The group King stands tall among this generation’s wave of black musical innovators.
“[Black music] is something that we provide to the whole world; it’s something that so much of our culture was founded on,” says Paris Strother, King’s pianist and producer.
The trio first emerged in 2011 with their independently released EP, The Story. Twins Paris and Amber Strother and friend Anita Bias created an eclectic soulful sound that caught the attention of royalty: Prince. The Purple One discovered the ladies on YouTube, endorsed the group and invited them to open for him.
Now, after five years in the industry, they have independently released We Are King, and the buzz continues.
In the midst of their world tour, The Root chatted with King at the renowned SummerStage in New York City. There, the group discussed key learnings from Prince, the inspiration of Muhammad Ali, and advice for up-and-coming musicians.
Watch the ladies offer “food for thought”: