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Cordae, Live Nation Urban’s Shawn Gee Join Black Music Action Coalition Leadership Council
Grammy-nominated rapper and activist Cordae and Live Nation Urban President Shawn Gee will join the Black Music Action Coalition’s Executive Leadership Council, an organization with a growing list of industry leaders that aims to fight systemic racism within the music business.
The two new members have a history with the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) having been recipients of the Social Impact Award at the organization’s inaugural gala.
Cordae will help kick off BMAC Week ins Los Angeles on Sept. 19 by participating in the “Save the Music x Black Music Action Coalition Summit” at 1500 or Nothin Academy. The summit focuses on improving awareness of careers in the music business for underrepresented students and takes place prior to the BMAC Gala on Sept. 21. Cordae and his team will chat with students to offer insight into having a career in entertainment today.
“I am very happy to join the Executive Leadership Council of BMAC because they’re fighting for what’s right for artists and songwriters,” Cordae said in a statement. “Right now, the system of the music business is flawed and disproportionately slanted against black artists, especially when signing record deals. BMAC is taking the necessary steps to change these inadequacies. I believe the work BMAC is doing now will pay great dividends for artists of today and the future.”
Gee said he was honored to join the organization that fights for a cause he believes in.
“The idea of systemic racism in the music industry did not begin three or four years ago, it’s been a part of the fabric of the industry for generations,” Gee said. “Likewise, the problems will not be eliminated in a few years either, but it’s the work of organizations like BMAC that’s laying the foundation for generational progress and change. I’m excited to join the team!
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, who co-founded BMAC in 2020, said it was important for the organization to add industry leaders such as Gee and Cordae to the council to “execute our agenda for accountability, diversity and inclusion.”
“Cordae is a great representation of this generation’s potential and desire to use their platform to impact society in a meaningful way,” Stiggers said. “The artist community has always been the heartbeat of any movement for change. And Shawn Gee’s vision and ability to execute that vision has proven to be invaluable as we create equity and balance in the industry. We have several initiatives we look forward to announcing soon.”
BMAC also announced that open general membership will open in September and is open to music industry professionals and advocates “who want to join the unified force of action for racial equity and justice within the music industry and to use the power of our collective voice to improve communities and drive system change.”
For more information about the organization and the upcoming gala, visit www.bmacoalition.org.