Meet BLKBOK: An amazing storyteller and a musician who defies categorization, inspired by rap and classical music.

Buzz Knight

I’m Buzz Knight, the host of Taking a Walk music history on foot. Follow us on Apple podcasts, Spotify. Tune in or wherever you get your podcast and leave us a review, just like Jack Holbrook did. And he says that he really loves the podcast because it’s for music lovers. Or Jesse mc, who said, I just listened to the Jonn Anderson episode and absolutely loved it. I love how on Taking A Walk it has connected me with some music that I’ve newly discovered. Amanda Shires is an example on a past episode. The Cadillac Three Band is another example. And today we’re going to turn you on to something that defies categorization and someone who’s very special. Charles Wilson III. Aka. BLKBOK is a neoclassical pianist. I don’t believe anything sounds like his music. He fuses hip hop and classical and jazz into this delectable brew. He’s going to be appearing at the City Winery in Boston on February the 24th, and he’ll be out on tour elsewhere throughout the country. Please welcome to Take It a Walk music history on foot. BLKBOK. BLKBOK, it’s so great to meet you. Thank you for being on this virtual edition of Taking a Walk. It’s really a pleasure to meet you.

BLKBOX

Thank you for having me here.

Buzz Knight

What’s the first moment you remember being moved by music?

BLKBOX

This is a great story. The first time I remember being moved by music was a piano recital I played when I was very young. As I recall, I was playing mozart sonata. And when I finished the piece, I guess everybody had understood that this little kid playing this piece was quite a challenge. So when I stepped off, I took my bow, I walked off stage and right as I walked off, I sighed really big. I went and the audience just burst into laughter like they knew it’s. Like that instant connection. And that was the first time I realized that what I’m doing in front of these people really connects with them in a deep way. They understood what I was going through. They understood what I was feeling. And from that moment on, I knew that music was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Buzz Knight

You were hooked.

BLKBOX

I was hooked.

Buzz Knight

What was life like growing up in the inner city of Detroit?

BLKBOX

It had its ups and downs. One of the things that my mother it’s funny that I just saw my mother a few weeks ago and she said these words, she said, just because you grow up in the ghetto doesn’t mean you have to have a ghetto mentality. And she’s always been that person. Just because our environment was one thing does not mean that our minds have to be part of that environment. And I will admit I did all the crazy stuff, but at the same time, I took piano lessons every Saturday and I practiced throughout the week. And sometimes my friends would be wanting me to come outside and play. And it wasn’t bad because I had to practice. But I think very much Detroit shapes the musician that I am. It showed me that there’s more than one angle or there’s more than one perspective of what music can be or should be or can be perceived by people being, like I said, a hip hop kid. It’s funny, I would listen to, say, Ice cube, and then in the same moment, I’d listen to Tina Turner, and the next moment I’d listen to Tchaikovsky. So my mother never had a real issue with me and my listening. And the fact that Ice cube was part of the mix because he was part of the mix, it wasn’t just like, one thing. But growing up in the city of Detroit is amazing. The music community is everything, and the people are so welcoming and so knowledgeable, and they took me in, and I’m a product of my environment.

Buzz Knight

What’s the first concert that you ever went to?

BLKBOX

Oh, first concert I ever went to that I can remember was at the Fox Theater. And I saw my favorite artist. His name is Andreas Vollenweider. He’s an electroacoustic harpist. And I can remember that concert. So if I close my eyes, I can remember it. And it’s been very influential in my music because he is a musical storyteller, and I consider myself a musical storyteller as well.

Buzz Knight

Did you know at that moment how special seeing that concert was?

BLKBOX

No, at that moment, I didn’t realize how special it was. I think I realized that it was special, but I didn’t realize how special that it would be something later, that I would be influential into my own artistry. I just thought it was really cool. The drummer had this big piece of metal that hung from the ceiling, and he was playing it, and it was just like, wow. As a kid, you see that stuff and you’re like, Your mind is blown. But did I know that it would affect my music in the way it has? No, I didn’t know at that time.

Buzz Knight

And the rest of your influences are so diverse. Can you maybe walk us through some of those other influences?

BLKBOX

Oh, yeah. One of my hip hop influences is Buster Rhymes. I love his use of melody. I love his use of rhythm. One of my classical influences. I’m a very big fan of Chopin. I’m a big fan of Florence Price. I’m a fan of Tchaikovsky. I’m a fan of Debussy, which I play on my shows R and B. And I’m a motown kid through and through. I mean, it runs through my veins. It’s amazing. My father is from Detroit and my mother’s from Memphis. So stacks in motown are just a part of my DNA. And I also listen to everything celtic music, I listen to the Brazilian music, I listen to music from all over the world. I just think everything has its place and its time and its own personal story. And I just love diving into those stories and seeing what I can discover.

Buzz Knight

Is there one person from those influences, from many years ago that you wish you could meet? And what would you say to whoever that is?

BLKBOX

Well,Biggie Smalls, I can’t meet him, but if I could, I would just say I think I would say to all of them, thank you for being the most unique you. Thank you for being you. That’s what shows in the music is that we get a piece of who this person is. And I think that’s the most important thing is that as musicians, we always show up as our very unique cells and convey that message to our audience. So I think I would just thank them for being them.

Buzz Knight

So you went on tour with some fairly noteworthy characters in your career. Justin Timberlake, Rihanna John Mayer. What were those experiences like?

BLKBOX

Those were awesome. I think there’s a reason why each one of them are the A list of musicians and performers that they are. I think one of the things I learned from them all is how to be that type of performer. Also how to command a stage in a way that others do not know, how to run a business, how to be a professional. These things are things that have to exist for these people to be who they are. What would Justin Timberlake be like if he never showed up for an interview on time? Or what would Rihanna be if she never got on stage and commanded the stage like she did recently at the Super Bowl? So those experiences very much taught me how to be that person and how to sit in that role. And I wouldn’t give those experiences up in the world. Those were some of the most awesome times.

Buzz Knight

That’s almost like an mba course, isn’t it?

BLKBOX

Yeah, it’s like Pop 101. Pop music 101 I have chills just thinking about that. Yeah. It’s honestly, like I said, the top of the top. And seeing how they put together production, put together a show, how it all unfolds with their business and with the team and with their schedules, and just being up close to that energy allows you to learn from it. If you take the moment, if you take the opportunity, the initiatives to learn, you can see it all.

Buzz Knight

When you see them perform from afar must really tickle you.

BLKBOX

Yeah, it always makes me laugh. The thing that makes me laugh most is when I’m in the grocery store and one of their songs come on, or if I’m in the grocery store and then a Rihanna song comes on, a Justin song comes on, a Backstreet Boy song comes on, and a John Mayer song comes on. I just crack up. I’m like, oh, they just nailed it all.

Buzz Knight

So you’ve had some mentors that have impacted you in your life. It certainly sounds like your parents would be included in that, right?

BLKBOX

Yeah, absolutely.

Buzz Knight

Any other mentors?

BLKBOX

My piano teacher from my youth. His name is Toma schwartz. Some of the Detroit Jazz legends. Teddy Harris and Marcus Belgrave and Thomas Beans Bowles and Charles bowles and harold mckinney and so many others. Michael Coker throughout my career. My good friend Kevin Antunes, who gave me my first opportunity with Justin timberlake, and then the co chair of my label, Billy Mann and his partner Benton James. These have all been like people who have been very influential in my life, and I love them all dearly.

Buzz Knight

And conversely, are you mentoring anybody along your path?

BLKBOX

Absolutely, yes. I think that it’s very important that I pay it forward. One of the things that recently happened there’s a five year old pianist. Just so happens my first name is Charles and everyone calls me Charlie. And so happens this kid’s name is Charlie, and he’s a five year old piano prodigy. And this kid has so much figured out at this point, and I just got to meet him in person in Grand Rapids. And after my show, he sat down and played a song for me. And his father is also a pianist, and we just talk about his path and how to keep him on the straight and narrow to becoming the best version of who he will be. So it’s always important that I reach back and mentor young people. And also I’ve become very active in my own city, in Detroit, in the music scene. So, yeah, definitely have to pay forward.

Buzz Knight

Why am I not surprised you would say that? Yeah, I knew you would. I’m amused on your sense of humor. The most recent one I was looking at, I think it was on TikTok, was the Push Up Challenge.

BLKBOX

Oh, yeah, I love it.

Buzz Knight

Do you just love to just throw that out and see what sticks? Is it just for fun? Tell me about it.

BLKBOX

Yeah, I’m one of those people, I don’t take myself too seriously ever, so me just doing fun stuff or making fun of myself or throwing myself on the floor or anything, I’m always intrigued by things that just make people laugh. I think in some way I’m a bit of a comedian, some way, maybe not. I don’t know. Some people laugh at my jokes, other people don’t, but I think that there’s a great connection and laughter. And like I said, I’m just a funny I don’t know, I just love humor. I think comedians are the bravest people on earth, and I think musicians are right behind them, so we’re very much connected. And, yeah, push up challenges, jokes on Instagram, jokes on YouTube or ig or TikTok, it’s just fun stuff.

