Black excellence transcends just one month out of the year. The conversation around the success of Black artists, both stratospheric and up and coming, is something that goes beyond February’s Black History Month.
As we take a look at the achievements from Black icons in Pop and Hip Hop, to current and rising Black artists forging a path set against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement, we take this time to note that supporting Black talent should not end when Black History Month ends.
Beyoncé
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In 2020, Queen Bey released Black Is King, a musical and visual film, produced and directed by the multi-hyphenate artist. The film is centered around the understanding of Black identity, which is echoed through the visuals, lyrics, and poetry that appear in the film.
Megan Thee Stallion
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Whether you’re a hottie or not, it’s hard to deny the icon status that Meg has risen to in just a few years. The rapper, who has used her platform to empower Black and Brown women, has urged listeners through her words and music to own their “real hot girl s***” and trust their voices. Meg’s success blew up in 2020 and has followed the Texas native into 2021.
Mariah Carey
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Mimi is not only a staple in pop culture, but she is the “Songbird Supreme,” and the “Queen of Christmas.” Carey was the first artist in history to have five of her singles hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100. The singer holds the world record for the highest-charting holiday song in history. In 1990 the singer released her debut, self-titled album and since then the singer has reigned supreme.
Prince
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Prince can be noted as one of the most innovative artists across Pop, R&B, and Rock. The singer’s iconic falsetto and talent on various instruments lend the singer to be regarded as one of the most important recording artists in history. Prince incorporated many styles into his music and experimented with different sounds that have paved the way for modern-day Pop and Hip Hop.
Aaliyah
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Aaliyah, the pinnacle of the 1990s, helped to redefine contemporary R&B and Pop. The Princess of R&B released her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, and saw immediate success worldwide. The album sold three million copies in the U.S. alone. Posthumously, Aaliyah’s music has continued to see success and contribute to the shift we see in modern-day Pop, R&B, and Hip Hop.
Timbaland
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Timbaland, the legendary rapper, songwriter, and producer has garnered major production credits over the years. Creating hits on Aaliyah’s, One in a Million, Missy Elliott’s Supa Dupa Fly, producing Justin Timberlake’s hit single “Cry Me a River,” and so much more. In 2007 the rapper released his solo album, Shock Value. As of late he and Swizz Beatz have gone on to create Verzuz, one of the most successful streaming series to take off in 2020. The high-profile rap battle show began as a form of entertainment as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic but has seen so much success that it is predicted to outlast the lingering pandemic.
2pac
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The legendary artist changed West Coast Hip Hop. In the early 90s, Shakur paved the way for west coast rappers to come and dominate the gangsta rap genre. All three of 2Pac’s albums garnered major commercial success and changed the face of the rap industry. His 1996 album, All Eyez on Me became certified Diamond by the RIAA.
Dr. Dre
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Dr. Dre is a staple in the music industry. The producer and rapper who is at the cornerstone of defining West Coast rap, has been highly influential since his involvement in N.W.A and his 1992 release of The Chronic.
The previous co-owner of Death Row Records has produced Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, and more.
Kendrick Lamar
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In 2012 Kendrick Lamar set his career off with Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, since then he is considered one of the best artists of his generation. His 2017 album Damn. not only won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first non-classical and non-jazz album to do so, but also touches upon themes of widespread police violence in Black communities across the U.S. The conscious rap album saw major critical acclaim and allowed Lamar to win the GRAMMY for “Best Rap Album” in 2018.
Kanye West
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It’s hard, to sum up Kanye’s prolific career in just a few sentences. The Chicago native launched his rap career in the early 2000s with his debut studio album The College Dropout. From his Graduation era to his Yeezus era, to his The Life of Pablo era, the rapper has been considered one of the most versatile artists in rap history. The rapper turned fashion designer has continued to live an outspoken life, often facing controversy and battling mental health issues. West is one of the most awarded artists of all time, with 21 GRAMMYs under his belt.
