The history of music is the history of Black culture–but the industry would rather keep that buried under the surface. From Motown to disco, hip hop to R&B, Black artists have shaped every sound that defined an era. Yet time and time again, the system finds a way to push them to the sidelines. Why is it that when Black artists break out of the boxes the industry puts them in, they’re called too commercial, but when white artists borrow from Black sounds, they’re called innovative? Music history isn’t just about hits and chart-toppers—it’s about whose stories get told and whose influence gets erased. The blueprint was always Black. The system just doesn’t want us to remember.