EDUCATOR RESOURCES

Instructors: Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad talk about “Jazz is Dead” as a record label, music cohort and a social movement. They both got their start as artists during the 1990s’ and have become recognized as Hip Hop icons;  producing, performing and composing. Individually they have worked with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Wu Tang, and A Tribe Called Quest. In 2019, Younge, Muhammad, Andrew Lojero and Adam Block created Jazz Is Dead (JID): a multimedia company specializing in the production of live concerts, studio albums, television and film. Adrian and Ali performed at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2022, under the name “Jazz is Dead.” 

Subject: Students will gain an understanding of how jazz informed hip hop and R&B, the progress of jazz music, and icon jazz artists. 

Age/ Skill Level Recommendation: Intended for intermediate to advance level music students. 16 and up

Topics discussed: The current state of Jazz, hip hop, music as a form of activism.

Recommend Use: We recommend this video be used in assisting students with identifying social and ethnic practices pertaining to the construct of Jazz music, and culture. We encourage students, while honing their skills and craft as a jazz musician, to remain in constant conversation about the past, present and possible future of jazz music.