As a singer, producer, and songwriter, Babyface was an inescapable presence in virtually every major facet of pop music during the '90s. His own recordings helped rejuvenate the R&B tradition of the smooth, sensitive, urban crooner and made him a staple of urban contemporary radio. Yet their considerable success was eclipsed by his songwriting... [+] Read More

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As a singer, producer, and songwriter, Babyface was an inescapable presence in virtually every major facet of pop music during the '90s. His own recordings helped rejuvenate the R&B tradition of the smooth, sensitive, urban crooner and made him a staple of urban contemporary radio. Yet their considerable success was eclipsed by his songwriting... [+] Read More

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The common life just wasn't enough for soul singer Cody ChesnuTT. In 1992, after working as a long-distance operator, he left his day job to make his dream in music come true. It would be another ten years until they were fully realized, but the trek made ChesnuTT the musician he is today.

ChesnuTT began tinkering with the guitar in... [+] Read More

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The smooth style of modern day soul singer Donnie is comparable to such other similar sounding artists as Macy Gray, Jill Scott, Seal, and Maxwell. Born in Lexington, Kentucky during the mid '70s, Donnie was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and came from a very religious family (both of his parents were ministers). Singing for a choir at an early... [+] Read More

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She grew up listening to '70s soul and '80s hip-hop, but Erykah Badu drew more comparisons to Billie Holiday upon her breakout in 1997, after the release of her first album, Baduizm. The grooves and production on the album are bass-heavy R&B, but Badu's langurous, occasionally tortured vocals and delicate phrasing immediately removed her from... [+] Read More

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Contemporary jazz singer/keyboardist Frank McComb was born in Cleveland on July 15, 1970, beginning his piano studies at age 12 and forming his first trio five years later. His professional break followed in 1991, when he was tapped as musical director for the R&B group Rude Boys, subsequently backing DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince in the... [+] Read More

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Philadelphia-born Talib Johnson, aka burgeoning R&B artist Musiq (Soulchild), grew up the oldest of nine children and did not finish high school. Musiq, whose influences include James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Billie Holiday, and Sly & the Family Stone, participated in Philadelphia's open-mic scene in his early teens. The son of a die-hard '70s soul... [+] Read More

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Platinum Pied Pipers -- producers/musicians Waajeed (one of Slum Village's founders) and Saadiq (a student of Motown heavyweight songwriter Barrett Strong) -- debuted on Ubiquity's second Rewind! compilation in 2002. Though they covered Faze-O's "Riding High" and Bobby Caldwell's "Open Your Eyes," they made it evident early on that their sound... [+] Read More

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Experience and innovation. In the age of young thugs and one-hit wonders, these two traits are often missing from todays Hip-Hop. Not so, with SA-RA. The Los Angeles/New York-based group/production trio consisting of Taz Arnold, Shafiq Husayn and Om'Mas Keith are stepping from behind the boards for their G.O.O.D. Music/SONY Urban Music debut.... [+] Read More

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Experience and innovation. In the age of young thugs and one-hit wonders, these two traits are often missing from todays Hip-Hop. Not so, with SA-RA. The Los Angeles/New York-based group/production trio consisting of Taz Arnold, Shafiq Husayn and Om'Mas Keith are stepping from behind the boards for their G.O.O.D. Music/SONY Urban Music debut.... [+] Read More

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Speech rose to success in the early '90s as the leader of the groundbreaking alternative rap group Arrested Development. Born Todd Thomas in Milwaukee, WI, on October 25, 1968, he was raised primarily in Ripley, TN, before relocating to Georgia in 1987 to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta. There he met fellow student Tim Barnwell, and together... [+] Read More

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