“Black history and music are American history and music."
NEW YORK, NY, February 14, 2023 (PRWEB) February 14, 2023
“Black history and music are American history and music.” Natlee Green, Hip Hop Genealogist and one-half of the Genes and Gems duo, stated. Natlee has been conducting genealogy research for nearly 20 years and has spent the last decade specializing in black ancestry and genealogy. She has created family trees for some of the most notable names in Hip Hop. Killer Mike says, “it’s worth knowing where you’re from; you feel more responsible for having a good name.”
Natlee worked with Killer Mike to explore multiple lines in his family tree, dating back to the early 1800s. In addition to Killer Mike, Black Thought (The Roots), Lord Jamar and Sadat X (Brand Nubian), Rah Digga, Havoc (Mobb Deep), and many more have entrusted Natlee and Keasha (Williams) with researching their family history and helping them discover ancestors they never knew about.The research uses census records, vital records, conversations with historians, obituaries, DNA, and more. Through this research, Genes and Gems have discovered biological parents, grandparents, or even famous family members. Genes and Gems helped Lord Jamar find that his second cousin (2x removed) was nonother than Thurgood Marshall, AKA “Mr. Civil Rights”, one of the most iconic Americans of all time. Before Jamar knew of this connection, his lyrics conveyed the importance of equality and civil rights for Black people in America. It was in his blood.Genes and Gems is a podcast started by lifelong best friends from New York.
Natlee Green from the Bronx, and Keasha Williams from Queens, New York, met in college, where they discovered that they both had a love for hip-hop music, culture, and correcting people’s miseducation of black people and history, be it one fact at a time. Natlee started My Black Heritage in 2017, a genealogy research business that has since morphed into a podcast/mission to raise awareness about the importance of black people knowing their history, especially in America, over the past 150+ years.Visit Genes and Gems on Instagram @genesandgems or YouTube.