BMI will pair with the Los Angeles Times to present the second annual “How I Wrote the Song” panel Saturday, February 9, from 1p.m. until 3p.m., at the Key Club in L.A. Mirroring the format of 2007’s sold-out forum, another elite cross-section of established hitmakers, including Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Mos Def, Ben Moody of Evanescence, Polow Da Don, Anthony Hamilton and Brian Howes will discuss their work, the raw ideas and the occasionally idiosyncratic processes pooled into composing songs that resonate with a broad spectrum of listeners. Moderated by BMI’s Vice President, Writer Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times Music Critic Ann Powers, the event is open to the public. Advance tickets are available now for $10 through Ticketmaster at www.keyclub.com or the Key Club box office; day-of admission at the door will be $20.

Grammy Award-winner Rodney Jerkins’s creative dexterity materializes in distinct but diverse musical triumphs. The pen behind take-charge smashes including Destiny Child’s “Say My Name,” Brandy & Monica’s duet “The Boy is Mine” and Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu,” Jerkins has also produced work by contemporary superstars including Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny’s Child. His unerring ear led to a vice president of a&r position with Island Def Jam, while Janet Jackson’s forthcoming project Discipline features his signature production.

American Idol alum Chris Daughtry has brazenly staked a record-breaking place in contemporary music, confidently fronting the aptly titled rock band Daughtry. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter signed with RCA and management powerhouse 19 Entertainment after his fan-propelled success on American Idol, and his band’s eponymous debut sold more than 1 million copies in only five weeks. The projectile success of the album, featuring songs “It’s Not Over,” “Home” and “Over You,” resulted in the fastest-selling debut in the history of SoundScan.

Rapper, actor, musician and activist, Mos Def’s sheer versatility places him amongst contemporary pop culture’s premier creators. Musically, his work includes blithe collaborations with legendary group De La Soul and artist Talib Kweli. Def’s partnership with Kweli, the duet album Black Star, resulted in underground frenzy and glowing critical praise. His subsequent solo album, Black on Both Sides, produced more of the same. Nominated for two Grammys, Def also boasts Golden Globe, Emmy and Source award nods.

Serial hitmaker Ben Moody first gained recognition as guitarist and co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning group Evanescence. His output during and after the band has further exposed an adroit singer/songwriter capable of powerful hooks and lush layers; songs including Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal,” along with Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You,” sprang from Moody’s id. Collaborations as a producer with Clarkson, Celine Dion, Bo Bice and Lindsey Lohan further emphasize his seemingly limitless versatility.

Super producer and innovative songwriter Polow Da Don’s quintessential hip factor springs from authentic skill. His innate musical savvy has finessed infectious hits including Fergie’s “Glamorous,” the Pussy Cat Dolls’ “Buttons,” Ciara’s “Promise” and Jamie Foxx’s “DJ Play a Love Song.” Fergie’s enthusiastic shout out, “Polow!” on her smash “London Bridge,” made Da Don’s fluid alias a pop culture catch phrase, adding household recognition to the power player’s growing reputation.

Singer/songwriter Anthony Hamilton’s blend of old-school soul and cool contemporary grit is artist’s art in the best sense of the phrase: Members of the neo-soul and poetic hip hop elite including D’Angelo, Tupac Shakur and Eve have looked to Hamilton for backup harmonies, while the North Carolina native’s critically-acclaimed solo work has landed on arguably avant-garde projects including the American Gangster film soundtrack. His 2007 effort, Southern Comfort, features eleven new songs all written by Hamilton.

Brian Howes' life in music did not come as a surprise with a great-great grandfather who was a baritone opera singer, a grandmother who was a songwriter, and a grandfather who played alto sax for swing band greats Benny Goodman and Louis Prima, his career choice was practically predetermined. As part of punk-ska-rap band DDT early on in his career, Brian toured with bands such as Public Enemy, Kid Rock, Alice Cooper, The Scorpion and DOA. Post DDT, he penned hits and earned placements in several movies all while maintaining number 1 and top 10 international hits. Brian then added production to is arsenal and has had success by writing and producing with Grammy-nominated Atlantic band Skillet amongst others. Brian’s recent success has included collaborations with Kara Dioguardi, Shelly Piken, Chad Kroeger, Hinder and Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame for his RCA Records Album.

