Rhymshot

Black Is Beautiful Experience

Musical score inspired by the imagery
of the Kwame Brathwaite Archive.

About

RHYMSHOT is an independent music and cultural label founded by Brandon Baker. Rooted in storytelling and Black cultural preservation, Rhymshot produces multimedia projects that merge original music, photography, and historical archives. Its debut project, The Black Is Beautiful Experience, reimagines the 1960s Harlem movement through sound and vision.

Brandon Baker
Brandon Baker, Rhymshot Founder | Executive Producer and Creative Director
Kwame S. Brathwaite,
Kwame S. Brathwaite, son, Executive Producer, and Director of the Kwame Brathwaite Archive
Kwame Brathwaite, self-portait

During a time when society did not appreciate Black cultural and visual aesthetics, Brooklyn-born photographer Kwame Brathwaite, dedicated his career to celebrating natural Black beauty through the “Black is Beautiful” movement.

Inspired by the writings of Marcus Garvey, his older brother Elombe Brath, and the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS), Brathwaite helped popularize the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” in the late 50s and early 60s. This phrase became one of the most uplifting and powerful cultural ideas of the twentieth century.

Kwame Brathwaite and Elombe Brath spread this joyous message through Brathwaite’s stunning photographs and the vibrant activities of AJASS and the Grandassa Models, two organizations they co-founded. Their work celebrated the beauty, pride, and resilience of the Black community, shining a light on the richness of Black culture and artistry.

Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful photo series
Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful photo series

Today, as we continue to see the strength and creativity of the Black community showcased across various platforms, we feel a renewed sense of joy in reviving the “Black is Beautiful” movement. Our mission is to elevate the African diaspora and the Black American musical community, highlighting their incredible musical genius and celebrating the enduring beauty and brilliance of Black culture.

Brandon Baker

The Vision

Reimagining the “Black Is Beautiful” movement through the power of sound and image…
Brandon Baker, Producer and Creative Director, collaborated with Kwame S. Brathwaite, son and Director of the Kwame Brathwaite Archive, along with Grammy award-winning musicians Marcus Gilmore and Nicholas Payton, to create a multimedia experience. This project highlights “Black Is Beautiful” by combining Kwame Brathwaite’s unique photography with original musical compositions.

Follow Brandon Baker on Instagram
Follow Kwame Brathwaite on Instagram
Marcus Gilmore

Marcus Gilmore

Marcus Gilmore is a multi-Grammy Award-winning drummer/composer. While Marcus can be found performing and recording with a diverse array of musicians, such as the late greats Chick Corea and Pharoah Sanders, Savion Glover, Robert Glasper, and Thundercat, he has also demonstrated his multifaceted musical talents in 2020 by writing his first orchestral composition titled “Pulse” as part of the 2018-2019 Annual Rolex Mentor and Protege Art Project.

Marcus, in all of his playing, integrates a unique style where he is musically expanding rhythm while supporting the great musicians with whom he plays. He has also performed/recorded with Mulatu Astatke, Common, Vijay Iyer, Flying Lotus, Jil Scott, Zakir Hussain, and Taylor Mcferrin.

Follow Marcus Gilmore on Instagram
Nicholas Payton

Nicholas Payton

Nicholas Payton – Grammy award-winning, multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, and author from New Orleans, Louisiana, is among the essential voices in the exploration of artistic and sociopolitical intersections. Nicholas has presented a vast array of works – from records featuring the likes of Joshua Redman and Roy Hargrove to collaborations with Common and drummer-producer Karriem Riggins, as well as composing and performing a large-scale piece commissioned by Prague Proms entitled the Black American Symphony. He is also a prolific and provocative writer who comments on a multitude of subjects, including music, race, politics and life. This will be Nicholas and Marcus’s second recording project together, the first being Nicholas’s Into the Blue album in 2008.

Visit Nicholas Payton’s website

Black Is Beautiful

In 2022, we filmed our first studio video and released the single “Black is Beautiful,” composed by Nicholas Payton. This title track from our upcoming debut album by the Black Is Beautiful Experience collective and Rhymshot recording label is now available on all streaming platforms.

Inspired by the iconic portrait of Sikolo Brathwaite, captured by photographer and activist Kwame Brathwaite, this piece honors the enduring legacy of the Black Is Beautiful movement. The Grandassa Models, a pioneering group of women in the 1960s, boldly challenged and redefined beauty standards by embracing natural Black beauty.

Featuring the powerful spoken word of Sikolo Brathwaite herself, the piece is brought to life by the extraordinary talent of Marcus Gilmore, an exceptional Black woman-led ensemble, and Brandee Younger, who appears courtesy of Impulse! Records. “Black is Beautiful” is a heartfelt tribute to the movement that continues to inspire and empower generations.

Performed by:

  • Nicholas Payton – Producer, Composer, Arranger, Trumpet, Bass, Rhodes
  • Marcus Gilmore – Drums
  • Featuring Brandee Younger – Harp – who appears courtesy of Impulse! Records
  • Chiara Fasi – Violin
  • Eric Cooper – Violin
  • Jessica McJunkins – Violin
  • Tia Allen – Viola
  • Vicente Archer – Bass

Executive Producers

  • Brandon Baker

Contact Us

To contact us, reach out on Instagram