Hip hop soul is sub-genre of contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 which fuses R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

, neo soul

Neo soul

The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...

 and dance elements with hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

. The term did not originate until the promotion for Mary J. Blige's debut album What's the 411?

What's the 411?

What's the 411? is the debut album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, released July 28, 1992. Upon being signed to Uptown Records, she began working with record producer Puff Daddy. The album spawned six singles, including "You Remind Me" and "Real Love".What's the 411? peaked at number...

in 1992 when Uptown Records proclaimed her to be the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" and generally describes a style of music that blends soulful R&B singing and raw hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 production. The genre served as a middle point between two other hip hop/R&B blends, new jack swing

New jack swing

New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...

 and neo soul

Neo soul

The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...

, and while it was most popular during the mid-1990s with the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

, Jodeci

Jodeci

Jodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...

, and Aaliyah

Aaliyah

Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...

, it still finds popularity with newcomers such as Ashanti, Beyoncé

Beyoncé Knowles

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

, Aaliyah

Aaliyah

Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...

, Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

, Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...

 and Amerie

Amerie

Amerie Mi Marie Rogers , known professionally as Amerie or Ameriie, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison, and was well-received in the urban market...

.

Musical influences

Many of the artists who released hip hop soul records had previously released new jack swing (or, for the female performers, new jill swing) recordings, including Jodeci

Jodeci

Jodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...

, SWV

SWV

Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....

, and TLC

TLC (band)

TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...

. The main difference between the two was that hip hop soul was less rough and contained more of an R&B feel than new jack swing. For example, Hip hop soul used samples

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 instead of synthesizer

Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...

 lines, and featured strong elements of 1990s East Coast hip hop

East Coast hip hop

East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the East Coast...

 and gangsta rap

Gangsta rap

Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...

 while deftly incorporating them into a more soulful sound. Hip Hop Soul turned down the booming bass, the deafening drum machines and the Public Enemy-esque wall of sound of new jack swing in favor of a more R&B side of the blend of hip hop and soul. Some of its primary figures include Montell Jordan

Montell Jordan

Montell Jordan is a former American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003. Of his live performances it is often regarded that he is a rock oriented musician, with Jordan even going as far as to...

 (the first R&B artist to sign with hip hop label Def Jam Records), Blackstreet

Blackstreet

Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...

 (led by Teddy Riley

Teddy Riley (new jack swing)

Edward Theodore Riley , professionally known as Teddy Riley, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, keyboardist, and record producer credited with the creation of New Jack Swing. Through his production work with Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Doug E. Fresh, Today, Keith Sweat, Heavy D., Jane...

, the inventor of new jack swing), and the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

, TLC, Aaliyah

Aaliyah

Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...

 and R.Kelly who adapted the nervy swagger of their rapping counterparts without sacrificing soulful vocals or influences.

Hip hop soul and the public

Hip hop soul is also considered more "mature" than New Jack Swing

New jack swing

New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...

 but less so than Neo-Soul due to the genre's attention to the darker aspects of love and life and it's use of adult language and themes (i.e. sex). This has drawn criticism from groups who feel the music, much like hip hop, trivializes, if not glorifies, violence and negative urban stereotypes. It has not helped that several hip hop soul artists have found themselves in legal troubles, including R. Kelly

R. Kelly

Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...

, Left Eye, Ray J

Ray J

William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...

, and the members of Jodeci

Jodeci

Jodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...

.

Dawn of neo soul

Hip hop soul experienced a lull in popularity with the emergence of neo soul

Neo soul

The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...

, another R&B subgenre, in the late 90s. Deemed more progressive by fans, neo soul music is actually more regressive with many of its artists paying tribute to the classic era of soul while attempting to ignore more modern technology and Hip Hop influences. It became a more "positive" alternative to hip hop soul and contemporary R&B, which had a growing reputation of being overly sexual and based on negative stereotypes. While Neo Soul became very popular around the turn of the millennium, Hip Hop Soul didn't disappear entirely. It simply continued to evolve in response to changing musical tastes.

New Generation Resurgence

While the tag Hip Hop Soul

Hip hop soul

Hip hop soul is sub-genre of contemporary R&B which fuses R&B, neo soul and dance elements with hip hop. The term did not originate until the promotion for Mary J. Blige's debut album What's the 411? in 1992 when Uptown Records proclaimed her to be the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" and generally...

 is rarely applied to musical artists anymore, it has never really gone away, and most artists who mix hip hop sounds with soul are labeled as being Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 artists. For example, those in tune to urban radio for the past couple of decades will have noticed that the overall pace of records (even on ballads) has increased rapidly, with many R&B artists singing so quickly that it resembles rapping (e.g. Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...

's "Say My Name

Say My Name

"Say My Name" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. The song was the third single from the group's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall, released through Columbia label in 2000 . The single is the most successful of the four releases from the album and is considered to be one of their...

" and Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

's "We Belong Together

We Belong Together

"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . The song was released on March 29, 2005, through Island Records as the second single from the album. "We Belong Together" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel...

"). Also, R&B singles featuring guest appearances by rappers is more common than ever before. An aggressive and hardened production sound were featured on "Yeah

Yeah! (Usher song)

"Yeah!" is a song by American singer Usher, released on 3 February 2004 as the lead single from his hit fourth studio album Confessions. The song was written by Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell, and LRoc. It was produced by Lil Jon, who combined crunk and R&B...

" by Usher

Usher (entertainer)

Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...

 and "Goodies

Goodies (song)

"Goodies" is the debut single by American recording artist Ciara. Written by herself, Sean Garrett, LeMarquis Jefferson, and Craig Love, the song is produced by Lil Jon and features label-mate Petey Pablo. It was released worldwide from June 2004 as the lead single from her debut album of the same...

" by Ciara

Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...

 that has been labeled by some as "Crunk &B," a seemingly modern day take on some of the more bawdy New Jack Swing singles. Many artists from the 90's, such as Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

, Usher

Usher (entertainer)

Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...

 and R.Kelly, continue to have great success in the new millennium by mixing the sounds of Neo Soul, Hip Hop, and more contemporary production styles. Successful younger acts following in their footsteps include Beyoncé

Beyoncé Knowles

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

, Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo

Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...

, and Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...

.

List of hip hop soul artists

• 112
  112 (band)
  112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
  
  
• 702
  702 (band)
  702 , named after the area code of their hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, is an American platinum-selling R&B trio. Originally a quartet, the group became a trio, which includes sisters Irish , and LeMisha 'Misha' Grinstead, and lead singer Kameelah 'Meelah' Williams...
  
  
• 7 Mile
• Aaliyah
  Aaliyah
  Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
  
  
• Ace Hood
  Ace Hood
  Antoine McColister, better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. He is signed to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Def Jam Recordings...
  
  
• Adina Howard
  Adina Howard
  Adina Howard is an American R&B singer who rose to prominence during the mid 1990s with her debut album, Do You Wanna Ride? and her debut single, "Freak Like Me". Howard is known for her sexual image and provocative songs...
  
  
• Allure
  Allure (group)
  Allure is a New York-based R&B girl group that formed in the early 1990s as a quartet, now a trio. Original members were Alia Davis, Linnie Belcher, Lalisha McClean and Akissa Mendez.-Career:...
  
  
• All-4-One
  All-4-One
  All-4-One is a male R&B/pop group best known for their cover hit single "I Swear" from their self-titled 1994 debut album. The group comprises Jamie Jones, Delious Kennedy, Alfred Nevarez, and Tony Borowiak, all from the Antelope Valley and Mojave, California areas, but are based in the Los Angeles...
  
  
• Amerie
  Amerie
  Amerie Mi Marie Rogers , known professionally as Amerie or Ameriie, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison, and was well-received in the urban market...
  
  
• Ashanti
  Ashanti (singer)
  Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. She rose to fame in the early 2000s. Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release...
  
  
• Az Yet
  Az Yet
  Az Yet is an American R&B group from Philadelphia, best known for their hit "Last Night" and their cover of the Chicago song "Hard to Say I'm Sorry."-Formation:...
  
  
• Beyoncé
• Billy Lawrence
  Billy Lawrence
  Billy Lawrence is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, record producer and arranger.-Biography:In 1992, Lawrence made her start in the music industry as a background singer for Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff...
  
  
• Black Eyed Peas
• BlackGirl
  BlackGirl
  BlackGirl was a R&B/dance vocal trio consisting of Pam Copeland, Nycolia "Tye-V" Turman, and Rochelle Stuart from Atlanta, that formed in 1992 on the Kaper/RCA/BMG label.-Biography:...
  
  
• Blackstreet
  Blackstreet
  Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
  
  
• Blu Cantrell
  Blu Cantrell
  Blu Cantrell is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.-Biography:Tiffany Cobb was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1976. Her father was a Narragansett Native American and Cape Verdean, and played in the National Basketball Association...
  
  
• Bobby Valentino
• Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
  Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
  Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
  
  
• Boyz II Men
  Boyz II Men
  Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
  
  
• Brandy
  Brandy Norwood
  Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
  
  
• Chris Brown
• Ciara
  Ciara
  Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
  
  
• Case
• Changing Faces
• Christina Milian
  Christina Milian
  Christine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model....
  
  
• City High
  City High
  City High was an American R&B/hip hop trio, consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. City High is best known for their song, "What Would You Do?", which earned a Grammy nomination.-Career:...
  