SZA
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SZA quite literally took “Ctrl” in 2017 when she released her first studio album Ctrl that summer. The album was ranked best album of the year by Time and received four GRAMMY nominations. The New Jersey native has since danced around the idea of delivering a new album, however, in 2020 the singer dropped her most recent single, “Good Days,” which features Ty Dolla $ign.
Drake
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Drake, the Degrassi star tuned Certified Lover Boy has seen massive success since 2010, when he dropped his debut album, Thank Me Later. Now in 2021 Drizzy plans to release his sixth album, Certified Lover Boy. However, the release has been postponed for a later date.
Mary J. Blige
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The talent that pours out of Mary J. Blige is not only loved by many but has allowed the artist to sell more than 80 million records worldwide. The singer and philanthropist has been awarded 9 GRAMMYs and has 31 nominations to her name. Aside from her massive recording career, Blige has appeared in multiple movies and TV shows. In August of 2021, the singer will appear in the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, as Dinah Washington.
The Weeknd
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The singer who is known for his smooth vocal abilities launched his career with his first studio album in 2012. From his days of uploading songs to YouTube, The Weeknd has gone on to release four studio albums, win three GRAMMY awards, and most recently, he will be playing the Superbowl LV halftime show on February 7.
Missy Elliott
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Flip it and reverse it, baby. When talking about paving the road for women in the rap game, Missy Eillott was out there laying the foundation. The rapper who launched her career with Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 has been changing all the “rules” for nearly 24 years. When Missy released Miss E…So Addictive, Under Construction, and This Is Not a Test from 2001-2003 the artist established her dominance with tracks like “Work It,” “Get Ur Freak On,” and “4 My People.” “Work It” earned Elliott the GRAMMY for “Best Female Rap Solo Performance.”
JAY-Z
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The New Yorker carved out his position in the music industry back in 1996 when he released his first album, Reasonable Doubt. Upon his rise to immense success, JAY-Z has been sighted as one of the best rappers of all time. The artist and businessman serves as a pillar of success in the Hip Hop genre.
Jermaine Dupri
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The Atlanta-raised rapper, producer, and DJ has worked with beloved artists across the Pop, Hip Hop, and R&B genres. Producing Kriss Kross solidified Dupri’s talent and lead to him working on tracks with Usher, Mariah Carey, Monica, Migos, Aretha Franklin, Ludacris, and more.
Phrallel
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Not only is Pharrell the famed singer behind songs like “Happy” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” but the artist is well known for his inconceivable music production. Williams has 13 GRAMMY awards, three of them awarded for “Producer of the Year.” In 2020 the singer put out his single “Entrepreneur” featuring JAY-Z.
Travis Scott
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In 2012 the rapper launched his career, signing with Epic Records, and signing a publishing deal with Kanye West’s GOOD Music. In 2018 his third studio album, Astroworld, skyrocketed to success and Travis saw his single, “Sicko Mode,” reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2019 Scott released JackBoys on his own label, Cactus Jack Records. In 2020, after debuting his single, “Franchise,” the rapper became the first artist on the Hot 100 to have three songs debut at number one in less than a year.
Nicki Minaj
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Nicki Minaj highlighted the strength of women in the rap game and changed how rap could be met with an infectious dance-pop sound. Barbie’s sophomore album, Pink Friday, saw immediate success after its release and showcased an album filled with hits. The “Super Bass” singer has since released three more albums and it’s estimated that she has sold 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world’s bestselling artists.
Victoria Monét
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Victoria Monet has written songs for numerous talents, such as Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Nas, T.I., and more. However, the artist exploded on to the scene after releasing the single, “Monopoly,” with Ariana Grande. Shortly after that Monet dropped her debut project, Jaguar which had listeners obsessed with the seasoned songwriter. Monet shared that Jaguar will be released in three parts. In 2021, Victoria released “F.*.*.K.,” which will serve as the lead single on the second part of Jaguar. In 2019 the singer stated that she wanted to break barriers for Black women and shared her bisexual identity with the world. At the 2019 Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit Victoria shared,” I feel like I’m representing fem energy as a bisexual black female. I want to see people on the spectrum do bigger things.”
