - Kam is an exciting, very young up-and-coming artist. You can learn more about him via an artist profile from Sound Valley here. He recently participated in the Dayton Battle of the Bands, and the virtual concert Tip Jar.
K. Carter - Kevin Carter is a staple in Dayton's music community. His music has a message about being yourself with pride, regardless of circumstances. He's also working on bridging the gap between today's hip hop and the old school hip hop he grew up on. He performed his single "Dayton Strong" on the virtual concert Tip Jar.
Mar Monroe - She is a very popular rapper and singer from Dayton, who has nearly 150,000 followers on YouTube. You can also stream her music on Apple and Spotify.
Mariah J - Mariah is one of my personal faves. She's got a soulful, Erykah Badu style that I'm simply addicted to. She's a poet and singer/songwriter that you don't want to miss out on. Check out her single "Sweet" and if you're like me, it's stuck in your head in the best way. She performed this incredible song on Tip Jar.
MC Picket Fence - Jay Webb, a vertan MC from Dayton has been involved in hip-hop culture for over 30 years. He joined his first rap group at the age of 12! He has been working with Trunk Bound Regime to produce his latest work: GUTS A Practice in Space Conscious Theory.
Mike Bankhead - "a bassist and songwriter who grew up in Xenia, Ohio. His early work shows his appreciation of crunchy guitar and dissonance. On his latest, diverse instrumentation is featured, along with confessional lyrics."
MoSound Music - "The Motown Sounds of Touch performs their versions of Earth Wind & Fire, pop and R&B classics."
Mxntis - "Militant, underground hip-hop done with finesse." Popular rapper from Dayton. Learn more on his page here.
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Submitted
P the Emcee - "A man, a father, and emcee." Check out his music on Bandcamp here.
Philly Phill - A jack of all trades in the music industry and local music scene. Read and listen to learn more about him on Gem City Podcast.
Radikal Nation - an ensemble of alternative hip-hop artists. Listen to their Storyteller podcast here, or check out their beats on SoundCloud here.
Rob Niro - He's a hip-hop artist with dynamic beats with a groove. You can also check him out on YouTube here.
SleekoGotBars - a talented rapper and hip-hop artist from Dayton. His work is on YouTube, and his website, among other listening platforms.
Steven Earnest - "a hip-hop artist from Westwood, Dayton, Ohio. An artist who spits about real life situations, struggles, and issues!" Learn more about him via a storyteller podcast here.
Steven Gregory - "With Steve's music you will hear a little bit of everything from pop, blues, R & B and jazz. Having Cody Curtis on sax adds an element that makes the music jump from one genre to another." He was in the finals of the Dayton Battle of the Bands, and is certainly a musician to keep on your radar.
Credit: Libby Ballengee
Credit: Libby Ballengee
Tino - "Ohio emcee, Tino drops knowledge while rocking crowds with brilliant rhyme schemes and unique flows. This Cleveland-born, Dayton adopted son is making noise around the state and beyond." Another staple in the Dayton music community. His newest album "Past Due" just dropped. He was also a participant in Tip Jar.
Trunk Bound Regime - "A hip-hop collective from Dayton...armed with rhymes addressing both issues in their community and the world, they prepare to spark both musical and social change." Check them out on Bandcamp here.
Young Vader - An emerging artist and rapper from Dayton. Check out his music is on YouTube and Spotify.
Vanae Ieasha - Vanae is part of "The Pack" ensemble of hip-hop and R&B performers, lead by Kevin Carter. Vanae is an accomplished dancer as well as a very talented singer.
Wallstreet KB - rapper, songwriter, podcaster and vlogger. Check out his music and videos here.
Willy Clark - "a front man, singer-songwriter, artist at large... His music is an eclectic mix of soul, hip-hop, punk and reggae."
Yellopain - Last but not least, the man who has been making waves internationally with his viral music video "My Vote Don't Count" which, despite the name, is an anthem to encourage voting that has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, CNN, BET, among other media outlets.
As always, thank you for supporting local music!
Your Dayton Music Insider,
Libby Ballengee
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