  
• Damion Hall
  Damion Hall
  Damion Hall, also known as Damion "Crazy Legs" Hall is an African-American R&B singer. He is a member of the new jack swing group Guy and is the brother of Guy member, Aaron Hall. He has released one solo album, Straight to the Point in 1994, which spawned one single, "Satisfy You", featuring...
  
  
• Dave Hollister
  Dave Hollister
  Dave Hollister is an American R&B vocalist who found fame during the 1990s as one quarter of the Platinum-selling R&B quartet Blackstreet before going on to a solo career.-Biography:...
  
  
• De La Soul
  De La Soul
  De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
  
  
• Destiny's Child
  Destiny's Child
  Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
  
  
• Donell Jones
  Donell Jones
  Donell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.He is most notable for the hits "U Know What's Up," "Where I Wanna Be," and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet"...
  
  
• The-Dream
  The-Dream
  Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
  
  
• Faith Evans
  Faith Evans
  Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B...
  
  
• For Real
  For Real
  For Real was an American R&B and soul quartet, that formed in 1993. In the latter part of that decade they were nominated for a Grammy, Billboard Music Award, and Soul Train Music Award.-Biography:...
  
  
• Ginuwine
  Ginuwine
  Elgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
  
  
• Gnarls Barkley
  Gnarls Barkley
  Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download...
  
  
• Horace Brown
  Horace Brown (musician)
  Horace Brown was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the son of a Baptist minister. Despite singing in the church as a child, Brown never believed he would have a singing career and instead dreamed of one day being a professional basketball player...
  
  
• H-Town
  H-Town (band)
  H-Town is an American R&B/hip hop vocal group. It was originally founded by twin brothers Keven “Dino” Conner, Solomon “Shazam” Conner, and their longtime friend Darryl “G.I.” Jackson in 1992.-Formation:...
  
  
• Ideal
  Ideal (band)
  Ideal are an R&B quartet from Houston, Texas, United States. The group Ideal debuted in 1999 and is composed of brothers Maverick and Swab, their cousin PZ and high school friend J-Dante...
  
  
• II D Extreme
  II D Extreme
  II D Extreme was an American new jack swing/urban R&B group from the early 1990s that included D'Extra Wiley, Randy Gill and Jermaine Mickey...
  
  
• IMx
  IMx
  IMx , are an American R&B group, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston , Jerome "Romeo" Jones , and Kelton "LDB" Kessee , all natives of Los Angeles, California, where the group was formed...
  
  
• Intro
  Intro (band)
  Intro is an American R&B trio from Brooklyn, New York. Intro released two albums and had a string of US hits in the 1990s. Their biggest, "Come Inside", featured Sabrina Morrison on vocals. Intro's, Kenny Greene, died from complications of AIDS in 2001...
  
  
• J Dilla
  J Dilla
  James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
  
  
• Jade
  Jade (U.S. band)
  Jade was an R&B group active during the early to mid 1990s. The group consisted of Tonya Kelly, Joi Marshall, and Di Reed. During their brief yet successful career, Jade released two studio albums, one live album, and a string of popular R&B singles.-History:...
  
  
• Jagged Edge
  Jagged Edge (band)
  Jagged Edge is an American R&B group, with the lead singers, Brandon & Brian, born in Hartford, CT on October 13, 1975, Kyle Norman of Decatur, GA born on February 26,1976 and Richard Wingo of College Park, GA born on September 3, 1975. Wingo was a late addition to the group, added after Kandi...
  
  
• Jaheim
  Jaheim
  Jaheim Hoagland is an American R&B singer and formerly a rapper performing under the mononymous name of Jaheim. He was signed by Naughty by Nature's Kaygee to Divine Mill Records in 2000, and released his debut album Ghetto Love in 2001. His second effort, Still Ghetto, was released a year later,...
  
  
• Jazmine Sullivan
  Jazmine Sullivan
  Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
  
  
• Jessie J
  Jessie J
  Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
  
  
• Jeremih
  Jeremih
  Jeremiah Felton who performs under the mononym Jeremih , is an American recording artist and producer signed to Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's debut single, "Birthday Sex" , peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100...
  
  
• Jodeci
  Jodeci
  Jodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...
  
  
• Jonathan Emile
  Jonathan Emile
  Jonathan Emile is a Jamaican Canadian singer, poet, musician and entrepreneur from Montreal, Quebec. He is the creator and the founder of Mindpeacelove Enterprises and a cancer survivor...
  
  
• Jonell
  Jonell
  Jonell is an American R&B singer, born Shannon Jonell Showes in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.In 2003, Jonell introduced with her first hit Round and Round on producer Hi-Tek's album Hi-Teknology. Later that year Jonell intended to release her debut album on the Def Soul label. Her first single...
  
