Baltimore to declare June 17th Club Music Day, marking the start of AFRAM

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore is about to have its own beat. Starting June 17th, the city will recognize Baltimore Club Music Day, which also marks the start of this year's AFRAM festival, proudly sponsored by WJZ.

Baltimore Club Music has been a signature of Baltimore culture for more than three decades. 

WJZ sat down with two of the city's legendary DJs, Shawn "Ceez" Caesar of Unruly Records and "Scottie B." Rice, both of which who will be honored at AFRAM this year. 

Both DJs have spent their careers creating and spinning tracks that are uniquely Baltimorean.  "It's also something for the city overall, it literally is our sound that generated from the mud all the way to today," Caesar said.

The Baltimore Club movement, according to the DJs, is characterized by bass-heavy beats that offer listeners an outlet for both life's hardships and celebrations. This perspective was recently highlighted in a Netflix documentary about the Baltimore Club Music scene, "Dark City Beneath The Beat" by TT The Artist.

"Like you said, I think that's a great way of framing it, it was a love letter to Baltimore and really showing from her perspective what Baltimore is and what that sound is," Caesar reflected.

Famed for generating the best dances and vibes at clubs like Paradox and Hammerjacks, the DJs recalled how the right beat could ignite a crowd. "We used to gauge it based on the fight, like how hype could you get the crowd that a fight broke out. They're going to fight off of this, they're going to fight off this," Caesar recalled.

As anticipation for Baltimore Club Music Day builds, the DJs are doing pop-ups around the city to get people excited about AFRAM and remind them of the origins and future of Baltimore's unique sound.

"The key to it, we're going to gracefully bow out shortly right, and it's going to be up to the next generation to keep that going, and I think we have a great lineage," Caesar said.