Peanut Butter Wolf is hot on the turntables

Stones Throw Records is a California-based independent hip-hop label started in 1996 by Chris Manak, a.k.a. Peanut Butter Wolf. Wolf put out the song "The Chronicles" on the now legendary Return of the DJ compilation, and a collection of beats for DJs entitled Peanut Butter Breaks. The former is known as the first all-DJ album, which helped jump-start the careers of artists like Q-Bert, Cut Chemist, DJ Z-Trip and others. Stones Throw's subsidiaries Now-Again and Soul Cal specialize in funk and soul reissues.

Talib Kweli and J Rocc fire up a packed El Rey Theatre

BMI's "Pick of the Month" is a live, monthly showcase series focusing on a musically impacting band or artist whose talent is worthy of attention. The series is meant to help expose these artists to the music industry and public through a show held at a quality venue with discounted admission.

Born in Boston and raised in Kentucky, Colorado and South Florida, school brought her back to Cambridge. She started to sing as a child and spent years studying classical voice and piano, and in high school sang in everything from alt rock garage bands and Motown funk bands to jazz and classical choirs and church. At the end of high school, she taught herself guitar when an uncle gave her his old acoustic. But the sum of these parts wasn’t clear to anyone until she left home for college, where the truth was revealed on the streets of Harvard Square.

Mieka’s ability to captivate audiences first made her a favorite of Boston’s best clubs including The Paradise Lounge, House of Blues, Club Passim and Kendall Café - and next at New York’s renowned Bitter End, Living Room, Makor, Knitting Factory and Village Underground. In Summer 2002 she graduated from Harvard with a degree in Biological Anthropology, won BMI’s Rock Boat Song Contest, and placed top three at the famed Telluride Troubadour Competition. In 2003 she was invited to perform at four of the top music festivals in the country: The Newport Folk Festival, On The Bricks in Atlanta, Dancin’ In The District in Nashville and a return trip to The Rock Boat. 2004 included the month-long Citizen Cope Northeast Tour, the first ever BMI/NACA “See It Hear First” showcase, sharing a bill with Eric Clapton at Boston’s Tweeter Center, and winning the prestigious Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase. In 2005 she was nominated for a Boston Music Award, won the first ever Starbucks Emerging Artist Award, and recorded a new EP with producer John Alagia (John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Rachel Yamagata, Josh Kelly, Lifehouse, Liz Phair, Trevor Hall and others), due to be released in early 2006.

Over these first 36 months of her young career, she’s become the embodiment of the musician road warrior: A girl, a guitar, and a car - crisscrossing the country and playing over 450 club and college shows from northern Maine to southern Florida, from the Pacific Northwest to southern California, from the Colorado Rockies to the Tennessee valleys to the Great Lakes States and all points between - and back around the bases of street corners, cafés and clubs of Boston - even sliding into home plate at Fenway Park for a National Anthem. She has shared the bill with such artists as Eric Clapton, Wyclef Jean, Jason Mraz, John Legend, the Black Eyed Peas, John Hiatt, Blues Traveler, Martin Sexton, Jesse Harris, Mindy Smith, Edwin McCain, Citizen Cope, Shawn Mullins, Marc Broussard, Talib Kweli, North Mississippi All-Stars, Ben Lee, Tift Merritt and Erin McKeown, among many others.

A recent Boston Globe feature on her perhaps said it best: “While the eyes may be the windows to the soul, Mieka Pauley lets you in through her voice (as unstoppable as a flood) and through her lyrics (as personal as diary entries). She’s making her voice heard, and not just on the streets of Harvard Square.”

