One of the pet peeves voiced by David “5-1” Norman, tour manager and part of the core team behind Roadies of Color United (R.O.C.U.) and its first annual conference (see PLSN, March 2020, page 52), is the assumption shared by some, whether consciously or subconsciously, that a person’s ethnic background should dictate what kind of music project they can support. “Our industry must break the stigma that people of color can only do R&B, rap and hip-hop tours,” Norman notes. “Very early in our respective careers, we should make it a point to not get locked into that narrow focus. We should want to broaden our own personal horizons and learn and grow from the different genres of music and touring styles.”
From “Tech Talk,” PLSN, July 2020, page 32, by Mike Wharton
