PFT Media

To Be Young, Gifted, And Weldon Irvine

What do Nina Simone, A Tribe Called Quest, Freddie Hubbard, Mos Def, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Boogie Down Productions, Horace Silver, 4-Hero, Aretha Franklin, Talib Kweli, Stanley Turrentine, and Jay-Z all have in common?!

If you answered Weldon Irvine, you are correct. If you didn’t, then let us turn you on to this amazing artist. His work crosses the decades from hip-hop, to musical theatre, to having created what may very well be the greatest anthem to the Civil Rights movement: “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black.” He was a legend to those who knew him as a teacher, a band member, and a beloved friend. Digging For Weldon is an upcoming documentary about Master Wel (as he was called in person) himself, and we’re lucky enough to speak to producers Victorious DeCosta and G-Clef the Mad Composer about the journey they took to understand the man–both his struggles with his art and with ultimately with himself.