Jason Derulo
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Ever since Jason Derulo entered the scene we’ve stayed in awe of the “Talk Dirty” singer’s combined vocal and dance abilities. Derulo took off in 2009 with his debut single “Watcha Say,” and since then the artist has released four studio albums. Most recently, in 2020 Jason dropped “Savage Love” which went viral on TikTok, got remixed by BTS, and went number one in the United States, making it his second chart-topper.
Peppermint
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The Rupaul’s Drag Race star is a beacon in the transgender community.
Peppermint has continued to shed light on the trans presence in drag and advocated for the LGBTQ+ community, while also releasing full dance and R&B albums like Black Pepper and A Girl Like Me: Letters To My Lovers.
Diddy
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The East Coast rap tycoon founded his famed record label, Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993. Aside from the massive success of his own career, Diddy helped to produce and launch the careers of massive artists like Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G.
Janet Jackson
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Janet Jackson is not only an unflappable figure in pop culture, but a vastly important artist across multiple genres. Her fifth studio album, Janet allowed the singer to explore her position as a sex symbol in the music industry. By the end of the 90s Billboard named Jackson the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey.
Rihanna
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The beloved singer turned business mogul has single-handedly made the beauty and fashion game her own. Under the now-iconic name, “FENTY,” Rihanna has launched a cosmetic brand and lingerie company that everyone wants a piece of. Prior to launching booming businesses, the singer’s recording career gave her astronomical star power. While we wait for the next Riri album to drop we’ll be sitting here applying our FENTY "Gloss Bomb" lipgloss.
will.i.am
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Lead member and founder of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am is a multi-talented staple in the music industry. From releasing four solo albums to sitting at the helm of the Black Eyed Peas, to producing music for artists such as Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, and more.
H.E.R.
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H.E.R., the singer whose prominence exploded after the release of I Used to Know Her: Part 1 &2 has brought on a whole new definition for R&B music. In 2019 the “Damage” singer won two GRAMMYS, one for “Best R&B Performance” and “Best R&B Album.”
Normani
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Getting her start in Fifth Harmony, Normani’s solo career has continued to give us “a little motivation.” The girl group pop star turned booming solo artist, released her single “Motivation,” in 2019, and has left us craving her debut album. In 2020 Megan Thee Stallion and Normani released “Diamonds” together, which appears on the Birds of Prey movie soundtrack.
Usher
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Since the mid-90s Usher has been giving us the bops and making us say “Yeah!” for over 20 years. The eight-time GRAMMY winner has garnered nine number-one singles throughout his career. Most recently Usher dropped his single “Bad Habits,” and has appeared on Timbaland and Swizz Beatz’s VERZUZ streaming series.
Alicia Keys
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The piano wiz and stunning songstress is a force to be reckoned with, might we remind she once told us “this girl is on fire.” Keys’ first album, Songs in A Minor, snagged her five GRAMMY Awards in 2002. Her sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys further solidified her commercial success and produced an additional four GRAMMYS for the singer.
Snoop Dogg
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Snoop Dogg is widely considered a trailblazer in the West Coast rap sphere. The Big Snoop D-O-Double-G has seen success since 1993 when he released his debut album, Doggystyle. In 2020 the rapper launched a massive campaign to get out the vote and shared that his involvement in the 2020 election was his first time voting in numerous years.
Nelly
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We’ve been riding with the rapper since his debut album, Country Grammar in 2000. His sophomore album, Nellyville gave us the hits “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma.”
The Notorious B.I.G.
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The “Hypnotize” singer has had us under his spell since 1993. Working with Diddy, the artist pioneered his own sound, became the center of the East vs. West coast conversation, and left a legacy and giant hole in the game.
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