October 1, 2024

My friend threw a listening party in Atlanta ahead of his debut album and it reminded me just how grateful I am to be young, gifted and Black!

A few weeks ago, my friend hosted a listening party for his new album, Negro Spirituals.While I already knew the project would deliver a sonic performance rooted in the form of soul that can only stem from a child of the South, the moment that he curated around it was even better.

The intimate event was held at a home deep in Atlanta’s Eastside neighborhood. As my good girlfriend and I pulled up, we eagerly reapplied our lip gloss in the whip and tiptoed up the steps into what would be Whyz’s sanctuary for the next few hours.

The scene was already set upon arrival as we entered a warm welcome from the man of the hour himself. We got reacquainted with familiar faces and formed new connections along the way. With a title like Negro Spirituals, it made sense that the event was Blackity-Black. I mean, they had my boy Stoner frying chicken in the back, and it gets no blacker than that. 

 

As the crowd continued to pour in (yes, he brought the city out), it was clear that most of the people in the building were closely connected to Whyz. For example, almost everyone who walked through the door possessed a unique, poetic, artsy aura that could only be used to describe my homie, Whyz. 

My friend Damoneke and I even styled our looks for the night around him. I wore oversized jeans, a graphic tee, and red razor shades while she rocked the cutest schoolgirl-inspired fit, complete with burgundy loafers. If you know Whyz, you understand why she had to round off the fit with those shoes.

Now that the scene was set and people began to settle in, ordering food, lighting up dro, and partaking in libations from the kitchen or their bottle of choice (we love a BYOB), it was time to dive into the music.

Moreover, someone (@cookiesfortunez) was even giving out fortune cookie affirmations in the kitchen, setting the tone for what would be a magical night. Mine read, “Investing in my self-care will always enhance my well-being,” and that was exactly what I needed to hear in that space and time.

 

See, I’m going to flex a little bit because I had the chance to hear the album unofficially about a year before its release, but that didn’t make a difference because when he hit play on the tape during the listening party, it was as if I had never heard the songs before. I already thought the project was terrific, but I almost levitated out of space to listen to it finished amid an audience of real music lovers. 

Things kicked off with the titular track, “Negro Spirituals,” featuring Big Rube, ultimately setting the tone for the journey Whyz was about to take us through. Followed by tracks like “Hallelujah,” “Under My Feet,” “Ego,” “Glory,” “Problems” and my personal favorite from the first half, “September 3rd/Virgos Ain’t Shit,” the opening selections to the album possessed the raw emotion and grit of an artist using his words to paint the picture of someone who understands the gifts he possesses while still navigating where he fits into the image of the price often associated with fame.

“I don’t want fans, I want community, and if I change your life for the better, I want immunity,” Whyz rhymed effortlessly on my aforementioned favorite song. This line hit me to my core because that’s precisely what I witnessed as an attendee during his Negro Spirituals listening event. 

Anyone can have fans, but to do the groundwork to build your core community from the ground up is precisely what a lot of the music industry is missing these days. I digress because this story is about my friend and the impressive body of work he put out.

During a quick intermission, I ran to the back to order chicken and fries (because the munchies started kicking in) before quickly making it back to my seat for the second half of the album. If you are a fan of funk—I mean real funk—this is for you.

The opener, “Funkyawant,” featuring Akeem Ali, said plainly, “If this is that funk you want, then this is that funk you’ll get. " The track delivered because I quickly jumped out of my seat and got to groovin' (ha).

While I love the project as a whole, I definitely have to say, as a Southern girl who grew up dancing with my family in my Papa’s backyard juke joint, the second half was designed with women like me in mind. I cannot pinpoint a favorite for the album’s final seven tracks, but I felt like a “Mannequin Girl,” word to 7een, and almost lost it hearing Quahaun’s vocals on “Bad Match.” I haven’t listened to a soulful voice like that since my VA brother D’Angelo hit the scene. Also, what are the lyrics in the song? FELT, because I’ve had my fair share of bad matches, but life goes on.

To round us out, Whyz took us back to church, exactly where we started at the beginning of the project through “Found a Savior.” 

“I had to change my ways as we turn this page. You see me go from chaos to clarity y. All ain't hearing me,” said Whyz on the final track. “I need peace, love, weed, and good people. Not these niggas on these screens that promote evil.”

Negro Spirituals, as a debut album, is truly a force to be reckoned with. Outside of Whyz being more than just an artist I’ve grown to love and support, he is my friend. I am grateful to be surrounded by people who encourage me to dream bigger and go harder, never allowing this thing called life or the nuances of social media to taint what’s truly good for the soul.