ON MAYOR AND MORE. HE RECENTLY RELEASED A NEW ALBUM, NINE, AND HE’S BACK HOME TODAY IN DETROIT
FOR A FEW DAYS. HE’S TAKING
TIME TO JOIN US IN STUDIO TODAY
. BLACK BROCK IS HERE WITH US
THIS MORNING. SO LET’S GET
RIGHT INTO THIS. TELL US ABOUT
THIS NEW ALBUM, NINE. WHAT’S
THAT ALL ABOUT?
>> SO NINE IS A NEW ITERATION
OF WHO I AM AS AN ARTIST. OKAY
A LOT DIFFERENT FROM BLACK
BOOK, WHICH IS A PREVIOUS
ALBUM. THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT
MORE PERSONAL, BUT IT’S ALWAYS
ABOUT SUPPORT AND EQUITY AND
TOGETHERNESS AND UNITY AND
LOVE.
>> AND THE NUMBER NINE THING,
WHAT KIND OF SIGNIFICANCE DOES
THAT HAVE?
>> SO THE NUMBER NINE IS A
UNIVERSAL NUMBER FOR PEACE, BUT
IT’S ALSO A DEDICATION TO THE
LITTLE ROCK NINE. WHO WERE THE
FIRST NINE BLACK KIDS TO
INTEGRATE SCHOOLS IN AMERICA?
>> WONDERFUL. YEAH SO YOU GREW
UP IN DETROIT ON THE WEST SIDE?
YES. AND YOU TRAINED AS A
CLASSICAL PIANO ARTIST. SO WHAT
WAS THAT LIKE? AND WAS THE
EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT FOR YOU AS
A BLACK MAN?
>> ABSOLUTELY. TRAINING WAS
VERY TOUGH. MY MOTHER WAS
PRETTY TOUGH WITH IT. HER RULE
WAS IF YOU DON’T PRACTICE, YOU
DON’T EAT. SO PRETTY HEAVY.
>> THAT’S INSPIRATIONAL.
>> YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS A
VERY DIFFICULT OR A CHALLENGE
BEING A KID AS A CLASSICAL
PIANIST COMPETING AGAINST KIDS
OF OTHER RACES. BUT, YOU KNOW,
WE DID OUR BEST THEN, AND WE
ALWAYS PERFORMED TO THE BEST OF
OUR ABILITIES.
>> SO TYPICAL QUESTION IS LIKE,
YOU KNOW, WHAT INSPIRES YOUR
MUSIC? WHO INSPIRES YOUR MUSIC?
YOU KNOW, AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR
MUSIC? BECAUSE I THINK YOU’RE
FASCINATING AND I LOVE YOUR
MUSIC.
>> YES, WELL, I’M INSPIRED BY
EVERYTHING. WHEN I WHEN I MEAN
EVERYTHING, I MEAN NATURE,
PEOPLE, CIRCUMSTANCE. SCIENCES,
DIFFERENT MUSICIANS BEING FROM
DETROIT AND ALL THE CULTURE
THAT’S IN DETROIT AND MY MUSIC
CAN BE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FIND
IT ANYWHERE. IF YOU LOOK UP
BLACK BOX ON GOOGLE OR ON MY
INSTAGRAM OR TIKTOK OR ANYWHERE
, IT’S ALL OUT THERE.
>> ANY IDOLS, ANY IDOLS.
>> FLORENCE PRICE OKAY.
>> YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL, NOW
HERE IS BLACK. BACK WITH WHAT
IS TRUTH. THE FIRST SINGLE OFF
OF HIS ALBUM.
NINE