In honor of Black Music Month, BIN journalist Amber Payton spotlights Pharrell Williams — not just as a chart-topping producer and musical visionary, but as a powerful voice for justice and equity.

After the police killing of his cousin Donovon Lynch in 2021, Pharrell took a stand, relocating his Something in the Water festival from Virginia Beach to Washington, D.C., making it clear that music can be both celebration and protest. Through his nonprofit YELLOW and the launch of YELLOWHAB, a STEM-focused school for underserved youth, Pharrell continues to push for educational equity and community empowerment.

Listen now!