- Just ahead on "Black Issues Forum," a DJ and producer to the stars, whose deep-rooted passion for R&B and hip hop transcends the turntables, channeling his musical talents into a powerful cause, raising funds for a local foundation dedicated to eradicating homelessness and supporting those in need.

Join us as we explore his journey from spinning records to sparking change one rhythm at a time.

Coming up next, stay with us.

- [Announcer] Quality public television is made possible through the financial contributions of viewers like you, who invite you to join them in supporting PBS NC.

[upbeat music] ♪ - Welcome to "Black Issues Forum."

I'm your host, Kenia Thompson.

Today we have a special guest and he has taken his love for music to a new height, not just in sound, but in impact, from the DJ booth to the frontline of community action.

This DJ and producer is using his talents to make a difference where it's needed most, but before we dive into his current mission, let's take a trip back in time to the golden era of R&B and hip hop.

Today's guest began DJ-ing in 1984 as DJ Nabisco Disco at Durham High School in his sophomore year, also serving as a drum major of his high school's marching band in his junior and senior years.

While serving as student body president, his resume continues and goes on, including hosting NC State University's WKNC 88.1 as a guest DJ, touring with Durham's first female rap duo, the Icy Girls, then enrolling at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, where his career took off and culminated into being the musical director and DJ for Crisscross on the Michael Jackson Dangerous Tour.

He's gone on to do so much more, which we will talk about, but let's go ahead and welcome to the show, Dr... - [DJ NABS] I love it.

[Kenia laughing] - Mr. Youtha Anthony Fowler, or better known as DJ NABS.

- I love that.

I was gonna say I already loved the intro.

- Right.

No, what's funny is we fixed the typo, and then I still called you doctor.

It was in my head.

Maybe that's a- - I think that may be the direction I need to be headed with this music and turntablist lifestyle.

- It might be.

So I listen a lot.

Your resume is full.

There's a lot that I did not list or mention.

Share with us, what are some of your favorite highlights of your career?

- Well, I always mention the Michael Jackson Tour because it set the tone.

Michael Jackson was the world's greatest entertainer.

- [Kenia] Yes, my favorite.

- And so I loved being on Arsenio Hall back in the day, Destination TV.

It's when your family and everybody tuned in, you know, you didn't have to miss that.

You couldn't catch it later on Instagram back then, so.

- Didn't have that then.

- So just that era, just making it to television because that's where we saw our heroes, Michael, Luther, Run-DMC, others, so to have the opportunity with Crisscross to tour with Michael Jackson, be on Soul Train, be on Arsenio, those are just some real highlights for me that stand out to this day and I post them for those that missed back in the day.

- No, I remember, I mean, you know, I was a '90s kid, so I remember watching Arsenio Hall and I was glued to the TV every time there was a Michael Jackson concert on, and I just remember the energy and the thrill.

It made you feel alive.

- Yeah, electrify the music, music has that power, and being a DJ, being the conductor of the situation, of the party, of the room, the space, the atmosphere, I love that and just growing in that.

It's been great.

I can't believe it's been 40 years for me.

- It's been a while.

So let's go back a little bit.

- Sure.

- You are Durham native.

- Yes.

- Durham High School.

Talk about what the music scene was like back then.

- Well, I start with [indistinct], which is my church.

I can't really, my mother turned me on to music.

Shout out to my mother and father, my father, Youtha.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, Fowler, AK Youtha Fowler.

My father's from DC, my mother's from Durham, Walltown.

And so, being in church, I played saxophone and I sang choir, and so that was the expression.

And then in school I continued on with saxophone junior high to high school and high school I discovered DJ-ing, so I played sax in school and I DJ-ed at home because back then, the '80s, hip hop wasn't even, being a hip hop scratchin' turntableist DJ wasn't even a consideration.

- Right, that was my question.

Were there a lot of DJs locally that you saw this?

- Well, there were definitely local DJs for sure, Fred James from my area of Walltown and people like Smokehouse and Meatball who were in clubs and on the radio and the mix tapes, the cassette mix tapes of recorded rap shows from New York City primarily was how we heard records that we didn't hear on the radio and then I would go to Mr.

