“I picked music that can alter the mood of any listener and inspire them to be in the mind of the musician,” says the New York producer behind such classics as The Fugees’ The Score and much of Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. "I only aim to make music that does the same.” So it’s no surprise that the playlist he curated for Black Music Month is a history lesson in its own right, highlighting legends from John Coltrane and Minnie Riperton and Aretha to his contemporaries like Nas and Public Enemy. It’s also no surprise that he thinks a lot about what these artists have contributed to the culture. “As a painter paints using colors and imagination, this music has hues that will make your house feel clean. Or food taste better. But maybe that’s all too deep and I should just let the music do the talking.”