Breaking Barriers: Black Artists Question If SXSW Can Deconstruct Discriminatory Industry Norms

Figurative segregating doors stand between Black musicians and any genre outside of R&B and hip hop, but Black performers say the possibility of South by Southwest unlocking these paths exists.

“I'm not a rapper, I'm not an R&B singer, I'm not a soul singer and I'm not someone who makes Black music. I'm Black, and I make music,” said Mauvey, a genre-fluid artist performing at the upcoming event.

Black acts make up over 75% of the hip hop performers on this year’s lineup, but only about 7% of the pop stars featured belong to this racial background. As a showcase for bridging the gap between beginners and industry professionals,  SXSW’s potential to deconstruct the notion of where Black musicians belong is questioned by performers.

“When you’re a Black artist, you tell someone you do music and the first thing they’re going to think is either you’re a rapper or you make R&B,” said Adrian Daniel, a contemporary singer from Brooklyn, New York. “They will never think anything else outside of that.”

The Michael Jackson fan fuses elements of modern pop, electronic beats and soulful R&B into a musical frenzy, so he feels that one category lacks the power to detain him. Because of typecasting, Daniel said he constantly battles not feeling R&B or pop enough.

“Once a Black artist is considered pop, for some reason it’s like their music is no longer Black which is the most insane thing to me,” said the eclectic.

Having performed at SXSW every year from 2018 to 2021, the 32-year-old feels that as the showcase modernizes, its ability to shift the narrative diminishes.

“South by Southwest has changed,” he said. If the festival still prioritized the discovery process, then it would help break down stereotypes, but now people just want artists they already know, he said. “It’s limiting.”

Fellow SXSW performer Ayoni Thompson agrees. Placing herself on the alternative side of the pop, R&B and folk genres, the world traveler feels that the event lacks the power to drive industry change.

“You have the opportunity to reach a lot of new people, but you're likely not going to see the kind of turnover and business growth based off of live performances these days,” she said.

Nonetheless, the optimism of first time performers persists.

Cape Town native Nhlanhla Majozi finds both festivals and people on the lineup to benefit from including Black artists outside of traditional genres. Performers expand their outreach and surprise concertgoers with their music, while fans celebrate festivals for diversity, he said.

Majozi believes change starts internally, and his strong sense of self propels him forward in his career.

“Being a creative individual that doesn't fit the mold is not often celebrated,” he said. “Knowing who you are is super important, knowing what matters to you is super important, and then everything else filters down from that,” he said. “Hopefully people feed off that, as opposed to us expecting everyone else's mindsets to change.”