The 28-year-old hip-hop superstar’s ubiquitous single “Gold Digger” (featuring some Ray Charles-ish backing vocals from friend Jamie Foxx) has effortlessly topped pop, r&b, digital and ringtone charts, while sales of its accompanying album, Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), exceeded two million in less than two months. With eight Grammy nominations and his name on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world, you’d probably think that the artist’s ego is probably as big as his bank account.

“I’m depressed,” he says.

Uh, come again?

“It’s hard when people are depending on you to have an album that’s not just good, but inspired,” he continues, referring to the out-of-the-box success of his debut album, The College Dropout, which in addition to going triple platinum, earned Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best R&B Song and launched the catchily meditative “Jesus Walks” into a million consciousnesses. “I mean, my music isn’t just music — it’s medicine. I want my songs to touch people, to give them what they need. Every time I make an album, I’m trying to make a cure for cancer, musically. That stresses me out!”

Any widespread concerns about West’s being a one-Trick Pony were dispelled by “Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” a sweeping single that preceded Late Registration by several weeks and went to the top of the charts, pumped not only by West’s impassioned vocals but also by an ingenious utilization of Shirley Bassey’s James Bond theme, “Diamonds Are Forever.”

The pop smarts were gained from years in the production booth, delivering chart-toppers for Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Ludacris and Alicia Keys. Indeed, his production work on Jay-Z’s now-classic 2001 album The Blueprint, where he drew upon such sources as the Jackson 5, the Doors and the Temptations to put across Jay’s rhymes, made him the go-to producer in hip-hop.

That success was parlayed into a recording contract, but just as things started cooking, West was involved in a near-fatal auto accident in 2002. “I have flashbacks of what happened every day,” he says. “And anytime I hear about any accident my heart sinks in and I thank God that I’m still here. I found out how short life is and how blessed you are to be here.” The experience informed both “Through the Wire,” which he performed with his jaw still wired shut, and the triumphant “Jesus Walks.”

Flash forward to 2005, and with the help of composer/producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann), West has delivered an album that’s sure to lead many year-end “best of” lists. In addition to Foxx and Jay-Z, Late Registration’s guest list includes Brandy, Paul Wall, Cam’ron, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and his longtime friend and collaborator John Legend.

The result is an epic in every sense, ranging from the personal to the political, from the romantic to the off-the-wall hilarious. “Crack Music,” with its one-line hook from hip-hop icon The Game, examines the effects of drugs on the black community, as does the searing “Addiction,” wherein West wonders why it is that “everything that’s supposed to be bad makes me feel so good?” On “Bring Me Down,” Brandy lends her soulful voice to West’s cynical raps like “If you ever wanted to ever be anything, there’ll always be somebody that’ll shoot down any dream.”

On the flip side, there’s the infectiously cautionary tale that is “Gold Digger,” as well as the humorous “Drive Slow” with Wall, not to mention the breezy, harmonious confection with Levine on “Heard ‘Em Say.”

That he’s accomplished so much in such a relatively short time has, of course, worked to dispel a lot of that “depression” he speaks of. (The uproar over his Bush comments during a Hurricane Katrina benefit show didn’t hurt, either.) Of his outspokenness, West says, “People either love it or hate it. People love and hated Muhammad Ali. My grandfather loved Muhammad Ali and my grandmother hated him. But I bet you more people love and remember Muhammad Ali than less. Because he used to talk s**t – ‘Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee’ – and I think I say the same kind of things in my own statements. It’s like, you can’t please everybody, but if anybody’s got a shot, it’s me.”

The 28-year-old hip-hop superstar’s ubiquitous single “Gold Digger” (featuring some Ray Charles-ish backing vocals from friend Jamie Foxx) has effortlessly topped pop, r&b, digital and ringtone charts, while sales of its accompanying album, Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), exceeded two million in less than two months. With eight Grammy nominations and his name on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world, you’d probably think that the artist’s ego is probably as big as his bank account.

