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Converge Music, Black Music Month Emma Schwichtenberg Converge Music, Black Music Month Emma Schwichtenberg

From Rapper's Delight to Producer's Delight with Beezie2Slaps

Fred Byrdwell, also known as Beezie2Slaps, is a Seattle-based music producer and DJ. He’s been a part of the Seattle music scene since his pops first bought a record in 1979, though he might not have known it just yet.

The record was a surprise for Beezie and his brother. His father brought them into the living room and put the record into their stereo system — it was "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang.

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Converge Music, Black Music Month Emma Schwichtenberg Converge Music, Black Music Month Emma Schwichtenberg

Tiffany Wilson and Finding Her Harmony in Motion

Out of a group of 300, just 13 were selected, and among those 13, Tiffany Wilson got her start.

Wilson is a singer-songwriter, who has worked in LA, Japan, and Seattle. She has been part of numerous bands and has also worked as a solo artist. Most recently, she appeared as "Madame Z" in Teatro ZinZanni, a circus dinner theater that originated in Seattle's Lower Queen Anne neighborhood and has since expanded to San Francisco and Chicago.

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Converge Music Emma Schwichtenberg Converge Music Emma Schwichtenberg

From Mixtapes to Airwaves: DJ Topspin and Seattle's Early 90s Hip Hop Radio Culture

Kids of the 80s, brought up on hip hop and MTV culture, were influenced by the likes of MC Hammer, witnessing firsthand how Hip Hop and R&B converged. These same kids watched and began to wonder how music was produced, inspiring an entire generation of music producers. Barry Gayle, better known as DJ Topspin aka Blendiana Jones, was one such kid.

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Converge Music Emma Schwichtenberg Converge Music Emma Schwichtenberg

From Seattle to Seoul: ParisAlexa's Journey Through Music and Identity

Just a month after her return from Korea, singer-songwriter Paris Alexa Williams aka Parisalexa is making waves with her chart-topping hit “Supernova” and gearing up for her performance at the upcoming Bumbershoot Festival in August.

She co-composed "Supernova," a track recorded by the South Korean girl group Aespa for their debut studio album Armageddon, alongside Kenzie and Dem Jointz, who also handled the arrangement.

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Converge Music, Black Music Month Emma Schwichtenberg Converge Music, Black Music Month Emma Schwichtenberg

The Rhythm of Resilience: The History of Black Music in Seattle

The elusive “Seattle Sound” is not merely a singular genre or style; rather, it's a complex amalgamation of diverse musical influences and histories layered over more than a century. This sonic tapestry has been woven by the hands and voices of countless musicians, each contributing their own unique story and perspective to the city's musical narrative.

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