Singing for Justice
As an actor, singer, musician, producer, teacher and activist, Eugene IV balances many roles. For the past five years, he has delved into these characters to create his recording, Starving Artist, a blend of jazz and hip-hop. It is the first album released by the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta (YEA), a youth theatre company that he joined in 1997. The title literally describes the plight of struggling independent artists and symbolically expresses a hunger for justice. Eugene IV pursued the arts full-time after earning a bachelor’s in biology from Tennessee State University. Influenced by artists including Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, he also found inspiration through personal experiences. He believes the song “Mama Was a Freedom Rider” best describes his mission – being an activist through his music. “I know that the definition of activism is to do something about something, and I definitely think making music about those issues is doing something about it because music does something to people,” says Eugene IV.

He hopes that listeners discover that with God, there is always hope and encourages them to never be afraid to speak up for what they’re passionate about. Eugene IV desires to work with Lauryn Hill and Common, and immensely enjoyed producing his current project. While promoting Starving Artist, he wants to travel overseas and complete his next project by the end of the year. He encourages young people to “write your vision down, don’t be afraid to take risks and keep God in the middle of it all.”

Atira Henderson
Rolling Out