Freeze records in Raleigh to try to find the records.

Hip hop was all about discovery in the '80s.

It was very few places.

- So you say discovery.

I think you've been instrumental in a couple of folks' discovery.

- Sure.

- Share with us.

- Well, as I moved on in my career, how I got with Kris Kross, let me start there, on the Michael Jackson Tour, let me just start there.

Once I got to Atlanta and I was enrolled in Morris Brown, I met Speech of Arrested Development, a brother named Headliner of the group, and a guy named Click.

They were in a group called Secret Society before Arrested Development.

People would know Arrested Development from ♪ Take Me to another place ♪ So we met somewhere around 1990, '89.

Speech was going to the Music Business Institute, I was going to Morris Brown, so we start working together and I was their DJ.

So in '92 they got a record deal for Tennessee and I remixed that single.

- Oh wow.

- Once I remixed that single, I met their manager, which is Michael Mauldin, who's also a North Carolina native.

That's Jermaine Dupri's father, Jermaine Dupri Mauldin.

And at that point he mentioned that Jermaine had a group called Kris Kross and so they were considering a DJ so I passed my tape to Michael and that's how, so two things happened at once.

I had a remix with the Arrested Development and I now became the DJ with Kris Kross who was then slated to open for Michael Jackson, so yes, a lot there so that's just kind of how that.

- And you've also worked with Ludacris.

You worked with him early on in his career.

- Well, see that's, yeah, that's later, six years later after we get a rap station and then I get an intern and that intern becomes Ludicrus.

It's Chris Lover Lover.

- And this was in Atlanta?

- This is all in in Atlanta, yeah.

- Wow, and so what was that experience like, just, you know, I mean we've seen the heights at Ludacris has reached, but what was he like back then as a- - Chris was dependable.

Chris was dependable, Chris was smart.

And back then, and most fans of hip hop know that kind of the role of a DJ at a radio station with a young aspiring rapper is to put him on rap promos 'cause you can't play his record.

Maybe they don't have a record.

Chris didn't have a record.

So I would put Chris on Phat 7 at seven promos Phat 7 at seven playing the fattest seven jams at seven o'clock, so Chris would have the opener rap promo.

Timbaland actually heard Chris.

I interviewed the producer, Timbaland.

Chris was there.

Timbaland heard the promos and Timbaland ended up putting Chris on a compilation for a song called "Fat Rabbit" in '98.

- Remember that.

- That also happened.

And in '98, I got a record deal and I put Chris on the album.

- Nice.

- That album as well.

We shot a video, so I put Chris on the song with Jagged Edge, called "Is is You?"

So yeah, this is between 1990.

- So many layers.

- You know, in six years, a lot happened.

Kris Kross emerged.

Later we got a rap station.

We later introduced Ludicrous.

- This is so surreal for me to hear because I remember driving, listening to these songs, going to college, listening to these songs, and just to hear kind of the makeup of how these things came together.

- Sure.

- It feels amazing to me.

When we look at the DJ industry today, you mentioned Timbaland.

I love being on TikTok and I've noticed that he will scout on TikTok.

People can come in and play their records or their tracks and he'll do this thing, "Oh, nah, nah, nah, nah."

Or he'll like, "Okay, that's dope.

Let me hear some more."

- Sure.

- It's a lot different now, right?

- Yes.

- We have so much reach.

What are some of the main differences between then and now, besides the obvious?

- Well, because we're in a digital space, it's important to mention, I think we all know that physical records was a huge part of not only just DJ-ing, but just how we consume music.

But now, because music can be made so fast, I would say the DJs, their organizational skills has to be, you know, really serious because of all the material of the music that comes in the laptop.

You're not pulling out covers anymore.

You don't have this big disc to look at.

- Right.

- The way we used to flip through records, you're just scrolling and scrolling.

You have to do a lot of preparation.

- Right.

