Jorja Lewis/East Tennessean

 East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum hosted its annual hip-hop listening room, bringing together music, art, poetry and Appalachian history.

The event, which ETSU has hosted annually since 2021, featured an art exhibition, an album-listening party, soul food and poetry readings.

Attendees were greeted by “Frequency,” a mixed-media art installation by Doniqua Joyner displayed along the hallway leading into the event.

Joyner described “Frequency” as an exhibition that “considers how words, imagery, music, and cultural traditions can carry influence across generations.”

The exhibition incorporated themes and influential figures from hip-hop culture, including J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. Joyner’s artwork featured paintings with three-dimensional objects attached, along with painted and embellished shoes.

The event also featured “Future Proof,” an album produced by Nathan Blye and performed by Josh Outsey.

The project combined samples of Appalachian music from the 1920s and 1930s with modern hip-hop beats and lyrics, connecting the region’s musical past with contemporary sounds.

Blye and his team spent eight months searching through thousands of archival recordings to find suitable samples. Many of the recordings were distorted or damaged due to their age and recording methods.

Some of the nearly century-old recordings featured homemade instruments captured using early recording equipment.

After discovering a brief section of usable audio, the team selected it for the project.

Outsey then entered the studio and listened to four potential samples before choosing the loop that resonated with him. He used the selection as the foundation for developing the lyrics and beat.

“Hip-hop is taking scraps and making them shine,” Blye said.

Outsey’s inspiration for the project came partly from his perception of a divide between college-educated individuals and hip-hop musicians. He wanted to challenge the idea that someone could not belong to both groups while combining Appalachian history with modern hip-hop music.

Both artists emphasized the importance of preserving history while creating something new.

Through their collaboration, Blye and Outsey sought to honor the musicians who came before them while encouraging future generations to build upon those traditions.

The artists expressed enthusiasm for the future of the listening room and the opportunity for younger musicians to contribute their own perspectives.

“If you are gonna write something down on paper, let it come from the heart. If you do that, you won’t lose,” Blye said.

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