Pop is Black wraps up BHM with genre-blending concert in the Vine

Courtesy of Malek Azrael

Local performer Tim Githumbi’s (or, DJ Skeme’s) music taste is all over the place—literally. 

The son of a preacher, Githumbi grew up in Kenya listening mostly to Christian and tribal music, a time he describes as isolated. In the 90s, he says he got more rebellious: then living in Alabama, he’d sneak out to watch MTV with the neighborhood kids. 

Later in life, military service brought him to Japan, where he learned what a mixtape was. He dove into the Japanese clubbing scene and learned how to DJ from a local through sign language. Eventually, he was stationed in Kansas City, where he’s been on the decks ever since.

Courtesy of Malek Azrael

KC-born audio engineer Malek Azrael has a different story: “I grew up in the early 2000s, so very much in this weirdly cool era of music.” 

Azrael took in as much as he could. He listened to Destiny’s Child, Beyonce, and Britney Spears, and especially rock groups like The All-American Rejects, Weezer, and Lenny Kravitz. His grandmother’s love for old school RnB—Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, and Diana Ross—were part of his upbringing, too.

Influenced by his favorite artists (and secretly reading his sister’s poetry journals), Azrael grew to love songwriting. Then producing. Then putting together events to showcase his collaborators and peers.

It’s now led to Azrael organizing Pop is Black, a live concert event on Feb. 28 at the Zhou B Art Center. 

Both Azrael and Githumbi are performers on the bill, along with Broderick Jones, Hailes, and Shay Lyriq. This concert will be a new iteration of last year’s Rock is Black, which similarly featured Black artists in the genre. 

“Pop is an umbrella,” says Azrael. “There’s pop R&B, pop country, and so many variations. Being able to open our doors to more Black artists was the goal this year.” 

Azrael named the events with “‘is’ statements” to make clear the historical influences of Black musicians, and the ways they continue to shape today’s soundscape. This year’s event will cap off Black History Month on a high note with energetic, genre-blending sounds with original songs and mixes.

“Pop is Black addresses our passions, because it’s saying, ‘Hey, we care about our community and how the community we built is doing around us,’” adds Githumbi. “And I think you can’t just say it, you have to show it. So, this is a way of doing that but not half-assing it. And it’s big for the city, Midwest markets get overlooked but people can pay attention to this and keep the energy alive.” 

Courtesy of Malek Azrael

No time better than now, either.

Local spaces for BIPOC artists and performers—like COLORS, Distrikct, and 808she—are emerging with momentum. This comes after a time that Azrael describes as more limited and compromising for Black artists. 

“There was a time where we didn’t really want to say much, because we didn’t want to take opportunities away from ourselves. Sometimes we’re not doing what’s expected of us through the mainstream media, and people don’t know what it means to market an artist of color wanting to do something unique,” Azrael says. 

Githumbi also mentions an enthusiasm for experimenting among younger generations, even as he’s noticed Gen Z artists embracing his old-school approach to the turntables, too. 

“I feel like, as what they call an OG, an unc in the community, you have a newer generation that doesn’t give a damn. Whether it be bringing anime culture to the Black community, or a queer rapper that raps about what they see in the world,” says Githumbi. “In my generation, there used to be a lot of limits to what was, quote-unquote, hard or cool. Now, there’s more openness to artistry—I really support that.” 

You can catch a glimpse of that artistry at Pop is Black. Tickets are available here.