Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
During Black History Month, we highlight the many contributions of African Americans in the United States. To make the occasion, AEW released a compilation album entitled Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 on Feb.18 as a way to commemorate the Black wrestlers on its roster.
AEW’s in-house producer Mikey Rukus came up with the idea as what he described as “’30 for 30′ episodes for AEW’s Black wrestlers.” It’s a wonderful way to bring members of the wrestling community to tell their unique stories.
“I have always envisioned AEW Music being a multi-dimensional experience for fans,” Rukus said. “One of those areas that I wanted to see affected in a positive way was culture. When I looked at my calendar and saw February was only a few months away, I came up with the idea of highlighting our African American talent through music, but with a storytelling perspective that allowed listeners to connect with them on a personal level.”
According to the official press release, Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 will eventually be available on streaming platforms, and proceed from the physical copies will go to the Bootsy Collins Foundation, which Rukus and AEW’s Community Outreach Team identified as a viable partner during the development of the album.
The legendary funk musician also recorded an intro and interlude for Who We Are, giving the project an immediate sense of reverence. Rukus, a long-time fan of Collins, felt he and his foundation were an ideal addition to what he wanted to create.
“He is a funk legend and well-revered within the Black Community as an entertainer. Not to mention, he’s a great human being. While we were still in the planning phase with the AEW Community Outreach team, vetting a list of potential charities, I got a message from someone from the Bootzilla Camp. It clicked immediately, and after learning the mission of The Bootsy Collins Foundation, we knew this was a great fit. We’re honored to work with them on this initiative.”
Music’s Key Role Black History
Music is an integral part of Black history. Early on, slaves used chants and work songs to preserve elements of African culture and create new genres of music. What started as spirituals blossomed into gospel, blues, and jazz.
During the Harlem Renaissance in the 20s and 30s and the Black Arts Movement in the 60s and 70s, African American musicians redefined the Black experience. Both periods enriched our collective consciousness and changed the perception of Black people in the US and abroad.
In many ways, Rap music is a direct response to Amiri Baraka’s call to action. The poet and founder of the Black Arts Movement believed that art is more than just free expression; it should challenge social norms and nourish the community.
Despite some criticism of the genre, rap gives unconventional orators a chance to tell their own stories. As Michael Eric Dyson beautifully put it in his book, Know What I Mean: Reflections on Hip Hop, “hip hop music is important precisely because it sheds light on contemporary politics, history, and race. At its best, hip hop gives voice to marginal black youth we are not used to hearing from on such topics.”
It may seem like a stretch to tie these ideas to professional wrestling. However, it’s pertinent because Black wrestlers’ stories have been largely conveyed by non-Black creators and historians for so long.
That’s exactly why Who We Are is significant and more projects like it are necessary. The Bootsy Collins Foundation is also important because it inspires young men and women to carry on these traditions and gives them the means to learn to play any kind of instrument they want.
AEW recently presented a copy of Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 to the
National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a historic moment for the company and a major win for AEW Music.
A Monumental Group Effort
Rukus acted as executive producer on this collaborative effort that brought together rappers, producers, and active podcasters. R8ter R, Rich Latta, Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx, Monteasy, as well as AEW wrestlers Max Caster and Sonny Kiss all contributed to this historic platform.
“Wanting to keep the music and the presentation as authentic as possible, I reached out to producers and artists who were not just familiar with the hip hop/R&B space, but familiar within the wrestling landscape,” Rukus said. “After a series of conversations, we were set to move forward. We ended up with twenty AEW stars, 35 producers/artists, and 15 different recording studios spread out across the US.”
“This is my first time working on something like this in wrestling,” Latta said. “It’s a little different than making a direct theme for someone which I have one premiering very soon for someone. This is more in line with the old WWF Aggression-style songs. I had that CD as a kid and always wanted a promotion to reach out so I could do music for them. This was a no-brainer on jumping on something like this.”
The rapper/producer and host of One Nation Radio echoes others’ feelings about a lack of inclusion for hip hop artists in wrestling. Bringing many rappers and influencers from the online community together on this album seems like something someone should’ve done a long time ago.
Hip hop has always shown love for professional wrestling. However, its admiration for the sport often feels unrequited because many wrestling companies rarely give rappers or the genre’s biggest outlets ample opportunities to help promote them. That’s slowly starting to change but it’s telling that the biggest wrestling fan in the industry, Westside Gunn, expressed frustrations about the matter on Twitter back in December.
