DJ Jim Q's Playlist: Mentor

Welcome, listeners, to this month’s playlist. Our Glasgow chapter selected the theme of Mentor for July. Mentorship is integral to helping people develop, particularly in creative endeavors. Artistic communities are typically ripe with informal mentorship and apprenticeship. That’s what makes mentoring so special—it’s often more intimate and organic than a traditional, structured classroom setting. That’s not to diminish the value of formal academic training, of course.

Mentor-mentee relationships can develop in many directions. Some are completely one-sided; others oscillate, where initially the mentor guides the student and later the student guides the teacher. Some follow a more traditional teacher-apprentice dynamic—but all tend to follow a “watch and learn” exchange. The passing of knowledge from one with experience to the inexperienced is perhaps the most fundamental method of teaching. I would say it transcends language—and maybe even species.

Most of the musicians I know learned music from other musicians—mostly by listening and emulating their favorite artists. That seems to be the tradition with rock ’n’ roll music. It was popularized by young musicians emulating early rhythm and blues. From The Beatles to The Rolling Stones and The Who, to The Kinks and The Yardbirds, all were students of early Black American music—specifically the Delta blues and early country music. If you read through interviews with these influential British musicians, you’ll see how they cherished and studied the recordings of these pioneering American artists to develop their own version of rock and roll. This emulation and interpolation continues to this day. There are also many famous examples of artist-to-artist mentorship in popular music. The Starman himself, David Bowie, was a mentor and guide to many, but he had an outsized influence on both Iggy Pop and Lou Reed—helping both launch their solo careers and lending his production expertise. In the later phases of his career, he was an influential confidant of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Bowie influenced countless artists through his example—both musically and culturally. He was that rare artist who stayed relevant and contemporary throughout his life.

Through Roc-A-Fella Records and his dominance of the hip-hop industry, Jay-Z has fostered the careers of many major artists, including Kanye West, Rihanna, J. Cole, and Rick Ross—just to name a few. Kanye West went on to become a prolific mentor himself—until, well…

Joan Jett has been called the godmother of punk. Particularly influential to female artists, she can count Courtney Love, L7, Sleater-Kinney, Kathleen Hanna, Peaches, Miley Cyrus, Alison Mosshart, and many others as students of her rebellious, self-possessed attitude. She has continued to be an icon of rock and roll.

The purple one, Prince, served as a guide and mentor to countless artists—but he wasn’t an easy teacher. Following in the footsteps of his own mentor, James Brown, Prince taught with a heavy hand—and not without drama. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, he inspired and launched the careers of a number of fantastic musical acts, including The Time, Vanity 6, and Sheila E.. He was also the first to recognize the talents of the dynamite production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis—though he did fire them for taking on side production gigs. Prince remained a towering presence in music, gaining almost mythical status. In his later years, he mentored such stars as Janelle Monáe, Kendrick Lamar, and Lizzo. Complicated by tabloid drama and an overhyped rivalry, one thing is clear: Olivia Rodrigo cites Taylor Swift as an influence and mentor—even giving her writing credits for interpolation on “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” from her debut album “Sour”. Taylor Swift has influenced a generation of artists, both musically and in terms of self-determination.

The tradition of mentorship—direct and indirect—in music is deep and rich. These are just a few notable examples. But these kinds of musical relationships are happening everywhere—in every city’s local scene. Both big and small, through example and through intimate instruction, mentorship is alive and well. Creative communities are how we ensure art thrives and perseveres. Be a mentor. Be a mentee.

Welcome, sonic disciples—this month is a lesson in listening and learning. The theme is Mentor, and I suppose that makes me the reluctant teacher. Fortunately, I get to share the classroom with a roster of far more qualified instructors. Crosby, Stills & Nash instruct us to “Teach your Children”. Beyoncé declares her maternal devotion in “Protector”. Rihanna guides her partner in proper bedroom etiquette with “Watch n’ Learn”. Big K.R.I.T. pays respects to his Texas roots in “Learned From Texas,” and fellow Texan Waylon Jennings sings of his admiration for outlaws in “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.”

Queue it up and listen closely—you just might learn something from these musical mentors.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoy these playlists, let me know! Give me a shout on Bluesky and follow me on Spotify.

Until next time, keep listening, keep learning—and maybe pass on a few lessons of your own.