Music in itself can offer a powerful tool to shift emotions, connect with ourselves, and heal from trauma. This Black Trans History Month, we’re celebrating eight Black trans musicians, both past and present, who spread hope, resistence, and healing through their work. Read about each artist below, and listen to the full playlist here!
Shea Diamond:
“Music, to me personally, is like my heartbeat. I think without it I wouldn’t be able to live. I think without it I wouldn’t be able to feel much. I think without it I wouldn’t be able to understand or tolerate as much. It’s so much a part of who we all are, the decisions that we make. That’s why it’s so important to be represented in music” (Buzzfeed News).
Shea Diamond’s music reflects her experiences growing up Black and trans in the Deep South, along with her time incarcerated in a men’s prison through her “brazenly honest” lyrics. With a mix of soul and R&B, Diamond’s performance of “I Am Her” at a Black Trans Lives Matter rally drew attention from her producer, and now shares her music with a broader audience.
Listen to “I Am Her” by Shea Diamond.
2AM Ricky
“When I first got the news that we had reached #3 on the iTunes charts, I shed tears of joy. I cried not only out of joy and celebration for myself, but for what that moment meant for black music history” (the luna collective).
2AM Ricky is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, songwriter, and cultural storyteller redefining how music moves people. Based in Atlanta, his sound bridges soul, jazz, house, and hip-hop into an elevated, deeply personal soundscape for the lonely and the lovers (2amricky).
Listen to “Love Ain’t Rational” by 2AM Ricky.
Big Freedia
Born in New Orleans, Big Freedia has helped to popularize the bounce music genre of hip-hop. After being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Big Freedia was one of the first artists to return to New Orleans, and performed prolifically while the city recovered. Her work has since gained popularity as she’s performed with artists like Beyoncé, Kesha, Lizzo, RuPaul, and others.
Listen to “Take My Hand” by Big Freedia.
Honey Dijon
“I approach DJing as an art form or craft. For me it’s like someone painting a picture, or writing music, or designing something” (SSENSE).
Honey Dijon has been DJing since she was a teen in Chicago, coming of age in clubs that “birthed house music,” and later built her career in NYC. “Her style is powered by a borderless intuition. She slides smoothly between disco, house, and techno, and she is as comfortable playing Berlin club mecca Panorama Bar, where she’s a regular, as she is at Art Basel or a Rick Owens afterparty” (SSENSE).
Listen to “The Nightlife” by Honey Dijon (ft. Chlöe).
Mykki Blanco
“Within the mainstream, we often get fed this very palatable version of queerness, and it becomes only acceptable to hetero-centric audiences. With ‘Family Ties’ I thought, okay, I’ve never seen a queer Black and South Asian love story set in the English countryside – let’s do it” (them).
Mykki Blanco has been a spoken word poet, an outspoken advocate for queer liberation, and a boundary-pushing rap artist. “There is a tenderness to Blanco’s songwriting that pervades their new record: their love for the queer community is clear in their storytelling, whether in lyrics describing a new lover, a dear friend, or an old flame” (them).
Listen to “Free Ride” by Mykki Blanco.
Neverending Nina
“The through line for me is ownership of your identity — whatever that means for you. In all my work, I want you to leave with empowerment and love” (GLAAD).
Neverending Nina celebrates Black Trans Joy through a mix of funk, soul, R&B, and punk pop. “I think of Black LGBTQIA+ artists, especially Black Trans Women, who never got the chance to release their music to the masses — and that fuels me. I represent with and for them” (GLAAD).
Listen to “That One” by Neverending Nina.
Jackie Shane
“Jackie Shane combined the frenetic pace of rock and roll with the soulful energy of R&B to become one of [Toronto’s] most memorable performers of the 1960s. During shows at bars like the Saphire Tavern in the Financial District, Shane established a fearless persona that remained in the hearts and minds of the patrons long after last call. And between musical numbers, Shane celebrated her gender and sexuality with a confidence you would expect from someone in the 21st century, not 1968” (Museum of Toronto).
Listen to “Comin’ Down” by Jackie Shane.
Dua Saleh
“Though they first came out as nonbinary as a college sophomore, Saleh emphatically says, “I always been on gay shit.”… Their queerness and cultural background meet on ROSETTA. The track “smut” marks Saleh’s first released song that’s partially in Arabic (their first language), but with a twist, as they switch between different gendered nouns and create their own “gender-neutral” words” (them).
Dua Saleh is a Sudanese-American poet, actor, and singer, exploring identity and culture through genre-defying music.
Listen to “buzzin” by Dua Saleh.
What Black trans artists are you listening to this month? Let us know who you would add to this playlist!