In celebration of Black Music Month, the Mocha Podcasts Network (MPN) is proud to announce the premiere of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) ‘STATE OF BLACK MUSIC’ podcast on the ever-growing and NAACP Image Award-winning network.

The STATE OF BLACK MUSIC podcast is hosted by Music Industry vets Phil Thornton, award-winning producers Claude Kelly, Chuck Harmony, and Tamone Bacon. It will launch concurrently with the NMAAM’s Black Music Month Celebration Summit June 16 – 19. The Annual Black Music Month Summit kicks off June 16 with the State of Black Music Summit, community day, and culminates with a Juneteenth block party on June 19.

From hilarious to informative, the STATE OF BLACK MUSIC podcast is a seat at the table with industry vets in the entertainment industry. “Our goal is to continue to shine a light on Black musicians and creators and their impact on American culture. We’re honored to collaborate with Mocha Podcasts Network and NMAAM to continue our mission,” says the hosts.

Each episode shares intimate conversations with celebrity guests and music influencers to debate the impact of Black music on today’s culture. The first episodes published for Black Music Month in June will feature hit singers Tamar Braxton and Tevin Campbell.

“We are thrilled to kick off Black Music Month this year with our annual events and expand the celebration to a broader audience via the STATE OF BLACK MUSIC podcast in partnership with the Mocha Podcasts Network. It’s our mission as an institution to continue to amplify Black artists and voices who push our culture forward,” says H. Beecher Hicks III, President and CEO of NMAAM. Mocha Podcasts Network has built a platform dedicated to amplifying ‘conversations from a black perspective’. The network received an NAACP Image Award for the ‘Two Funny Mamas’ hosted by comediennes and actresses Sherri Shepherd and Kym Whitley in the first year. Other podcasts on the network include Café Mocha, En Vogue’s Funky Divas podcast, Rolonda On-Demand, Vegan Sexy Cool,

B Lifted Up, The Whole Woman with new podcasts from, Been Worthy the Podcast and On the Way. With dynamic storytelling and the thought leadership from the network's leading voices, MPN has generated well over 100,000 downloads monthly. Moreover, the Network has garnered the support of diverse sponsors and advertisers such as PG, AARP, Hello Fresh, FX, One United Bank and Better Help to name a few.

“I am thrilled with our partnership with NMAAM especially to kick off the Juneteenth holiday. The debut of the STATE OF BLACK MUSIC podcast on our platform speaks to the importance of Black music and its impact on our culture,” says Sheila Eldridge, CEO of Miles Ahead Entertainment & Broadcasting

To learn more about Mocha Podcasts Network, visit www.mochapodcastsnetwork.com and follow @MochaPodcastsNetwork on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.