It makes sense that Janelle Monae doesn’t recognized the normal barrier of time and space and considers herself an otherwordly spirit. Her music and style transcend normal boundaries to transport the listener to a different head space. Or, if we were considering a more earthly plane, Monae could very well be the result of the […]
Fayetteville, N.C. native Jermaine Lamarr Cole, better known to hip-hop fans as J. Cole, is one of the the new young guns of hip-hop. Just 30, Cole has established himself as one of hip-hop’s most thoughtful artists as well as one of its most prolific lyrically. He’s released three studio albums and four mixtapes thus […]
Miguel can’t be placed into a box. If you listen to the singer, songwriter and producer’s albums, you’ll find that the California native’s sound has a multitude of flavor which includes Hip-Hop, electronic, soul, funk, pop and rock. Signing with the then Jive Records in 2007, Miguel’s career didn’t begin to flourish until well after […]
English import Marsha Ambrosius already had a massive fan following from her days in the duo Floetry with classic love songs like “Say Yes” and “Getting Late.” She is also the songwriter behind Michael Jackson’s hit song, “Butterflies.” But as a solo artist, Ambrosius ramped up the sensuality, releasing two solo projects Late Nights and […]
Ariana Grande has been on fire. Her smash single Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea) soared to the top of the Billboard charts last summer, and she followed it up with another smash hit when Jessie J released the surefire hit song Bang Bang (feat. Grande and Nicki Minaj).” Her career started in the Broadway musical 13, before landing the […]
There are very few singers on the contemporary scene who have a unique, instantly identifiable vocal sound; there are even fewer who have the stylistic range to encompass both Jazz and R&B in their performances. Grammy-nominated Soul/Jazz diva Maysa, who celebrates her 20th year as a solo recording artist this year, marks that achievement with […]
Over the last couple of years, the UK has provided us with a steady stream of talented artists that have taken over the American airwaves- Labrinth, born Timothy McKenzie, is no different. Although relatively new to the masses, Labrinth was raised, along with his nine siblings, in a musical family rooted in the sounds of […]
In the contemporary music scene, artists come and go. There aren’t a lot of acts that have been in the game almost 20 years and are still relevant. And there aren’t many who can stay on top when there are constantly new artist coming for their crown. But Beyonce has held it down for the […]
Gary Clark Jr. is a true musician. Clark began playing the guitar at 12 years old, and now at the age of 31, the soul-blues-rocker has been compared to the likes of Jimi Hendrix. He released his major-label début Blak and Blu in 2012, it covers Clark’s complete sound which ranges from rock, blues, soul, country […]
Back in 2014, we touted Los Angeles native Jhené Aiko as one of our five “New Classic Artists” to be on the lookout for. Now a year later, Aiko has proven that she is well on her to being a staple in the music industry for years to come. Unlike many R&B singers on the […]
Mali Music has been around for years. Seven to be exact. Mostly underground and quietly in the black church. But it was his performance at the 2013 BET Awards that got “us” talking. A year later and Jennifer Lopez would call to invite him to perform on American Idol. And that’s when the world took notice (his single sales jumped overnight […]
Some artists are here for the short term and others are around for the long haul. But sometimes, when its still early in an artist’s career, it can be hard to tell the difference. During June, Black Music Month, our #Forward20 are the artists that we think will survive musical trends and changes to remain […]