From COVID-19 to protests, how 2020 impacted Black artists and creatives Bob Mehr, USA TODAY For Memphis hip-hop producer James Dukes, aka IMAKEMADBEATS, music has been a lifelong passion, bordering on obsession. He could hardly recall a day where he hadn’t been in the studio, tinkering with beats or creating tracks. But in March 2020, that all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. “For the first time I’m not thinking about beats or mixing records,” Dukes said. “I was thinking about the health of my family — my parents, my son — and figuring out how to get groceries without getting COVID. That’s where my mind was. And just the fatigue and exhaustion from dealing with all that … it took me away from any sort of inspiration. I didn’t go into the studio for weeks. Which, if you know me, that’s like an eternity. It’s unthinkable.”