Mega Ran is an influential presence in nerdcore hip hop with well over a decade of music under his belt. The Phoenix-based emcee has made appearances for companies like Ring of Honor. He has also worked on entrance music including Xavier Woods’ current theme. On Who We Are, he exuded gratitude for a project like this and the chance to be a part of it.
“This is all we’ve ever asked of any wrestling promotion: to acknowledge our contributions and our love for the business, to love us back a little, to see us,” Ran said. “People of color have always been seen as outliers in this world, though most wrestlers may have hip-hop theme songs. Yet so few of us rise to the top of the profession. So to see Black Excellence spotlighted and praised is far beyond what I’ve ever thought I’d see from a professional wrestling company. How could I not be a part of that?”
Josiah Williams, the voice behind Wrestle and Flow, shared his sentiment as a prominent figure due to his popular remixes, Shawn Spears’ and Serena Deeb’s theme songs, and his work with WWE. The Christian rapper spoke briefly about what it meant to get the call to work on Who We Are.
“Getting that call was exciting, humbling, and a reminder of why this work is so important.,” Williams said. “There’s a history of Wrestle and Flow putting our culture, and Black History, in the spotlight over the years. It genuinely comes from the heart. I’m excited that AEW sees that vision in myself and so many others, and that they’ve allowed us to contribute our art.”
All Elite Wrestling @AEW
Check out “Taiga Styling” @theleemoriarty Story, exclusively on #WhoWeAre Volume 1, honoring Black History Month. Pre-order your copy NOW at https://t.co/XtpDuAeFYp with proceeds benefitting the @Bootsy_Collins Foundation!
#AEWMusic | @MikeyRukus | @DARTrueGod | @ShokusApollo https://t.co/TZsGItlnDq
Working With AEW Wrestlers To Bring This Project To Life
Lee Moriarty debuted his track, “Taiga Styling,” on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite ahead of a tremendous match with Bryan Danielson. Music is such a big part of the Pittsburgh native’s character. So much so, that he recently spoke to Pitchfork about his taste in music.
As such, it may have seemed like a daunting task to work with Moriarty but rapper True God called the opportunity a dream come true. The jazzy tune is one of the many highlights of the album. Everybody involved understood the assignment as they say because it perfectly fits TAIGASTYLE.
“I’ve been in and out of the wrestling business since 2013 and I’ve always wanted to do something like that,” True God said. “As an artist, I’m a natural storyteller, and it’s the crux of music, so when I found out I was working with someone like Lee, I was ecstatic. We have similar music taste and he was pretty straightforward about what he enjoys in his Pitchfork article. In so many ways, this was a perfect fit, so I’m grateful for that.”
AEWMusic @AEWmusic
THIS FRIDAY 2/18! WHO WE ARE: A Celebration of Excellence Vol 1. will drop! Check out “In The Mix” @Thee_Red_Velvet Story by @WilliamRBR @mistercutright @equippedmusic & @JDeanWilliams! Pre-Order NOW! All proceeds benefit the @Bootsy_Collins Foundation!
https://t.co/gWOSJN2JQY https://t.co/KtOvh2u9RJ
Red Velvet’s song, In the Mix, kicked off the album on a high note. The 29-year-old said it was “an honor” to be a part of the first song following Collin’s intro.
“The first song sets the tone for the album,” Red Velvet said. “So, I’m honored that they had enough faith in my song to kick off the album. It’s similar to wrestling – the opening match sets the tone for the show – it’s an honor to open a show, likewise with the album. ‘In The Mix’ is a whole vibe! It’s very upbeat and describes my story so well. I’m so happy it gets to kick off this amazing album.”
Williams teamed up with the host of the Grapsody podcast, Will Washington, and Cutright to make this reggaeton-inspired track. The song immediately illustrates how many different sounds and distinct stories went into the album. Red Velvet had a lot to do with this as a dancer and fan of dancehall.
“When I wrote out my story, I told the producers I wanted my song to be something I could make choreography to, because of my dance background,” she said. “I love Latin ballroom, so I wanted my story to have a little of the Latin vibes while still being close to the vibe of my entrance music. I gave them a lot of Doja Cat music as a reference because her songs always are so hype and just make you want to get up and dance.”
Similarly, Jade Cargill talked about how her Jamaican heritage played a big part in her record, Knockout. Rich Latta produced the song, which features verses from Monteasy, Anthiny King, and Righteous Reg.
“I put my roots into ‘Knockout’,” she said. “I’m a first-generation American. My father never let us forget where we were from. He was a very proud Yardie. I wanted Reggae with a mix of Kanye, something cocky, something me.”
GRAPSODY on Fightful.com @GrapsodyPod
That’s @WilliamRBR on the instrumental. That’s @OhMyGodGRAM on the second verse. And that is @RighteousReg RIGHT THERE ON THE SCREEN. Grapsody and fam are way in the building.
All representing the big homie @TrueWillieHobbs
We’re not crying. You’re crying. ???? #AEWDarkElevation https://t.co/jW5XfcMKtu
Washington also worked with his co-host, Righteous Reg, and Gram of the Public Enemy Podcast on Powerhouse Hobbs’ track. The latter was a last-minute addition to the album but he contributed my favorite verse on the album.
“They were pretty much done with the project when Will reached out to me about the song,” Gram said. “I assumed it was in regards to a podcasting opportunity. So, to be invited to work on this song alongside him and Righteous Reg for Powerhouse Hobbs I was excited. Once I heard the record I had to be a part of it.”
All three artists are from California. So, they made perfect sense for this record about Hobbs, who grew up in East Palo Alto. The dynamo of Team Taz spoke about his friendship with Reg and background in the most recent episode of AEW Dark Elevation.
Surprisingly, Brandi Rhodes’ song, BGM, is also one of the best entries on the album. Mega Ran worked on this beautiful and inspiring record about AEW’s former CBO, who left the company last week along with her husband Cody. Even more, the rapper with roots in Philadelphia said he insisted on penning a track about Rhodes.
“I insisted that he let me create a Brandi track,” he said. “There weren’t any plans originally. Some people weren’t sure— we know how the internet has been to her over the last few months, but I don’t think you can do a project like this without mentioning the highest-ranking Black woman in pro wrestling history. So once we got into the process of creating: me, Toure, and Shara, I just felt a creative energy that I couldn’t contain. I sent it back to the team and they said it was one of their favorites of the bunch. I’m glad we did it.”
Hopefully, Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 is the first of its kind. It already seems like AEW plans to do more projects like this and that’s a big step forward. It’s often hard for companies to promote initiatives during Black History Month without coming off as pandering.
However, Rukus seems to be coming from a genuine place in his attempt to unite with wrestling fans and creators to curate a powerful moment as opposed to a transparent marketing ploy.
The tracklist for Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, Vol. 1 includes:
Intro f. Bootsy Collins
In The Mix (Red Velvet Story) f. Will Washington, Wrestle and Flow, Cutright, E.Quipped
Taiga Styling (Lee Moriarty Story) f. True God, Shokus Apollo
Shine (Nyla Rose Story) f. Richa Latta, Monteasy, Jon Connor, Bliz
Whatcha Lookin’ At (Sonny Kiss Story) f. Sonny Kiss, Brinson
Victory (Jay Lethal Story) f. Alexv, Omega Sparx, Swats, Kit Walters
Knockout (Jade Cargill Story) f. Rich Latta, Monteasy, Anthiny King, Righteous Reg
No Socks (Ricky Starks Story) f. Applejaxx, Brinson, E.Quipped
I’m The Captain (Shawn Dean Story) f. Cutright, E.Quipped, Isaac Mather
Mixed Messages (Max Caster Story) f. Max Caster
BGM (Brandi Rhodes Story) f. Mega Ran, Touré Masters, FrivolousShara, Lost Perception
The Bootsy Collins Foundation f. Patti Collins
Underneath Me (Anthony Bowens Story) f. Zane Oliver, Quinn O’Donnell
Fish N’ Chips (Anthony Ogogo Story) f. Mega Ran, Tru God, Bliz, Tizzy
Ready to Go (Private Party Story) f. Staylo Dom
Legend (Mark Henry Story) f. Rich Latta, Monteasy, Wrestle and Flow
Who’s the Coldest (Top Flight Story) f. Brinson
Powerhouse (Will Hobbs Story) f. Will Washington, Righteous Reg, Gram
Dats On Period (Kiera Hogan Story) f. Tamira Slade, Tizzy, Bliz
Fully Loaded (Lee Johnson Story) f. R8ed R
Up in the Clouds (Scorpio Sky Story) f. Omega Sparx, Swats, Teek Hall, Doe the Paperboy, Mega Ran, K-Drama
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