Upcoming Documentary By Kashif Saleem Explores 'The History of R&B Music'

Musician, producer and now filmmaker Kashif Saleem has embarked on a journey to find out more about R&B music and he will present his findings in a forthcoming documentary.

According to Ebony, The History of R&B Music will be a ten-part series that takes viewers through an exploration of the origins and contributions of rhythm and blues.

Saleem, who has been working on the project for the past six years, told the magazine his main objective is to educate.

"My initial inspiration for doing this project is that R&B is such a great form of music," Saleem said. "There were so many people that didn't seem to have a whole lot of information about the music. During my career, I've always lived between the intersection of art and education. So - it was a natural fit for me to do this documentary after seeing documentaries on the history of jazz, rock and roll, and classical music. I felt compelled that someone had to produce a documentary on the history of R&B."

When asked about artists featured in the film, Saleem revealed that there have been a couple hundred interviews conducted so far.

"Jody Watley, Howard Hewitt, Freddie Jackson, Melba Moore, Howard Johnson, Kenny Gamble, Jerry Greenberg, the former president of Atlantic Records, Larkin Arnold, who signed Michael Jackson after he left Motown and executive produced Thriller, just to name a few. The list goes on and on. We have all the greats," he said.

During the interview, Saleem discussed the impact of R&B music, saying it "changed the way we thought about love."

"Hip hop, funk, smooth jazz, disco, and dance were all borne from R&B music. We learned to express our love, and through R&B music, we were able to frame it," Saleem said.

Read more of his interview here.