Michael Eugene Archer, better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" for R&B supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement. His third single, "Lady", reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Charles Tolliver is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and co-founder of Strata East Records.
Beverley Knight is an English singer, songwriter, actress and radio personality. She released her first album, The B-Funk, in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, Knight has released nine studio albums. Widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest soul singers, Knight is best known for her hit singles "Greatest Day", "Get Up!", "Shoulda Woulda Coulda", "Come as You Are" and "Keep This Fire Burning".
Eric Roberson is an American singer, songwriter, former rapper and music producer. He is sometimes referred to simply as Erro, the name which he later used as part of his label Blue Erro Soul. His first single, "Represent", was released through Warner Bros. Records in 1994 and he recorded an album for that label which remains unreleased.
P-Square are a Nigerian music duo composed of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye, who co-write and co-produce most of their songs. Noted for their artistic reinvention, musical versatility, and visual presentation, they are widely regarded as one of the most influential African acts of all time and one of the most successful music groups from Africa. They were integral to the evolution of the 2000s and 2010s African popular music. The duo was launched into the mainstream recognition following the release of the song “Senorita” in 2003, and later gain recognition after releasing their sophomore album Get Squared in 2005. The success of the album earned them a nomination at the MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act in 2006. A prominent figure in the Africa popular culture of the 21st Century, P-Square was awarded Artistes of the Decade at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2015.
Robert Michael Nelson Harvey is an English singer, musician, DJ and songwriter. He is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The Music, in which he is recognisable for his distinct high-pitched vocals and Northern soul-inspired on-stage dancing. After the band's dissolution in 2011, he became involved in pop music songwriting, co-writing tracks such as "Real Love" for Clean Bandit/Jess Glynne, "Lonely" for Joel Corry and "Head and Heart" for Joel Corry/MNEK. In 2021 he joined Kasabian as a touring vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.
Inetimi Alfred Odom, better known by his stage name Timaya, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is from Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and soca, as well as Afro-Caribbean/Dancehall music. He is the founder of DM Records Limited.
The Harlem Cultural Festival was a series of events, mainly music concerts, held annually in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, between 1967 and 1969 which celebrated soul, jazz and gospel and black music and culture and promoted Black pride. The most successful series of concerts, in 1969, became known informally as Black Woodstock, and is presented in the 2021 documentary film Summer of Soul.
Obiora Nwokolobia-Agu, better known by his artistic name Obiora Obiwon, is a Nigerian singer, musician, songwriter, recording artist, music minister and evangelist.
James Blake Litherland is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained recognition following the release of three extended plays—The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke—in 2010. He signed with A&M Records to release his self-titled debut album (2011) the following year, which was met with critical praise and peaked within the top ten of the UK Albums Chart.
Troy Donald Jamerson, better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.
The discography of British rapper Wretch 32 consists of four studio albums, six mixtapes, fourteen singles and nineteen music videos.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He rose to the limelight after releasing "Holla at Your Boy", the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011), which also spawned the singles "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull".
Chris "Daddy" Dave is a drummer, composer, and bandleader from Houston, Texas. He attended Howard University. He is a drummer in jazz, gospel, hip hop, noted for his extremely virtuosic sticking technique and ability to play with a high degree of syncopation. He performed professionally as a gospel drummer with the Winans, before being introduced to jazz audiences nationally through his association with the accomplished alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett. He performed on Kenny Garrett's album Standard of Language, before joining the Robert Glasper Experiment and performing on Adele's Grammy Award winning album, 21. He also recorded on D'Angelo's album Black Messiah, and joined the band for the world tour.
Oluseye Desmond Sodamola, professionally known as Spinall, is a Nigerian disc jockey, record producer, and songwriter. He has released six studio albums and collaborated with artists that have included Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Asake, Joeboy among others. He has won numerous awards for his work, including All Africa Music Awards and The Beatz Awards. He is also the first Nigerian disc jockey to play at festivals such as Coachella, SXSW, and Glastonbury.
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.
Keyon Karim Harrold is an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter, and producer.
Kgaogelo Moagi, professionally known as Master KG, is a South African DJ, singer and record producer. Born and raised in Tzaneen, his debut studio album Skeleton Move achieved acclaim including an AFRIMA Award for Best Artist/Group in the African Electro category. He is also known as the pioneer of "Bolobedu" dance.
Michael Brandon Lake is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter, guitarist, and worship pastor. Lake serves as a worship pastor at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and he is a former member of Bethel Music and Maverick City Music. Lake began his recording career with a successful crowdfunding campaign to produce an album in 2015, which resulted in the independent release of his debut studio album, Closer, in 2016.
Austin Iornongu Iwar Jnr, known professionally as Tay Iwar, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, composer, sound engineer and record producer known for his vibrant blend of R&B and Afro-fusion, drawing upon classic Afrobeat, hip-hop, and future sounds. Tay Iwar’s career can often feel longer than it’s been. He was only in his teens when he released his first full-length projects, including 2016's Renascentia. He then rose to wider fame with 2019's Gemini, released with LA-based music collective Soulection.
