June is African American Music Appreciation Month! Created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, this month celebrates the African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage.
Formerly called National Black Music Month, this celebration of African American musical contributions is re-established annually by presidential proclamation. Though by no means exhaustive, we’ve prepared a primer that will guide you through some of the different genres that African Americans have created, inspired and fostered.
On Juneteenth, Chance the Rapper returns to the Hollywood Bowl for a powerful night of music and culture. Celebrating Black excellence, freedom, and resilience, this family-friendly event will feature an inspiring set from one of hip-hop’s most distinctive voices, along with an opening DJ set from D-Nice, plus gospel choir and more to bring the energy from the start. Tickets for kids 12 and under are 50% off. (Limit four; all children must be accompanied by an adult.)
Chance returns to the Bowl ten years after the release of his mixtape Coloring Book. With hits like “Angels” and “No Problems,” Coloring Book was one of the definitive mixtapes of the 2010s, bringing a distinctly Chicago-flavored mix of hip-hop and gospel to the world. It made Chance a superstar and a three-time Grammy winner—and the first artist to bring home a statue for an album only available on streaming services.
One of independent music’s great success stories, he brings the spirit of Black excellence and joy to the Bowl. On his most recent album, 2025’s Star Line, he explores his identity as a Black person in 21st-century America. The album’s grounded, sober, and optimistic perspective led Rolling Stone to call it “a remarkable return to form”; NPR said, “Remarkably (or maybe not, given his abiding persona), the album is not bitter or defensive but reinvigorated and perceptive, less intent on proving his capabilities than on using those powers for good.”
