For Black History Month 2021, Spotify is rolling out a massive slate of new programming aimed at honoring the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in music, podcasts, and even visual art. As usual, the Black History Is Now hub will be the center of all the relevant programming, with playlists curated by influential Black artists and other public figures, new hip-hop playlists, and a slew of new podcasts from commentators like writer Danyel Smith, reporter Van Lathan, and political analyst Bakari Sellers.
As far as the visual component, Spotify licensed work from Black photographers like Adrian Octavious Walker, Adreinne Waheed, Doug Segars, and Shawn Theodore to cover new playlists such as “Soul Coffee,” “Black Love Mixtape,” “Power to the People,” and “Black History Salute.” Meanwhile, other playlists like “I Love My HBCU” and “Queen” will be guest-curated by celebrities 2 Chainz and Keke Palmer. Several existing hip-hop playlists are receiving new names; “Cali Fire” is now “Westside Story,” “The Realest Down South” is now “No Cap,” and the “Off The Strength” playlist for buzzing underground artists is now “Out The Mud.”
In addition, there are four new playlists aiming to highlight standout new releases (“New Joints”), the burgeoning drill movement and its major hubs (“City To City”), and women in hip-hop (the aptly-titled “Door Knockers”). Finally, new podcasts include offerings that address women’s contributions to the music business, current events, politics, and more.
You can find out more at the Black History Is Now hub here.