- And I think it's a oversaturation of music, so there's a lot of, DJ today has a lot of challenges, a lot you to go through a lot of music like that and be on point to know, and music is not as regional, so you could do a gig here in North Carolina, but a group out of Japan could have the hottest record.

You need to know that 'cause your public may have more music in their phone than you have in your DJ laptop.

- Wow, and so that brings me to a point, you know, we hear Michael Jackson, we hear Ludacris, we hear Kris Kross, but we're not hearing, I mean, we heard DJ NABS too, but we don't hear that as much.

- Right.

- Why is it that we are so aware of the mainstream names, but not so much of the people who are making the actual music happen?

- Well, it's on purpose, really.

You know, as DJs, we are here to support the artists.

Even though I consider myself an artist, I've had a record deal, I have a label now, I'm doing records, I'm actually performing records now in a way that I've never performed before, but the primary role of a DJ is to put that artist out there and put 'em up front.

The DJ has the benefit of staying here for decades.

I mean, I'm proof of it.

- Yeah.

- For four decades of spinning.

The 80s, a whole life.

And then I had Kris Kross, Michael Jackson tour.

And then we had the 2000s where Hip Hop radio really started to merge across the country.

And that's where you see here.

In Atlanta we have birth of Crunk and R&B movement.

The Sierra.

Sierra told me, I did a wedding.

She told me that she used to listen to me on the bus when she was in school.

- Oh, wow.

- So the DJ just has the gift of longevity because as long as we stay close with music, as it changes, and just from a technological standpoint, you can't really be a DJ unless you really understand technical equipment and gear and be a part of technology as it moves forward.

- Yeah.

Not to date this episode too much, but last night we just had the DNC, right?

We saw essentially how Crunk it was.

I mean, music played such an integral role in that gathering.

We saw Lil Jon come out and we see the energy that happens within the audience.

Talk about the impact that Hip Hop, R&B has had just on society.

- [sighs] Well, it's interesting because what's happened is kids that were down there participating in "Freaknik"... - [laughs] Yes.

- Are now in politics.

- Right.

Trying to not let these videos leak, right?

- Everybody grown up, I'm looking at Lil Jon.

Lil Jon was hired So So Def to carry So So Def signs when the label first got started.

This is after Kris Kross.

- Wow.

- So to see Lil Jon in that space is just, again, surreal.

- Yeah.

- It's our responsibility, first of all, to step up and use our voices because the time for just simply partying and making money is, that's over, that's passe for us.

So we should be in those spaces where we are using our voice and talent to bring attention to important matters.

- Good point.

Good point.

Let's pause there.

We're gonna take a little break, but before we invite our next guest on, 'cause we're gonna talk about DJ Nabs' efforts in community.

And we're gonna discuss how he and another organization are partnering together in an effort to fight homelessness.

I wanna take a quick look and a quick intermission to enjoy a sneak peek at next week's special guests.

Take a look.

[crowd cheers] - Are you ready to take a trip back?

[crowd cheers] [upbeat R&B music] [indistinct singing] [crowd cheers and applauds] - Well as seen in "Essence," Rolling Stones magazine, BET, and so many more, that was Orchestra Noir that you just saw.

They are back with the official Y2K Meets 90s tour.

This is my life and I'm so excited to be there.

Under the dynamic direction of Maestro Jason Ikeem Rodgers, the orchestra will take you on a nostalgic ride with high energy concerts, featuring the biggest R&B and Hip Hop hits from both iconic eras.

And next week on our episode of "Black Issues Forum," we get to sit down with one of the musicians for a special treat before they get ready to hit the stage in Raleigh at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, August 31st.

So if you have not gotten your tickets yet, make sure you grab a ticket for you and your friends and do not miss what's in store for next week.

So we've got a special addition to the sets.

This conversation's now gonna kind of shift a little bit.

One of DJ Nabs' passion is giving back to the community when he can, where he can, and he's partnered with local organizations that has helped families in the crisis of homelessness and find their way home.

They provide temporary housing, case management, skill education, and connection to community resources that help parents and children thrive in stable homes.

So we wanna welcome the executive director of Families Moving Forward, Tasha Melvin.

