Honor the impact of Black artists with new channels, a podcast series & other specials

Tune in to hear the limited-run Prince and 2PAC channels, an ‘All Music Is Black Music’ podcast, and much more.

Profile picture of SiriusXM Editor
by:
SiriusXM Editor
June 1, 2021

In honor of June’s Black Music Month and the vast contributions of Black artists to music, culture, and beyond, SiriusXM, Pandora, and Stitcher are launching three exclusive limited-engagement channels, a groundbreaking original podcast, and specialty music programming.

SiriusXM will kick off Black Music Month with two channels saluting groundbreaking Black artists: The 2PAC Channel and The Prince Channel. SiriusXM has collaborated with these iconic artists to deliver unique radio listening experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. Pandora’s popular Black Music Forever Station will also extend to its own SiriusXM channel, Black Music Forever Radio.

The 2PAC Channel (Ch. 104) will take listeners on a comprehensive journey through the genius of 2PAC’s musical career. Hear about the iconic rapper’s life and music firsthand with exclusive commentary from E.D.I. Mean, an original member of 2PAC’s group The Outlawz. The channel will also feature an original series where artists and celebrities will guest DJ their personal favorites from the legendary artist.

2PAC Channel

The Prince Channel (Ch. 333) will feature music from his vast catalog over the decades, ranging from his signature funk, slow jams, psychedelic rock, and everything in between. The channel will also spotlight Prince favorites from those who knew him best with Purple Playlists, B-sides, and live performances.

Black Music Forever Radio (Ch. 105), which originated and exists as a Pandora station, will spotlight the latest hits from current and breaking Black artists in hip-hop, R&B, and pop, as well as Black composers, songwriters, and singers.

The Beatles Channel (Ch. 18) will debut a four-part series, A Shot of Rhythm and Blues: Exploring The Beatles and Black Music on June 7 at 12pm ET. Hosted by Meshell Ndegeocello, the series will explore the relationship between The Beatles and Black music, uncover The Beatles’ earliest R&B heroes, and expose the many Black artists that went on to cover the music of The Fab Four. New episodes will debut at 12pm ET on Mondays throughout the month.

BPM (Ch. 51) and Diplo’s Revolution (Ch. 52) will feature exclusive audio from the top Black artists in dance music, including Aluna, DJ Sliink, DJ UNiiQU3, TroyBoi and more.

Heart & Soul (Ch. 48) will spotlight “soulful soundtracks” each weekend in June with music from culturally iconic movies like Waiting to Exhale, Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah, and more. The channel will also feature live performances from GRAMMY Award-nominated artists.

Hip Hop Nation (Ch. 44) will celebrate the anniversaries of past releases from 2 Chainz, Drake, Gucci Mane, and J. Cole, with album specials on their respective release dates. The channel will also debut a new show, Meez-O-Estates, hosted by 21 Savage’s manager Meezy and crew, dedicated to a no-holds-barred conversation about the state of hip-hop music and culture. Rising artist Hotboii will kick off the Summer with a Summer Wave Special highlighting 10 of his favorite summer bops. HHN will also spotlight empowering Black music with a new playlist, Black Music Matters, each week and air a special rewind of the best performances from the channel’s original Nation’s Next Virtual Concert series.

Kirk Franklin’s Praise (Ch. 64) will offer fans an interactive experience, with the chance to engage with Kirk Franklin to build a song during Virtual Improv with Kirk Franklin. The channel will also present A Juneteenth Celebration with Kirk Franklin, featuring song and narration from Franklin.

On June 10 at 9pm ET, tune into VOLUME (Ch. 106) for a special episode of Layin’ It Down with Steve Jordan where Steve chats with legendary musician, producer, and record executive Smokey Robinson. You can also hear a special The Show Must Be Paused playlist, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the music industry blackout in solidarity with the Black community’s call for social justice. In addition, listen to Debatable weekdays from 4–7pm ET to hear Black artists highlighted weekly, and hosts Mark and Alan will dedicate many of their Song of the Day choices to Black artists for the month of June.

Listeners can also expect takeovers from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (The Groove, Ch. 50), H.E.R. (The Heat, Ch. 46), Monica (SiriusXM FLY, Ch. 47), and a special from The Temptations to celebrate their 60th anniversary (Soul Town, Ch. 49).

SiriusXM, Pandora, and Stitcher will also present a new original podcast, All Music Is Black Music, with the first episode debuting today. The podcast, hosted by Selema Masekela with narration by Dr. Dwandalyn Reece of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, explores how African American music and culture have shaped the wider contemporary music landscape.

Each episode takes listeners on a journey beginning with an artifact from the NMAAHC’s collection. Through interviews with artists, authors, and scholars, listeners will discover the stories of Black musicians and cultural creators who have shaped today’s trends, styles, and genres. The first episode explores the influence of girl groups in pop music featuring a conversation with Kelly Rowland. New episodes will be available bi-weekly featuring interviews from artists including Ne-Yo, St. Vincent, Regina Spektor, and more. All Music is Black Music is now available on the SiriusXM app, Pandora, and Stitcher, and will also air as a weekly program on SiriusXM VOLUME (Ch. 106) beginning June 15 at 1pm ET.


Additionally, Pandora launched a Black Music Month microsite to give listeners an opportunity to discover, experience, and participate in the celebration of Black music. The microsite includes:

  • Content quiz: Listeners can answer a series of questions that will direct them to the newly launched Modes on the Black Music Forever station, sponsored by Target for the month of June. The Modes include:
    • The Philly Sound: Hosted by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, two of the most prolific producers and songwriters in all of music, The Philly Sound commemorates the 50th anniversary of their legendary label, Philadelphia International Records. The duo will share their personal stories about some of the best soul classics ever recorded and early beginnings of Black Music Month with music from The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Phyllis Hyman, and more.

    • Future Fire: A cross-over of SiriusXM’s The Heat, Future Fire will feature some of the best emerging hip-hop and R&B acts including Mooski, Coi Leray, Giveon, and more.

    • Africa Now: An Afro-pop special highlighting the best artists throughout Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa that epitomize the Black experience of hailing from the birthplace of civilization, featuring music from Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and more.

  • Pandora Playback with Moneybagg Yo: On June 24, as part of Pandora’s virtual event series, Pandora Playback will feature an in-depth conversation with rapper Moneybagg Yo. He’ll discuss his artistry, recent album A Gangsta’s Pain, and his music legacy, plus a special celebration of HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) music and culture. Beginning June 17, listeners will be able to RSVP for the free event on the microsite.
  • Spoken word video: Voiced by multi-talented artist Shanelle Gabriel, Pandora showcases and highlights the influence and impact of Black music through the power of spoken word by taking the audience on a historic journey through the decades of deep-seeded roots Black music and culture.

For a full broadcast schedule of specialty programming celebrating Black Music Month across SiriusXM visit siriusxm.com/black-music-month. To access Pandora’s microsite, visit pandora.com/blackmusicmonth.

From now through June 8, non-subscribers can get most of the above-mentioned SiriusXM channels, as part of the SiriusXM Listen Free Event. During this event, SiriusXM will feature a sampling of over 100 SiriusXM channels including ad-free music of every kind, plus sports, talk, news, and entertainment available to non-subscribers on inactive SiriusXM radios in their car and on the SiriusXM app, with no credit card required. The 2PAC Channel, The Prince Channel, and Black Music Forever Radio will be available to these listeners only on the SiriusXM app. Go to siriusxm.com/ListenFreeEvent to learn more.



Share: