Amplifying Black Voices: Paperwater

As part of Nasdaq’s ongoing commitment to equality and work to advance inclusive growth and prosperity, we are continuing our digital series, Amplifying Black Voices, a multimedia retrospective featuring works of art and photography documenting Black life. 

We recently spoke with Paperwater of Miami, Fl., who specializes in music, about capturing “Intimacy Through an Afrocentric Lens.” 

Please tell us about yourself and how you got started as an artist.

We got our start in high school because we were the only ones who had equipment to play music for our friends’ parties. From there we were offered the opportunity to play at a venue and then offered a residency where we gained notoriety.

What’s your inspiration for your work?

We are inspired by our environment in Miami and our friends and family around us. What drives us is the opportunity to use our music to connect with more people.

Tell us about why you chose these pieces to display

We chose these pieces because they are the album art of our electronic series BEM 2.0 that will release later this year in December during Art Basel. BEM stands for Black Electronic Music and we decided to create this album series because we felt like black electronic artists are underrepresented. BEM is an album series that allows us and other black artists to experiment and be free to genre blend in the electronic realm.

Please describe your dream project.

Our dream is to have a budget to complete our project, mix and master and get features that we normally could not pay for otherwise.

What is the best way for allies to help amplify Black voices?

The best way to help amplify Black voices is to ensure that our work is being invested in so that we can tell our stories to the world. Companies and businesses need to invest in Black artistry so we can continue the work we need to do. 

Do you have a personal business or organization that people can support?

Yes, together Eddy and I own a creative agency called Halffullcreative and we’re also founders of Wet Paper Records here in Miami.

You can learn more about Paperwater on Instagram @paperwater and explore more of their music on their website

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.