Welcome to the show.

- Thank you for having me.

- So share with us, how did this partnership happen?

I will start with Tasha, since we've been listening to you talk for a little bit.

- Well, it's like a blessing fell out of the sky for us.

The Families Moving Forward, they actually reached out to us, Jamie Barnes, DJ Nabs.

They found us.

They have partnered with us in many different ways.

Back in May, DJ Nabs presented his documentary.

We were able to be the beneficiary of that event.

Before then, there was our Rock the Block event, they supported that.

That's an annual event where people can come to the shelter and help us beautify the space.

So they helped us with that and other collection drives, and here we are today.

- That's beautiful.

- It's a blessing.

- It is a blessing.

And share with us why this particular organization?

- Well, first of all, when I returned home back here to North Carolina, I started doing amateur boxing, let me start there, some years ago, and I needed a charity, and a friend of mine was involved with a homeless organization back then, so I fought for homeless twice there, and I slept out, I fought for homeless once and slept out twice.

The organization.

So Jamie and I, my wife, when we got here, that's the first thing we said, "What type of organization can we find?"

That's along that same lines, because that's important to me.

And so we found Families Moving Forward and we started, we started that relationship.

- Yeah.

And so what does that collaboration look like?

We'll talk a little bit later about an event that's coming up, but what other ways do you guys provide services through this partnership?

- Well, we can start with the tangible.

They have provided much needed items for our shelter.

So they've held collection drives.

It can go without saying that we have needs all the time.

We serve 20 families at any given time within our shelter.

And we are always at capacity, which I know we'll discuss.

And it takes a lot to serve those families.

So getting those much needed items, paper products, things that people often forget our families need.

They've been helping us with that.

But something that they are providing us the most is reach and outreach.

- [Interviewer] That's great.

- And visibility.

And it's not simply about Families Moving Forward, it's about the families who are experiencing homelessness and they are helping us get the word out that this is an issue that we can all get around and support and try to end.

- 'Cause I feel see, you know, being in this business for a while and not just about DJ Nabs, I've just been behind a lot of artists with So So Def, Alone, Bow Wow, Xscape, Da Brat.

I was there when we found Brat.

Brat won a hundred dollar contest.

And I'm saying that because I've seen these artists and fame and what that is.

And the attention that artists can bring and attention that DJs can bring.

It's important to use it for something.

To just be here.

To just come home and have the events and have parties and for no purpose, you know, had no interest for us.

So Families Moving Forward was perfect for us.

And it's just a relationship we're just building - [Interviewer] It's impact.

- Yeah.

- It's impact.

Let's talk about the landscape of homelessness across the state.

What does that look like?

And then particularly what does that look like for Black communities?

- We could be here forever.

Unfortunately, today it looks very different than it did three years ago, five years ago.

Homelessness in and of itself is really becoming a problem that's getting out of control.

Since the pandemic, this issue has risen exponentially in the Triangle alone.

And you will hear me speak a lot about families, because that's my heart, my passion.

Families, children, we are seeing a 300% increase in children.

These are the ones who are in the public school systems.

These are the ones in the childcare centers.

300% increase.

Children who are unhoused and unsheltered in the Triangle area.

So you magnify that and you get a problem that is almost, almost beyond reach in our community.

And then you think about the Black and brown children.

And they make up the majority of the children and the families who are experiencing homelessness.

- Wow.

- In Durham alone, last year, well this year, excuse me, in our point in time count, it's an annual count that we do in January.

It's supposed to be the coldest night of the year.

We had almost 200 children and families experiencing homelessness.

- Oh, that breaks my heart.

Wow.

- Never before.

- [Interviewer] Wow.

Our shelter has been at capacity for well over a year.

So if you come today, we have 20 families in our shelter.

You come in two months, we will have 20 families in our shelter.

And it's just a cycle that we are constantly repeating and the majority of the families are Black.

That's who we're serving.

- Wow.

And when we take a look at what homelessness looks like, it doesn't always look the same for everybody either, right?

You know, I kinda think of an artist starting out.

