Kurtis Walker, professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout his career he has released 15 albums and is currently an ordained minister.
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer and actress. Her career began in 1991 when she was signed to Uptown Records. She went on to release 13 studio albums, eight of which have achieved multi-platinum worldwide sales. Blige has sold 100 million records worldwide. Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards and has also received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River". Furthermore, she also received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song, becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at the age of ten. Monica rose to prominence after she signed with Rowdy Records in 1993 and released her debut album Miss Thang two years later. She followed it with a series of successful albums, including the global bestseller The Boy Is Mine (1998) as well as the number-one albums After the Storm (2003), The Makings of Me (2006) and Still Standing (2010). Throughout her career, several of Monica's singles became number-one hits on the pop and R&B charts, including "Before You Walk Out of My Life", "Don't Take It Personal ", "Like This and Like That", "The Boy Is Mine", "The First Night", "Angel of Mine", "So Gone", and "Everything to Me".
SWV is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City, New York whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. Formed in 1988 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here ", "I'm So into You", and "You're the One". The group disbanded in 1998 to pursue solo projects and reunited in 2005. SWV has sold more than 25 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.
Joseph Lewis Thomas, known mononymously as Joe, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Raised in Columbus, Georgia, he later relocated to New Jersey and he signed a record deal with Polygram Records in 1992. He rose to prominence after releasing his debut album Everything the following year. He followed it with a series of successful albums under Jive Records, including All That I Am (1997), the international bestseller My Name Is Joe (2000) as well as the multi-certified albums Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including the number-one hit "Stutter", the top ten entries "All the Things ", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know" as well as his collaborations "Faded Pictures", "Thank God I Found You" and "Still Not a Player".
Frederick Anthony Jackson is an American singer. Originally from New York, Jackson began his professional music career in the late 1970s with the California funk band Mystic Merlin. Among his well–known R&B/soul hits are "Rock Me Tonight " (1985), "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" (1986), "Jam Tonight" (1986), "Do Me Again" (1990), and "You Are My Lady" (1985). He contributed to the soundtrack for the 1989 film, All Dogs Go to Heaven with the Michael Lloyd-produced duet "Love Survives" alongside Irene Cara. He also appeared in the movie King of New York.
Jerome Najee Rasheed, known professionally as Najee, is an American Jazz-Smooth Jazz saxophonist and flautist.
Snowflakes is the fourth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on October 23, 2001, by Arista Records. Her first Christmas album, it is a follow-up to her 2000 studio album The Heat. Snowflakes consists of 11 tracks, featuring five R&B-led original songs co-penned with her former husband Keri Lewis and longtime collaborator Babyface, as well as several remixes and cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, one of which is a collaboration with Jamaican musician Shaggy. Throughout the creation process, Braxton also collaborated with L.A. Reid, Poke & Tone, Daryl Simmons and her younger sister Tamar Braxton.
Merry Christmas is the first Christmas album, and the fourth studio album, by American singer-songwriter and producer Mariah Carey. Released by Columbia Records on October 28, 1994, at the peak of the initial stretch of Carey's career, between Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), the album features cover versions of popular Christmas tunes and original material. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote all of the original tracks, as well as producing Carey's interpretations of the covered material. Two singles were released from the album, of which "All I Want for Christmas Is You" went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling holiday ringtone in the United States.
Fu-Schnickens were an American hip-hop trio from 1988 to 1995, based in Brooklyn, New York.
"I Want to Take You Higher" is a song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit "Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the Stand! album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instead, it is simply dedicated to music and the feeling one gets from music. Like nearly all of Sly & the Family Stone's songs, Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart was credited as the sole songwriter.
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop and electronic music.
Weldon Jonathan Irvine Jr., also known as Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist, organist, and keyboardist.
"C.R.E.A.M." is a song by the American hardcore hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on January 31, 1994 by Loud Records, as the third single from their debut studio album Enter the Wu-Tang (1993). The song was produced by the group's de facto leader RZA, and contains a sample of the Charmels' 1967 song "As Long As I've Got You" throughout. It features two verses from members Raekwon and Inspectah Deck, who discuss their upbringings while living in New York City, and Method Man, who sings its hook. Its music video, featuring all Wu-Tang Clan members in New York City, was released in 1994.
Delinquent Habits is the first studio album by the American hip hop group Delinquent Habits. It was released on June 4, 1996, by RCA, on the RCA/Loud subsidiary, PMP Records. Audio production of the album was by Alejandro "O.G. Style" Martinez, except for one track produced by Eric Bobo. It has guest appearances provided by Sen Dog and Hurricane G on the track "Underground Connection". The album peaked at number 74 on the US Billboard 200 and at number 31 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Two singles were released, "Tres Delinquentes" and "Lower Eastside".
Rhythm, Country and Blues is an album featuring duets between R&B and country music artists on classic songs. It was released by MCA Records on March 1, 1994. The album debuted at #1 on Top Country Albums and #15 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Marty Stuart's rendition of "The Weight" later appeared on his 1995 compilation The Marty Party Hit Pack. The album was nominated for the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year in 1994.
Here It Is is the sixth studio album by American singer Freddie Jackson. It was released by RCA Records on January 18, 1994. His debut with the label after several years with Capitol Records, it reached number 11 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Here It Is produced the singles "Come Home II U", "I Love" and "My Family".
Life After 30 is a studio album by the American singer Freddie Jackson. It was released by Orpheus Music on September 14, 1999. Jackson's only album with the label, it peaked at number 81 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Transitions is the twelfth studio album by American singer Freddie Jackson. It was released by Orpheus Music on September 26, 2006.
For You is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Freddie Jackson. It was released by eOne Music on November 16, 2010. His debut with the label, it reached number 48 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
