ASCAP CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH WEEKLY SERIES OF EMERGING R&B ARTISTS COVERING HISTORY'S MOST POWERFUL...

Tune In Each Week Beginning Tuesday, February 7 on ASCAP's YouTube and @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban IG

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) reveals plans to celebrate Black History Month with a series of weekly performances from rising ASCAP R&B artists and songwriters J Rome, Moxie Knox, Sha'Leah Nikole and Kadeem Nichols. Each week, the featured artist will cover one of history's most powerful Black empowerment songs that was written or co-written by ASCAP members. The series kicks off Tuesday, February 7, with weekly performances through Tuesday, February 28. The performances can be viewed on ASCAP's YouTube and @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban Instagram.

"ASCAP is committed to recognizing Black artists and songwriters who have made an impact on our history and the world through their music and meaningful lyrics," said Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP Senior Vice President, Membership and Executive Director, The ASCAP Foundation. "This year, our goal is to spotlight emerging ASCAP artists by giving them a platform to showcase their talent, while also paying homage to the pioneers who created songs to uplift, inspire and empower all in celebration of Black History Month."

See below the lineup for ASCAP's Black History Month performances:

Tuesday, February 7

J Rome – "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

The music series begins Tuesday, February 7 with J Rome and a performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," Often referred to as the Black national anthem, the song was co-written by one of ASCAP's founding members, James Weldon Johnson, along with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. J Rome is the winner of ABC's singing competition Duets' and also appeared on FOX's I Can See Your Voice. The talented singer has performed alongside other artists and toured the world with Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kanye West. Now working on his solo project, J Rome is an undeniable talent who has only just scratched the surface in his career.

Tuesday, February 14

Moxie Knox – "Brown Skin"

On Valentine's Day, Tuesday, February 14, NYC-born Moxie Knox will deliver her take on Grammy Award-winning singer India.Arie's song "Brown Skin," an ode that celebrates melanated skin. Moxie Knox began her journey in entertainment as a dancer at the tender age of five, when she developed a passion for poetry and songwriting. This passion led her to begin studying song structure and interpreting lyrics. In 2019, her loyal fans put her on Sprite's radar, resulting in two of her singles being selected out of 20,000 artist submissions for a spot on the SpriteWay Spotify playlists and her selection as the leading official SpriteWay Artist. She continues to inspire and work hard every day, collaborating with top names in the industry and personifying the tenacity of a true entertainer.

Tuesday, February 21

Sha'Leah Nikole – "Strange Fruit"

On week 3 of the series, South Central native Sha'Leah Nikole will deliver an inspirational take on Billie Holiday's powerful "Strange Fruit," which was written by Abel Meeropol and protested the lynching of Black Americans. Sha'Leah has fully embraced her passion for the arts and is generating buzz within the West Coast music scene. She has shared the stage and provided vocals on tracks with musical titans Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder and Elton John, among others. Most recently, the multidisciplinary artist took on the role of young Mahalia in the recently released film Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story on Hulu, starring Ledisi. Sha'Leah continues to use her voice to uplift, empower and inspire others.

Tuesday, February 28

Kadeem Nichols – "Someday We'll All Be Free"

The series will conclude on Tuesday, February 28, with LA-based vocalist Kadeem Nichols performing a rendition of "Someday We'll All Be Free," originally performed and co-written by the legendary Donny Hathaway, along with Edward Howard. A songwriter, musician and producer born in Queens, New York, Kadeem began his journey playing multiple instruments at a very young age. His talent afforded him the opportunity to work with artists such as Kanye West, Davido and Hezekiah Walker, in addition to various organizations and companies. He has also appeared on television and talk shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Neighborhood. His most recent recording project, The Muse, is currently available on all digital streaming platforms.

Stay tuned to @ASCAP and @ASCAPUrban's social media for details or visit https://www.ascap.com/bhm2023 for more information.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With more than 900,000 members representing more than 16 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

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