Hip Hop/Soul Musician, Millennial Father PIERCE FREELON: Artist Of The Week

PIERCE FREELON, a musician, professor, and activist, is the Spectacular Magazine Featured Artist of the Week for the week of June 15, 2020. Pierce is a Millennial father and husband, born and raised in Durham North Carolina. He has taught in the music department at UNC-Chapel Hill for several years, where he co-founded Beat Making Lab. Now, Pierce is making beats for children and families.

A father of two, Pierce dropped Daddy Daughter Day – the first single and video from his upcoming Family Music album “D.a.D” – on June 17th, just in time for Father’s Day.  The song features his friend, fellow Durham native, father, musician, and community leader Joshua Gunn, as they treat their daughters to a day of fun, exploration, and self-care throughout the City of Durham. The music video is dedicated to their fathers, Phil Freelon and Henry ‘Bruh’ Gunn, both of whom transitioned in the past year. Daddy Daughter Day is a celebration of their legacy as loving Black fathers and proud Durham residents.

An ardent advocate for his hometown’s African American community,  the music video features three Durham-based Black-owned small businesses: Ngozi Design made our hand-sewn African print masks; Empact Tennis facilitated our “Dads vs. Daughterz” tennis match (on a historic Durham court played on by Authur Ashe and Althea Gibson); and Wonderpuff made the organic, vegan cotton candy with sprinkles. Check out the video:

 

Let’s get to know more about Pierce Freelon:

Yimisa Brodie: When did you start?

Pierce Freelon: I’ve been making music for over 15 years and have released several albums, EPs, and mixtapes as the frontman of the jazz/Hip Hop bad The Beast. I have toured internationally and shared the stage with such musical legends as The Last Poets, Dead Prez, Bilal, and Grandmaster Flash.

In what ways has your music changed since you first got started?

When I first started, I was only making hip hop. My sound evolved as I grew as a musician, father, producer, and man. One of the biggest changes with this album is – I’ve produced all of the music. In previous projects, I’ve primarily focused on being the lyricist/vocalist – now I’m writing, arranging, and producing, which has been a lot of fun.

What is your motivation for your art?

My motivation for this project is my family – especially my father Phil Freelon, who passed away last year. I started putting the pieces for this album together as he was transitioning and even got to play a few work-in-progress tunes for him before he passed. My other inspiration is my kids. My father taught me the values of fatherhood and my kids are helping me refine my technique every day!

Who are your musical or artistic influences?

My mother Nnenna Freelon is my biggest influence. She is a 6-time Grammy-nominated artist and 6-time Granny-winning Grandmother! My two kids gave her her first two grannies, and my two siblings have each matched with a pair of their own kids! I grew up in a household with a professional musician, and she and my Dad really showed me the blueprint for how to lean into your passion, as an extension of my parenting.

Are there any artists with whom you would like to collaborate? Why?

I have so many dope collaborators on this project. I’ve been wanting to do a song with J Gunn for years, and we finally made it happen with Daddy Daughter Day. My favorite children’s album EVER is Rissi Palmer‘s “Best Day Ever”. When my wife bought it out of the check-out lane at Whole Foods several years ago, we had no idea the Nashville-based artist had recently re-located to Durham! Now we have a song together about a consent culture called My Body! I also had the privilege of teaming up with award-winning composers BeatNam (twin brothers Josh and Jonah Vincent) who have produced for Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, and John Legend and others! They went to NCCU and are featured on the album as well. We have so much talent in Durham, I’m honored to have collaborated with so many of them!

Do you have any upcoming projects, shows, or appearances? What are your next steps?

My album “D.a.D” comes out on July 31st and I’m so excited! I will also be doing some virtual concerts, and workshops related to the album – just follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information.

What are your social media handles?

I’m so glad you asked 🙂 you can find me everywhere at @piercefreelon

Thanks Pierce and… Happy Father’s Day!