Black Music Month: Pharrell Williams

In honor of Black Music Month, BIN journalist Amber Payton spotlights Pharrell Williams — not just as a chart-topping producer and musical visionary, but as a powerful voice for justice and equity.

After the police killing of his cousin Donovon Lynch in 2021, Pharrell took a stand, relocating his Something in the Water festival from Virginia Beach to Washington, D.C., making it clear that music can be both celebration and protest. Through his nonprofit YELLOW and the launch of YELLOWHAB, a STEM-focused school for underserved youth, Pharrell continues to push for educational equity and community empowerment.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Amber Payton. In this Black Music Month on the
Black Information Network, we're honoring the sounds and artists that
shaped our culture, like Pharrell Williams. Don't want to sell myself,
Paroule you wing love, Dude, you love me. He's more
than just a Grammy winning artist and fashion icon. He's
a Virginia Beach native and a man who has used

(00:20):
his global influence to uplift his community and push for
justice and equality. As we celebrate Black Music Month, it's
a reminder that black artistry is about more than just music.
It's about building community, creating opportunity, and standing up for

(00:41):
what's right. Pharrell Something in the Water Festival launched in
twenty nineteen and was all of that, a celebration of
black culture and a space where people from all walks
of life could come together. Me. I try to lead
them best for Lata, but Pus, you try to put
me on the respirator. Those gay boy Pete, that's your favorite?
Me and twenty girls doing yoga naked. But in Mar
twenty twenty one, tragedy hit home Forrell's cousin Donovan Lynch,

(01:04):
was fatally shot by a Virginia Beach police officer during
a chaotic night at the ocean front. The officer's body
camera wasn't on, leaving a community searching for answers. While
though charges were filed, the city eventually settled with the
Lynch family for three million dollars. For Pharrell, it was personal.
He called out the city's leadership, saying Virginia Beach had
been run by quote toxic energy end quote for too long.

(01:27):
In response, Farrell moved his twenty twenty two something in
the Water festival to Washington, d C. Aligning it with Juneteenth.
It was a powerful statement, a reminder that black voices
matter and that justice can't wait. Can I have it
like that? You gut like that? Can I have it
like that? Good like that? Can I have it like that?
You got it like that? Can I have it like that?
You gut like that? But Pharrell's commitment to his community

(01:49):
didn't stop there. He's been working to create real change
through his nonprofit Yellow, which is dedicated to evening the
odds for all children, and he's opened Yellow Half, a
private stem focused in Norfolk. The school gives students, many
from underserved communities, a chance to learn in a space
designed just for them. Focusing on creativity, innovation, and curiosity.

(02:11):
It might seem crazy, what a month saying, because some fail.
For Parrell, it's always been about giving back, whether it's
through his music, his fashion, or his nonprofit work. He's
determined to build a better future, especially for black and

(02:31):
brown communities that efface systemic barriers for far too long.
The truth will set you free, well first, it'll piss
you off. Salt. So, as we celebrate Black Music Month,
we're not just celebrating Pharrell's hits. We're celebrating a man
who's used his platform to empower, to heal, and to
push for justice. Pharrell's story reminds us that black music

(02:54):
doesn't just entertain, It leads movements, It lives communities and
speaks truth to power understood. June is Black Music Month.
Discover the stories behind the music at b i nnews

(03:14):
dot com. I'm Amber Payton on your Home from Black
News First, the Black Information Network