A lot of times you hear these artist's stories where they came from nothing.

They had nothing.

And they've used their last dollars.

I know Taraji's story is she used her last dollars to drive or travel all the way to California hoping to make it.

Same, I'm sure, for musical artists.

What does homelessness look like?

What has it looked like for you that you've seen?

And what are you seeing now, Tasha?

- Well, I'll speak a little bit on that one.

Once I met homeless children, I mean, it broke my heart.

I can't say that my family, and I'm the oldest of four, that we've ever been homeless, it's been a struggle.

- [Speaker] Yeah.

- Now that I'm older, I can say that I'm sure we've been close.

- [Speaker] Yeah.

- And then even as an adult, I've experienced a brief period of it and it was enough for me.

And so yeah, it can easily happen.

- [Speaker] Yeah.

- I think a lot of people are closer to it than they realize.

'Cause I think, again, homelessness, the thing that I learned was that I kind of had it in a box.

I had the idea of being homeless in the box.

That not only that you was just broke, you just a bum on the street.

- Right.

- And you lost everything.

And some people are working.

- [Speaker] Yeah.

- And have job, in school and don't have a place to go to.

And they're moving from place to place.

And that's what I learned.

And I'm sure there's many more degrees of that.

- [Speaker] Yeah.

- But my eyes gotta open to it.

- You wanna share Tasha?

- Sure.

- Yeah, absolutely.

You hit the nail on the head.

When we speak to a lot of people, that's one of the questions we ask is, who do you believe is homeless?

And you hear about the panhandle or the person on the street asking for money, but there is this invisible population that is increasing day by day.

And those are those children that are sitting on the school buses with our children.

- [Speaker 2] Right.

- They're in the classrooms, right?

It's the mother that is ringing us up at the grocery store.

That's the invisible population.

That is where homelessness, our numbers will continue to rise if we do not begin serving these families and children consistently and intentionally.

- Yeah.

- And letting people know, they are here.

And it's not just the children unfortunately today.

- [Speaker 2] Right.

- Not just those in the shelter.

- [Speaker 2] Right.

- Those are the ones we can see.

You can come to the shelter.

It's the children that are often not counted, that are doubling up, that at any point, the person who owns or rents the home could put that family out.

It's the ones who are in the hotel rooms.

- Yeah, well, let's pause for a second 'cause what's brought us here today is a fundraising event that has been birthed as a result of the work that you do.

And unfortunately, the epidemic that is within this state.

DJ Nabs will have everyone dancing the night away with his curated program filled with Michael Jackson and Jackson Five's greatest hit at Downtown Durham's Spring Rolls.

You see the food there, it looks delicious.

There are restaurants on West Main Street.

This will be from seven to 10:00 PM on August 29th.

And all proceeds from the ticket sales donations and event activities will go directly to Families Moving Forward to help them continue providing critical support and shelter services.

We just got about 45 seconds left.

Tell us about what's gonna be expected that night.

- Oh, so listen.

- Real quick, real quick.

- Okay, so listen, this is for the MJ fans.

This is for the music fans.

And that's all I'm gonna tell you.

- [Speaker 2] Okay.

- Okay, gotta be there.

- I am a Michael Jackson kid and so I will definitely be there.

Tasha, you'll be there.

- [Speaker] Absolutely.

- If people wanna get in touch with Families Moving Forward.

- They can reach us by going to our website, www.fmfnc.org.

- [Speaker 2] Perfect.

- And DJ Nabs, DJNABS.com for tickets for the MJ event at Spring Rolls downtown Durham.

- Wonderful.

Thank you so much both of you for being here.

DJ Nabs, Tasha, greatly appreciate the work that you're doing today.

- Thank you, of course.

- And I thank you for watching.

If you want more content like this, we invite you to engage with us on Instagram using the #BlackIssuesForum.

You can also find our full episodes on PBSNC/BlackIssuesForum, or on the PBS video app.

I'm Kenia Thompson, I'll see you next time.

[upbeat music] ♪ - [Narrator] Quality public television is made possible through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting PBS NC.