“I’m depressed,” he says.

Uh, come again?

“It’s hard when people are depending on you to have an album that’s not just good, but inspired,” he continues, referring to the out-of-the-box success of his debut album, The College Dropout, which in addition to going triple platinum, earned Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best R&B Song and launched the catchily meditative “Jesus Walks” into a million consciousnesses. “I mean, my music isn’t just music — it’s medicine. I want my songs to touch people, to give them what they need. Every time I make an album, I’m trying to make a cure for cancer, musically. That stresses me out!”

Any widespread concerns about West’s being a one-trick pony were dispelled by “Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” a sweeping single that preceded Late Registration by several weeks and went to the top of the charts, pumped not only by West’s impassioned vocals but also by an ingenious utilization of Shirley Bassey’s James Bond theme, “Diamonds Are Forever.”

The pop smarts were gained from years in the production booth, delivering chart-toppers for Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Ludacris and Alicia Keys. Indeed, his production work on Jay-Z’s now-classic 2001 album The Blueprint, where he drew upon such sources as the Jackson 5, the Doors and the Temptations to put across Jay’s rhymes, made him the go-to producer in hip-hop.

That success was parlayed into a recording contract, but just as things started cooking, West was involved in a near-fatal auto accident in 2002. “I have flashbacks of what happened every day,” he says. “And anytime I hear about any accident my heart sinks in and I thank God that I’m still here. I found out how short life is and how blessed you are to be here.” The experience informed both “Through the Wire,” which he performed with his jaw still wired shut, and the triumphant “Jesus Walks.”

Flash forward to 2005, and with the help of composer/producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann), West has delivered an album that’s sure to lead many year-end “best of” lists. In addition to Foxx and Jay-Z, Late Registration’s guest list includes Brandy, Paul Wall, Cam’ron, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and his longtime friend and collaborator John Legend.

The result is an epic in every sense, ranging from the personal to the political, from the romantic to the off-the-wall hilarious. “Crack Music,” with its one-line hook from hip-hop icon The Game, examines the effects of drugs on the black community, as does the searing “Addiction,” wherein West wonders why it is that “everything that’s supposed to be bad makes me feel so good?” On “Bring Me Down,” Brandy lends her soulful voice to West’s cynical raps like “If you ever wanted to ever be anything, there’ll always be somebody that’ll shoot down any dream.”

On the flip side, there’s the infectiously cautionary tale that is “Gold Digger,” as well as the humorous “Drive Slow” with Wall, not to mention the breezy, harmonious confection with Levine on “Heard ‘Em Say.”

That he’s accomplished so much in such a relatively short time has, of course, worked to dispel a lot of that “depression” he speaks of. (The uproar over his Bush comments during a Hurricane Katrina benefit show didn’t hurt, either.) Of his outspokenness, West says, “People either love it or hate it. People love and hated Muhammad Ali. My grandfather loved Muhammad Ali and my grandmother hated him. But I bet you more people love and remember Muhammad Ali than less. Because he used to talk s**t – ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ – and I think I say the same kind of things in my own statements. It’s like, you can’t please everybody, but if anybody’s got a shot, it’s me.”

BMI's Del Bryant congratulates Abe Olman Scholarship winner John Legend at the 2002 presentation

Although a newcomer, Legend is no stranger to the urban music scene. Considered the first major breakout star of 2005, he is the vocal prodigy of fellow BMI hip-hop star Kanye West, who makes an appearance on Get Lifted, as do Snoop Dogg and violinist Miri Ben-Ari.