Buzz Knight

And who are the comedians that you love?

BLKBOX

Oh, of course. We got to say Dave Chappelle, of course. Yeah. But I love Sebastian Maniscalco. I love Dave. I love Kevin Hart. Mike EppsS is one of my favorites. Wanda Sykes. So I don’t know, I just think these people are like superhuman. So I would love to meet them all one day and just sit down and have a chat.

Buzz Knight

Well, there is a parallel because I’m not a musician and I’m not a comedian, and I marvel at both musicians and comedians for their work ethic, their practice ethic, and how it just seems so effortlessly happens, even though it’s obvious it’s from hard work.

BLKBOX

Yeah, very hard work. I definitely see the parallels as well. There’s a lot of stuff that happens behind the scenes that people don’t see that when they get on stage, it seems like, oh, it’s so easy. You stand in front of an audience and tell jokes or play music, and it’s not as simple as you think. It comes from a lot of trial and error.

Buzz Knight

The composition, George Floyd and the struggle for equality is absolutely chilling and it’s an incredible piece of work. Can you talk about the creation of that?

BLKBOX

Yeah. Essentially I set out to create an album, which was ten songs. And when I finished the 10th song the next day, the George Floyd incident happened and I got a call saying, hey, don’t take to the streets, don’t riot. Your people need to hear your voice, sit down at the piano and express yourself. So as you hear in the piece, the beginning of the piece is so loud and it’s thunderous and it’s angry. And it is exactly what I felt in that moment was anger. And there was one way I could get it out, and it was just to bang on the piano with all my might. And as you hear throughout the piece, you’ll hear each day of the expression in the beginning, like I said, I’m angry. And then you hear this very reflective, reflective moment, and then it goes back to anger like every day. As it was, the news was going through. As I would hear it every day, it was just like, these emotions will go up and down. The idea of that piece is to end with hope that this doesn’t happen again. So the last couple of days of the piece, writing the piece were a bit challenging to kind of push aside what I was feeling about the incident and repurposing and refocusing the energy into hope. How do we how do I make an expression that says, let’s be hopeful that this does not happen again? So the piece was, like I said, it wrote itself over, I think it was eleven days. And it was a bit of a challenge because the things that were happening were happening in real time. Not like many of the other pieces where I’m drawing from information that may have happened or may not have happened yet. This was going on as I was writing it’s.

Buzz Knight

Amazing piece.

BLKBOX

Thank you.

Buzz Knight

If a musician who is struggling to find their voice and find their audience is listening to this podcast, what advice would you give them?

BLKBOX

I would say to take a moment to detach from everything that you do know and think about who you are, the sum of all the things that you are. And when you discover what that is, you will have discovered who you are authentically. And when you discover who you are authentically, speak authentically, write authentically, perform authentically, be who you are. The world needs to hear who you are. They’re waiting for your voice. There’s an audience for everything. So whatever it is that you’re writing, never be afraid. I think one of the things we get bogged down is the question of who’s going to listen to this? And I think that’s an obsolete question, because there’s always someone who listened to there’s an audience for everything. So the idea is to approach it with the sensibility that whatever I create, there is an audience for it. So that means I can create authentically.

Buzz Knight

So you have the City Winery date in Boston that we mentioned earlier, as I introduced you. And there’ll be other dates, of course, where you’re performing. If someone’s never seen you perform live, what can they expect?

BLKBOX

They can expect great storytelling. They can expect an emotional experience. They can expect to be taking into places that they may not have thought about before. People cry at my shows. I think if I don’t see tears, I didn’t do my job. You can expect to be taken on this wild adventure. And the beauty of the adventure is that you are the co creator of it. I am just putting the canvas up and you are the painter. So I think that’s one of the great things about my shows, is that everyone gets to experience it their own way.

Buzz Knight

I’m grateful I got to talk with you and thank you for your insights and thank you for the gift that you give us.

BLKBOX

Thank you, Buzz. This is awesome. Taking a Walk with Buzz Knight is.

Buzz Knight

Available on spotify, Apple podcast, or wherever.

BLKBOX

You get your podcast.

Buzz Knight is an established media executive with a long history of content creation and multi-platform distribution.

After a successful career as a Radio Executive, he formed Buzz Knight Media which focuses on strategic guidance and the development of new original content.