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Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Known as the "Velvet Voice", Vandross has been recognized as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time (2023) by Rolling Stone, as well as one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard. NPR additionally named him one of the 50 Great Voices. He was the recipient of eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for a track recorded shortly before his death, "Dance with My Father". In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who Rolling Stone described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include "The Ghetto", "This Christmas", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "Little Ghetto Boy". Hathaway is also renowned for his renditions of "A Song for You", "For All We Know", and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", along with "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of many collaborations with Roberta Flack. He has been inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame and won one Grammy Award from four nominations. Hathaway was also posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Dutch director David Kleijwegt made a documentary called Mister Soul – A Story About Donny Hathaway, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on January 28, 2020.
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a vocalist for the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with his brother D'Wayne and cousin Timothy Christian Riley in 1986. Along with his groupwork and solo career, he has produced and written songs for other R&B artists, including Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Total, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend.
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Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and actor. A pop and hip hop-influenced R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "King of R&B" by his contemporaries. His lyrics often address emotional and hedonistic themes. His singing and dancing skills have often been compared favorably to those of pop icon Michael Jackson.
Mya is the debut studio album by American singer Mya. It was released by University Music Entertainment and Interscope Records on April 21, 1998, in the United States. The recording of the contemporary R&B album was overseen by University Records CEO A. Haqq Islam after he signed the singer when she was at the age of 15. The production on Mya was primarily handled by Swing Mob member Darryl Pearson with additional contributions from Daryl Simmons, Alex "Cat" Cantrall, Joey Priolo, and Nokio the N-Tity. Guest appearances include Dru Hill frontman Sisqó, and rappers Silkk the Shocker and Missy Elliott.
Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations.
Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo is an American R&B singer-songwriter and rapper from Los Angeles, California. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the R&B group B2K. She was signed by their record label, The Ultimate Group that same year and was marketed as the "cousin" of B2K member Lil' Fizz to cultivate her own following, although they are not related. Her debut album, slated for a 2003 release through the label with Epic Records, was shelved due to Aiko instead further pursuing her education.
Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, choreographer, and music video director. After choreographing the video for Beyoncé's 2006 single "Ring the Alarm," she signed a recording contract with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records the following year. Taylor appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 prior to the release of her 2008 debut single, "Google Me." She gained further attention for her uncredited guest performances on Kanye West's 2010 songs "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life" — both from his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). She parted ways with Star Trak and Interscope in favor of West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings two years later.
Steven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.
Quincy Matthew Hanley, better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q, is an American rapper from South Los Angeles, California. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ScHoolboy Turned Hustla (2008) and Gangsta & Soul (2009) to local success. After signing with the Carson-based record label Top Dawg Entertainment, Hanley's debut studio album, Setbacks (2011) and its follow-up, Habits & Contradictions (2012) were both released to positive critical response; both also performed moderately on the US Billboard 200 chart as digital exclusives.
Frank Ocean is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, among other accolades; both of his studio albums have been listed on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020).
Malcolm James McCormick, known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where he eventually formed West Coast hip hop group Black Hippy, alongside fellow California-based rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. He is perhaps most known for his introspective lyrics and his six independent albums under TDE, Longterm Mentality, Control System, These Days..., Do What Thou Wilt., Herbert, and Soul Burger, which were all released to positive reviews and commercial success.
"2 On" is the debut single by American singer Tinashe, released on January 21, 2014 as her first commercial single and the lead single from her debut studio album Aquarius (2014). The song features a guest verse from American rapper Schoolboy Q, songwriting credits from both artists alongside Bobby Brackins, and production from DJ Mustard, Jon Redwine, and DJ Marley Waters, who are also credited as songwriters. It also features an interpolation from the 2005 single "We Be Burnin'" by Jamaican recording artist Sean Paul, resulting in additional writing credits for Cezar Cunningham, Sean Paul, Steven Marsden, Delano Thomas, Michael Jarrett, and Craig Serani Marsh.
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian singer and rapper. First discovered by Sean Kingston, he received initial recognition for his mixtape Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story, released in August 2013. In 2015, Lanez signed with record producer Benny Blanco's Mad Love Records, an imprint of Interscope Records.
Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds, known professionally as Daniel Caesar, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two EPs, Praise Break (2014) and Pilgrim's Paradise (2015), Caesar released his debut studio album, Freudian, in 2017, which received three Grammy Award nominations. He released his second studio album, Case Study 01, in 2019. Caesar featured alongside Giveon on Justin Bieber's 2021 single "Peaches", his first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. Caesar's third studio album, Never Enough (2023), is his first release under Republic Records.
David Debrandon Brown, professionally known as Lucky Daye, is an American singer-songwriter from New Orleans. He is signed to Keep Cool Records and RCA Records. He released his first EP, I on November 9, 2018, and his second EP, II on February 6, 2019. The EPs were part of a series leading up to his debut studio album Painted which was released on May 24, 2019. His third EP, Table for Two, won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album. His second album, Candydrip, was released on March 10, 2022, preceded by the commercially successful single "Over". His third and latest album, Algorithm, was released on June 28, 2024. The album is currently nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Breezy is the tenth studio album by American singer Chris Brown, released on June 24, 2022, as the follow-up to his 2019 album Indigo. The artists featured on the album are Lil Wayne, Anderson .Paak, Blxst, Lil Baby, H.E.R., EST Gee, Wizkid, Jack Harlow, Tory Lanez, Fivio Foreign, Ella Mai, Yung Bleu, Capella Grey, Lil Durk, Davido, and Bryson Tiller. The album marks his first studio album not being a double-disc since his 2015 album Royalty.
References
- 1 2 "Unsearchable Name, Unforgettable Music: An Interview With Q". Complex . Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- 1 2 "Q's Electric R&B Is a Safe Space for Black Men to Own Their Feelings". Vice . Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Soul Train Awards 2022: Find Out The Mystery Behind Rising R&B singer Q". BET . Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Best New Artists of the Month (August)". Complex . Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Q Re-Ups "The Shave Experiment" With A New Director's Cut". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved January 31, 2023.