Legend (right) is pictured at the 2004 BMI Urban Awards with Kanye West and Miri Ben-Ari

Born John Stephens in Springfield, OH, the 26-year-old musician was definitely an early starter. He began studying classical piano at five and, under the tutelage of his late grandmother, he sang gospel music and played piano at the Pentecostal Church by age seven. He graduated from high school when he was only 16. His first big break came in 1998 while attending the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he met Lauryn Hill's back-up singer, Tara Watkins, who brought John to one of Lauryn's recording sessions in New Jersey. After hearing John's demo, Hill invited him to play on her hit single, "Everything is Everything" from her multiple Grammy-winning CD The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Since then, Legend has appeared on various recordings, including on West's, as well as on albums by Alicia Keys, Twista, Talib Kweli and others. Critics have hailed him as the "soul savior," both for his singing and his songwriting, which defies the cookie-cutter norm of today's urban music.

Even their lyrics possess that hard-to-pin-down feature. To some, their music has an Afro-centric appeal. To others, it’s all about French culture. To others, still, there exists a sense of black radicalism within their message. Complicating (or to some, enticing) matters further, their albums consist of songs recorded in several different languages: French, English and Spanish.

Les Nubians, sisters Helene and Celia Faussart, made history with One Step Forward, their sophomore album that was released this spring. The CD’s debut (No. 79) was the highest in two decades for a French-language album on the Billboard 200.

The set follows Princesses Nubiennes, the pair’s 1998 debut recording project, and comes in the wake of extensive world travel and collaborations with noted vocalists and musicians from around the world. The result is an album that’s laced with an array of artistic influences, from Afro-jazz and British breakbeat to reggae and electronica to U.S. and Cameroonian hip-hop.

The album’s first single, “Temperature’s Rising,” featured guest rapper Talib Kweli, an artist the duo enjoyed working with because of their respect for his lyrical abilities, as well as his commitment to promoting positive cultural aims.

Helene and Celia, were born in the Bordeaux region of France, but lived for seven years in the African nation of Chad before returning to France as teenagers. All the while, performing music was a part of their being. They eventually formed Les Nubians while still working as a young a cappella act specializing in r&b, reggae, and African songs.

They credit noted acts such as Ella Fitzgerald, Abbey Lincoln, the Fugees and African icons Miriam Makeba and Fela Kuti as significant influences. As a result, it’s no wonder that Les Nubians’ music holds such a broad creative range -- one that will certainly help them maintain a impressive and respected career for years to come.]]> 2003-08-28T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233752 Artists, Hi-Tek, Kweli, Talib, Mos Def, Roots, The, Musical Styles, Urban, Musicworld, Hitmaker Talib Kweli is the thinking man’s hip-hop star. He views his music as literature in the most traditional sense: as a completely engaging way of communicating ideas. In the wrong hands, that cerebral take on hip-hop could be heavy handed and dull, but Kweli’s music is clever, astute, challenging and completely entertaining — everything good art should be.

The son of educators, Kweli (with his school buddy Mos Def) began perfecting his style in the legendary rhyming battles of Washington Square Park. The pair started releasing tracks as the brilliant Dark Star, and, later, Talib teamed with DJ Hi-Tek, also with outstanding results.

Along the way Talib became known for blending a rainbow of musical styles and analytical lyrics. The depth of his music touched a nerve among hip-hop fans, and he found himself touring with other serious artists such as The Roots, Dilated Peoples and Erykah Badu.

Kweli’s first solo project, Quality, showcases his dedication to observing and participating in the entire spectrum of life. His rhymes celebrate the birth of his children (“Joy”) and take on the often-ugly politics of being black in America (“The Proud,” “Where Do We Go”), doing it all with style and a rare subtlety.

“ Hip-hop became a way for me to write and be cool; it gave me a language to speak to my peers,” he says. “As a resource, hip-hop has been greater than any music we have. The possibilities for what we can do in our communities, for people’s self-esteem or their economic situation is what is so exciting. It’s beautiful that I can use this resource, sell records and still just be Talib Kweli.”]]> 2003-06-17T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233286 Artists, De La Soul, Kweli, Talib, Mos Def, Thornton, Billy Bob, Musical Styles, Jazz, Rock, Urban, Musicworld, Feature Acclaimed for his compelling hip-hop recordings, film performances and stage work, rapper/actor Mos Def apparently won't be satisfied until he has won an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony.

Indeed, though he only emerged recently from the streets of his native Brooklyn, Mos Def has already demonstrated the style, integrity and relentless drive of a true artist. His irrepressible creativity can be attributed to his desire to alter social perceptions. "As a black man, I don't want to live in any of the boxes they've arranged for me, no matter how comfortable or tidy those boxes are," Mos Def told Essence magazine. "So, I resist all of the labels."

For Mos Def, resisting all the labels has resulted in his most audacious triumph yet. The rapper recently made his stage debut in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play, Topdog/Underdog. Assuming the role of Booth - a part initially performed by the much more experienced Don Cheadle - Mos Def has won unanimous praise for his stage debut. Describing the "marvelous" performances of Mos Def and co-star Jeffrey Wright, the New York Daily News wrote: "[they give] this material the vitality and sheen of elegant jazz riffs."

Born Dante Beze, Mos Def surfaced in 1994 as a guest rapper on recordings by UTD and De La Soul. In 1998, he joined Talib Kweli to become a founding member of the rap duo Black Star. Striking out on his own in 1999, Def's debut solo album, Black on Both Sides, melded activist rhymes with old-school funk rhythms and worldbeat melodies. Drawing favorable comparisons to rap pioneers like Public Enemy, KRS-1 and Rakim, Black on Both Sides is considered by many pundits to be a contemporary hip-hop classic.

In 2000, Def took a temporary respite from music to explore other areas of entertainment. As host of HBO's Def Poetry Jam, he established himself as an influential force on the spoken word scene. Around the same time, the rapper made a typically splashy acting debut. Demonstrating the same slow-burning charm he exhibited on his rap recordings, Def won praise for his role in Spike Lee's controversial film Bamboozled. The rapper then appeared in MTV's Carmen: A Hip-Hopera, opposite Beyoncé Knowles of Destiny's Child. Capping off a spectacularly productive year, Def was acclaimed for his acting role in Monster's Ball, a role that found him acting opposite Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

Now, with the recent success of "Top Dog/Underdog," Mos Def has successfully transformed himself into a rapping/acting double threat. But just when it seemed he had accomplished enough, along comes news of Black Jack Johnson, the debut album featuring Mos Def and an all-star rock lineup. Featuring former members of Parliament/Funkadelic, Living Colour and Bad Brains, the band promises to set a new rap-rock standard.

By Rob Patterson

From the dawning days of rhythm & blues through today's multifaceted urban music scene, BMI has been at the forefront of music from the African American tradition, styles and community. A continuity of teamwork between BMI and Black music-makers extends from Aretha Franklin to Janet Jackson, from Motown hitmakers Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier & Brian Holland to R. Kelly, and from Miles Davis to Terence Blanchard.

B.B. King

Busta Rhymes

Janet Jackson

Eminem

When r&b, in its formative years, was the province of budding independent labels, small publishers, and adventurous radio stations, BMI opened its ranks to the musical movement when the existing performing rights organization failed to recognize the legitimacy and potential brewing in Black American music. The considerable fact that 90 percent of the R&B Foundation's Pioneer Awards have been bestowed on BMI artists attests to BMI's historical commitment to Black music.

Eric Benet

Macy Gray

Mariah Carey

Michael Jackson

The BMI Black music rosters reads like a musical honor role: Jazz giants such as Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Dinah Washington and John Coltrane; blues icons like Leadbelly, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and T-Bone Walker; r&b pacesetters such as Ray Charles, Fats Domino and James Brown; soul sisters Etta James, Irma Thomas and Diana Ross; rock pioneers like Chuck Berry and Little Richard.

