Salamani Music was established in Los Angeles in 1971 by William D. "Smitty" Smith and Dr. Patricia Grizzle-Huling. Notably, it was among the earliest publishing entities owned and operated by African Americans. Originally serving as a platform for William D. "Smitty" Smith's personal recordings from the 1960s to the 1980s, Salamani Music transitioned into writing and licensing songs for acclaimed artists such as Maurice White, Etta James, Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, and Richie Havens. The company's catalogue remains highly coveted among emerging artists in the genres of Soul, R&B, and Hip Hop, with compositions being sampled and covered by J Dilla, D'Angelo, DJ Premier, A$AP Rocky, and others. Amani "Burt Blackarach" Smith, the son of Smith and Grizzle Huling, has been at the helm of Salamani Music since 1986, assuming leadership as a teenager.