REDWOOD to drop jazzy DMX hit, headline at Kennedy Center
Follow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON – Hip-hop legend DMX, who died from a heart attack in 2021, would’ve turned 54 this month. But the NYC gritty rapper lives on through his music and others’ renditions.
The latest example is slated for Jan. 12, when Sequoia REDWOOD Snyder drops her arrangement of “Who We Be,” a hit single from DMX’s Grammy-nominated album, “The Great Depression.” REDWOOD headlines at the Kennedy Center’s Studio K Club three weeks later, bringing the 25-year-old D.C. native to where her journey began.
“I’m super-excited to bring my band to the Kennedy Center for the very first time,” says REDWOOD, a Duke Ellington School grad who recently earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Michigan State’s famed jazz program. “I can’t wait to share this moment with everyone in the DMV. The Kennedy Center has supported my musical journey since I was 10 years old. To be able to play my own music there is so special.”
A gifted pianist and composer who’s noted for her individuality and style, she blends contemporary jazz vibes with assorted Black music genres. She has performed with esteemed musicians such as Rodney Whitaker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kenny Barron, Cory Henry, and even popular R&B band The Internet. “When I can’t do a gig, I always recommend Sequoia,” says mentor Jason Moran, Artistic Director of Jazz at the Kennedy Center.
Before studying jazz, she was heavily influenced by gospel, R&B, hip-hop, funk, soul and pop music while growing up. Her eclectic tastes led her to arrange and perform “Who We Be” as an MSU grad student. “I wrote it for a Black History Month recital,” she says. “I like the melody and the rawness that he communicates about the tough parts of the Black experience.” REDWOOD will perform two sets on Friday, Feb. 7, at the Kennedy Center’s Studio K Club.
