12 Houston artists honor Black music heritage
With Beyoncé at the top of the country charts, Scarface touring his popular Tiny Desk Concert and Megan Thee Stallion being Megan Thee Stallion, Houston music is having a moment.
Still, this trio only makes up a fraction of the breadth of music that emerged from this city in the past century.
The history of Black musicians in Houston was the core of a recent exhibit at the Houston Museum of African American Culture: CEO John Guess curated “One Nation, One Groove: African-American music as the story of American history,” offering a deep dive into the jazz, R&B, funk, soul, gospel and blues that emerged from Houston.
“One of the reasons we did ‘One Nation, One Groove’ was to educate people about Houston music before Chopped and Screwed, before DJ Screw, before Z-Ro, before Bun B,” Guess says. “We wanted to remember Johnny Nash, Archie Bell, the Crusaders. Before Houston hip-hop became part of a national conversation, there were people who helped define music who were from Houston. I think of the Texas tenors like Arnett Cobb. That’s our job, to say, ‘There’s more to this story.’”
The list that follows offers a snapshot of the present, a dozen living and active artists from Houston.
Beyoncé
Who: Singer, pop icon, restless spirit
The further her global reach, the more Beyoncé has localized her music, drawing from her roots here: R&B, blues, gospel, pop, indie rock, high school marching bands, ’80s dance culture and now country music. She has been Prince-like in the persistent transformations, from child singer to mainstream pop act to autonomous progressive innovator to country music charttopper.
Sample track: Beyoncé, “Hold Up”
Scarface
Who: Rapper, Geto Boy, storyteller, stealth Pink Floyd enthusiast
He’s one of the great musical storytellers to come out of a city rich with them. His recent Tiny Desk Concert for NPR put some of his classics — Geto Boys tunes and solo songs — in a live-music setting and reminded people how powerful the songs are.
Sample track: “On My Block”
Megan Thee Stallion
Who: Second-gen Houston rapper, style icon
It feels so long ago when Megan Thee Stallion was a freestyle queen on Instagram; such is the swiftness of her rise to hip-hop superstar. The daughter of rapper Holly-Wood, she has made hit songs, hit albums, guested on “Saturday Night Live” and launched a line with Nike. And at 29, she’s just getting started.
Sample song: “Anxiety”
Jewel Brown
Who: Singer, living legend
Brown, along with the great Horace Grigsby, are among the last living representatives of a storied era for jazz singers. Brown shared stages with Louis Armstrong and made a blues recording with Milton Hopkins. Last we heard, she was collaborating with pianist Jason Moran.
Sample song: Louis Armstrong and Jewel Brown, “Have You Heard About Jerry”
Bun B
Who: Rapper, rodeo curator, burger purveyor
As a kid in Port Arthur, Bernard “Bun B” Freeman was drawn to storytelling
through Chaucer and Rudy Ray Moore. His gift for gab paired perfectly with his friend Chad “Pimp C” Butler. As UGK, they helped put Third Coast hip-hop on the map. Since Butler’s death, Bun has stepped into the role of venerable statesman, whose RodeoHouston shows have been wildly successful.
Sample track: UGK, “The Game Belong to Me”
Lizzo
Who: Singer, rapper, flutist
She was born in Detroit but raised in Houston, clearly tuned into Beyoncé, as Lizzo named her instrument “Sasha Flute.” After a few independent recordings drew notice, she broke with “Cuz I Love You” in 2019, earning Grammys, a “Saturday Night Live” appearance and a tour of arenas.
Sample song: Lizzo, “Truth Hurts”
Robert Glasper
Who: Pianist, composer, producer
Glasper picked up piano from his mother and passed through Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts before attending the New School in New York, which launched his career. His first few albums were straight jazz to establish his bona fides. He then set about melding jazz, R&B and hip-hop on the Grammy Award-winning “Black Radio.” He continues to experiment on his own recordings while adding keys to works like Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
Sample song: Robert Glasper Experiment, “Afro Blue”
Solange
Who: Singer, producer, tuba player
Solange’s debut album was sent into the world as an almost cynical piece of corporate pop music: a shiny set of songs by the younger sister of a famous star. She has since taken control of her career and made music that mediates on her Houston home and presents an innovative, Afrofuturistic vibe.
Sample track: Solange, “Borderline”
Jason Moran
Who: Pianist, composer, curator, historian
Moran comes across as a time traveler. On one hand, he’s deeply interested in music history that is in danger of being forgotten, having recorded music by Conlon Nancarrow, Fats Waller and James Reese Europe, while also working with Houston legends like Jewel Brown and Horace Grigsby. On the other, he uses his foundation in jazz as a launching pad for looking ahead with futuristic and progressive sounds.
Sample song:Jason Moran, “Eighth Pose”
Tobe Nwigwe
Who: rapper, singer, actor
Alief is home to much of Houston’s Nigerian immigrant population, so it makes sense that some first-generation Houstonians would emerge from that neighborhood with something different to say. Like Maxo Kream, Tobe Nwigwe hails from that part of town. Both rappers make tough tales in their backyard their narrative currency. And both built formidable grassroots followings with their songs.
Sample song: Tobe Nwigwe, “Fye Fye”
Chris Dave
Who: Drummer, composer
Rick Rubin enlisted this High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alum as his session drummer, which put Dave on recordings by Adele and Ed Sheeran. He’s a go-to guy for players like Maxwell, Meshell Ndegeocello and Mos Def. And in his spare time, Dave leads his own band, the Drumheadz, who effortlessly filter all manner of music into their distinctive mix. HSPVA has been a factory for toptier jazz drummers over the years, any one of whom could have their own tout here.
Sample song: Mos Def with Chris Dave, “Quiet Dog Bite Hard”
Khruangbin
Who: Creators of international mystery music
Khruangbin has found a big festival audience working in an ethereal space between regional music from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and South America, along with jazz, ambient, funk and more. Guitarist Mark Speer passed through the Houston Jazz Workshop, a gift to the city’s musical heritage given by drummers Bubbha Thomas and Dennis Green. And drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson has become something of a Chuck Norris-type meme, thanks to his metronomic brilliance: “Drummer adjusts half a beat after every 5 millionth beat to compensate for the earth’s equinox tilt,” reads one comment. Khruangbin’s new album, “A La Sala,” came out April 5.
Sample song: Khruangbin, “Maria Tambíen”