Various genres of Black music have always experimented with older styles to make something new. From Little Richard being “The Architect of Rock and Roll” by blending blues with r&b and gospel to the numerous hip-hop subgenres, the future is brighter than ever. Black creatives are still leading the charge in ushering in new scenes nationally and internationally. These changes are one of the reasons why BET.com created the “Unboxed” feature series. Through these profiles, we’ve highlighted genre-bursting artists representing different musical styles, including Fantastic Negrito, Nite Bjuti, Dreamer Isioma and dozens more.

Regarding modern blues, Oakland-native Fantastic Negrito has become the face of creative progress within the genre. It makes sense why he became the first artist featured in the series. Starting with his breakout 2016 album The Last Days of Oakland, he would start a streak of Grammy Award-winning albums following 2018’s Please Don’t Be Dead and Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? in 2020.

Stateside, rock music may have spent several decades overlooking the ethnicities that gave birth to the genre. However, contemporary mainstream and indie rock-leaning artists are becoming more popular than ever. Steve Lacy may have been known for his role as lead guitarist for alt-R&B band The Internet, but last year’s TikTok heavy breakout single “Bad Habit” was a standout moment in the genre. That doesn’t even count popular acts like The 1865, Meet Me At The Altar, Hemlocke Springs, White Wolf and others are making their voices known enough to garner legitimate fan bases.

Much has been spoken about Black country artists being purposefully written from their rich history. Controversies ranging from Beyoncé being slighted at the 2016 Country Music Awards to Lil Nas X’s record-breaking single “Old Town Road” facing accusations of not being “country enough,” the past few several years have seen shifts in how Blacks have begun to engage with the genre. Most recently, BET featured women-led country groups such as The Boykinz and Chapel Hart. These groups have earned significant respect within country music for maintaining traditions while pushing the genre forward by blending various styles of music. Add other artists, including Willie Jones, Tony Evans, Jimmie Allen, Brittney Spencer, and the like into the fold, and there isn’t a better time to be Black in country music.

Anyone who has seen the wonderful 2012’s phenomenal documentary A Band Called Death will understand that Blacks created punk rock while the late 1970s group Bad Brains pushed the genre even further. Though both never gained the level of notoriety as The Sex Pistols and The Ramones, they are extremely important foundations of the genre. This is why newer punk artists like Breezy Supreme and Dreamer Isioma are more critical than ever.

Black artists are even making strides in children’s music. Our second Unbox feature Divinity Roxx was recently nominated for a “Best Children’s Album” Grammy this year. Speaking with BET, Roxx mentioned opening up glass ceilings in spaces with which Blacks usually aren’t associated.

“It's an honor... but it's almost embarrassing because it's 2023 and it raises the question: How come other Black women have not been exposed to this genre in a way where they felt it was accessible to them?” Roxx said. “I do hope that just my nomination alone encourages other young Black women to create music for children. I think we all need to be creating music for children with them in mind.”