Victoria Monét & D'Mile Back to Class in 'Save the Music' Amazon Documentary: Exclusive

After delighting fans with her flashy new Michael and Janet Jackson-nodding “OK” music video, Victoria Monet continues his Black Music Month celebrations with an appearance on Amazon Music's new Save The Music: Inspiring Music's Next Generation documentary (June 18) alongside a frequent collaborator D'Mille.

The latest in a series of programs in honor of Black Music Month, Save the music follows Monét and D'Mile as they visit public school students at Brooklyn's Transit Tech High School, giving them valuable insight into the music industry and providing them with musical equipment and a masterclass produced by D'Mile.

Transit Tech students undoubtedly learn from the best. D' Mile's work with R&B stars such as HER and Lucky Daye has won him several Grammys and an Oscar for Best Original Song, while Monae won her first three Grammys earlier this year thanks to her acclaimed Jaguar II album. D'Mile produced every track Jaguar II — save it Caitranada-They do “Alright” — earning him and Monét a joint win for best R&B album.

The trip back to class was also a trip down memory lane for D'Mile, who recently teamed up again with Monét for “Power of Two,” a new original song for Disney+ The Follower. “I used to cut class just to be in my school's band class or gospel choir almost all day,” she reflects. “I met my wife in jazz choir class. My favorite memories are the friends I made there, they were all like-minded and talented. I'm still great friends and I still play or work with them [them] professionally in a way. It's a bond you can't replace.”

Firmly grounded in R&B, Jaguar II finds the two musicians exploring the vastness of black music, dabbling in reggae, house, hip-hop and soul. Save the Music: Inspiring Music's Next Generation it gives D'Mile and Monét the space to reflect on the significance of Black Music Month and take part in the hallowed traditions of educating younger generations about their cultural history.

“So many genres came from black artists and musicians: rock and roll, country, disco, house, R&B, soul, techno, rap… the list goes on,” notes Monét. “I love that there is a month dedicated to educating and celebrating Black music, but I hope that in general, the music of Black artists is celebrated across all genres one day. Motown was a breeding ground for so many incredible Black musicians and icons (from The Jacksons to Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson) who made truly quality, POPULAR music.”

Fittingly, Monét and D'Mile chose to record a new version of “Hollywood,” the penultimate Jaguar II piece, for Save the music. Earning a Grammy nod for Best Traditional R&B Performance, “Hollywood” is a premier showcase of black music's cross-generational appeal. The track features the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as Monét's adorable two-year-old daughter Hazel Monét Gaines. The new audio version of “Hollywood” strips away the grandeur of the original's cinematic composition, creating a much more intimate and introspective affair.

“I knew I wanted to keep all the instrumental elements from the original,” reveals D'Mile. “Which was interesting because about 90% of the song was already instrumental. But sometimes when you do something as simple as take out the drums, you start hearing things you want to hear more. You can focus more on some of the strings or even the vocals of the song. It was as simple as taking out the groove and just holding down the chords and letting everything else shine.”

Just as she does on “Hollywood,” Monét's music is both a love letter to Black music history and a way to expose her fans to styles and influences from decades past. The music video for her hit 'On My Mama' exalts '00s southern black culture, while Jaguar II The standout 'How Does It Make You Feel' is reminiscent of The Isley Brothers' classic soul. “Some of my earliest memories are of the music my mom played at home, and that helped shape me as I grew up,” she says. “My Girl by The Temptations is already my daughter Hazel's favorite song – I've been playing it since I was pregnant with her. Great music really can stand the test of time.”

The redesigned version of “Hollywood”, whose creation is documented Save the musiccan be streamed in full exclusively on Amazon Musicwhere you can also watch the mini-documentary from Tuesday (June 18).