Mya

R. Kelly

Snoop Dogg

Toni Braxton

The BMI bloodlines can be traced from then to now, from Carla Thomas to Donna Summer to Vanessa Williams, from Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff to LA Reid and Babyface, from Otis Redding to Michael Jackson. And if you check this space 20 or 30 years from now, the odds say its likely that BMI's contemporary urban music artists will be just as legendary and influential as those BMI has represented throughout the history of Black popular music in America.

In a sense, the pages have already been written by today's BMI star talents. Mariah Carey has proven herself a formidable and enduring presence in popular music, while Macy Gray is arising to help bring soul back to its rightful place of presence in urban music. Kevin Eubanks delivers sublime new variations of the jazz guitar heritage to millions on The Tonight Show, and Joshua Redman redefines the notion of young jazz giant for a new millennium. Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Lil' Kim continue to push the hip-hop envelope, while Kirk Franklin and Winans Phase 2 keep the gospel spirit alive.

But it's not just the marquee names that make these exciting times for BMI's urban music roster. And even some of BMI's team whose work happens primarily behind the scenes are earning public note on the level of the artists they work with. Producer, songwriter, keyboardist and remixer Dallas Austin launched Monica and TLC, and counts Michael Jackson, Madonna, Boyz II Men and Aretha Franklin among his credits. Such musical versatility and vision continues with such recording and writing powerhouses as Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Master P, Tim & Bob, SoulShock & Karlin, Jean Claude 'Poke' Olivier of The Track Masters, Organized Noise, Teddy Bishop and Cory Rooney - all drawing from a differing wealth of musical wells and creating new and innovative musical moments.

Hip-hop remains a powerfully progressive and sometimes provocative movement in modern popular music. Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Goodie Mob keep it real, and the beats and themes will surely remain hard in the hands of such acts as Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, Ja Rule, Mos Def, Trick Daddy, Silkk the Shocker, JT Money, Kurupt and J-Shin. At the same time, acts like The Roots, Black Eyed Peas, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek and Spooks infuse a rich mixture of styles into the hip-hop genre. Once the sound of the street, just as r&b had been, hip-hop is now an integral part of contemporary culture. And its Caribbean cousin dancehall is also claiming the attention of the public ear thanks to Buju Banton.

R&B has always boasted its powerful cadre of female singers. And just as Carla Thomas, Martha Reeves and Jodi Whatley established their voices as trademarks, so have the women like Brandy, Toni Braxton and Faith Evans. Rising to join them are such soul sisters as Angie Stone, Mya, Sunshine Anderson and Aaliyah, while R&B brothers such as Eric Benet and Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes stir up new soul traditions for today's urban music fans as Clyde McPhatter, Sam Moore and Aaron Neville have before them. The girl group traditions forged by The Shirelles and The Supremes find modern expression in the "new jill flava" of Total.

As the recent Ken Burns documentary demonstrated, jazz is one of the richest skeins in the American cultural tapestry. BMI has been a consistent presence in jazz, from Lionel Hampton to Coleman Hawkins to Herbie Hancock to Roy Hargrove. Today, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride, Kevin Eubanks and Bilal maintain the instrumental and compositional greatness of jazz music for the genre's future.

Spirituals have always been an essential element in Black music and BMI's mission, thanks to everyone from James Ingram to The Fairfield Four. And perhaps nobody has had a more profound impact on contemporary music and the popularity of spiritual sounds than minister, songwriter, producer and visionary Kirk Franklin. In the past, one could make similar claims for The Winans, and the family tradition forged there is carried on by Winans Phase 2. The ears reached by these artists are now opening as well to such rising talents as Yolanda Adams and Trin-i-tee 5:7.

Such diversity, commercial impact, innovation and encouragement of burgeoning styles and new artists has been a hallmark of BMI's commitment to Black music from the time that "race music" became rhythm & blues, and on through soul, funk and disco right up to rap and new jack swing. As BMI salutes tradition through its longtime support of the R&B Foundation, it also helps create the future that is urban music in all its breadth and creativity. Because at BMI, Black Music Month is celebrated 12 months a year.