  
• Keith Martin
  Keith Martin (musician)
  Keith Martin is an American R&B singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, currently living in Surabaya, Indonesia, Indonesia. Martin is best known for writing and singing romantic love songs...
  
  
• Kelis
  Kelis
  Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
  
  
• Kelly Rowland
  Kelly Rowland
  Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
  
  
• Keri Hilson
  Keri Hilson
  Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
  
  
• Keshia Chanté
  Keshia Chanté
  Keshia Chanté is a Canadian Juno Award-winning critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, model, and actress...
  
  
• Keyshia Cole
  Keyshia Cole
  Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
  
  
• LeToya Luckett
  LeToya Luckett
  LeToya Nicole Luckett , known professionally as LeToya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she's...
  
  
• K-Ci and JoJo
  K-Ci and JoJo
  K-Ci & JoJo are an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey and Joel "JoJo" Hailey , Natives of Monroe, North Carolina, they were also members of the chart-topping R&B group Jodeci with the DeGrate brothers—Donald and Dalvin.-On their own:K-Ci and JoJo's first sign of...
  
  
• Lauryn Hill
  Lauryn Hill
  Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
  
  
• Lil Mo

• Lloyd
  Lloyd (singer)
  Lloyd Polite, Jr. , who performs under the mononym Lloyd, is an American R&B recording artist, who experienced as a member of the group N-Toon before embarking on a solo career in 2004....
  
  
• Lugo
  Lugo
  Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 97,635 in 2010, which makes is the fourth most populated city in Galicia.-Population:...
  
  
• L.V.
• Mariah Carey
  Mariah Carey
  Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
  
  
• Mario
  Mario (singer)
  Mario Dewar Barrett , who performs under the mononym Mario, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, actor, dancer and model. He is best known for his hit singles "Just a Friend 2002" and "Let Me Love You" , which won him two Billboard awards, as well as for appearing in the films Step Up and...
  
  
• Mark Morrison
  Mark Morrison
  Mark Morrison is a British R&B singer. He was the most successful UK R&B singer of the mid-90s and the first black male solo artist to reach number one in the 90s. His single "Return of the Mack" became a #1 or Top 10 hit in several European countries in 1996...
  
  
• Mary J. Blige
  Mary J. Blige
  Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
  
    ("Queen of Hip Hop Soul")
• Men of Vizion
  Men Of Vizion
  Men of Vizion is an R&B quintet that came to fame in 1996, with the debut album, Personal, which featured the songs "Housekeeper" and "Do Thangz", produced by Teddy Riley, "Lil" Chris Smith.-Career:...
  
  
• Miguel
  Miguel (singer)
  Miguel Jontel Pimentel, who performs under the mononym Miguel, is an American recording artist, songwriter and producer. Signed to Jive Records in 2007, Miguel released his debut album, All I Want Is You, in November 2010. The album was preceded by the release of the single "All I Want Is You",...
  
  
• Miss Jones
  Miss Jones
  Tarsha Jones, better known as Miss Jones, is a former R&B artist and radio personality. Miss Jones is currently the host of the Power 99 morning show "Jonesy In The Morning" after previously working for Hot 97 until 2008.-Early life:...
  
  
• Missy Elliott
  Missy Elliott
  Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
  
  
• Mista
  Mista (band)
  Mista was an American R&B group in the mid-1990s from Atlanta, Georgia.-Biography:Mista is a R&B quartet who hit the scenes in 1996. Mista was a group of friends who were reportedly formed by a group of girls on their bus...
  
  
• MN8
  MN8
  MN8 were an R&B group from the United Kingdom. They consisted of KG , G-Man , Kule T and Dee Tails .-Career:...
  
  
• MoKenStef
  MoKenStef
  MoKenStef was an Amercian female R&B trio from Los Angeles, California, active in the latter 1990s. The group name was a combination of the first syllable of each members' names: Monifa, Kenya, and Stefanie. They released an album, Azz Izz, in 1995, and their biggest hit was "He's Mine", which...
  
  
• Mona Lisa
  Mona Lisa (singer)
  Kimberly Ledbetter, known by her professional stage name, Mona Lisa, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, model and record producer...
  
  
• Monica
• Monifah
  Monifah
  Monifah is an American female R&B singer-songwriter.-Career:In 1996, her debut album, Moods...Moments was released. In 1997, she contributed the Heavy D. produced "I Still Love You" to the soundtrack of the film, Sprung. Monifah's second album was Mo'hogany. Released in the last quarter of 1998,...
  
  
• Montell Jordan
  Montell Jordan
  Montell Jordan is a former American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003. Of his live performances it is often regarded that he is a rock oriented musician, with Jordan even going as far as to...
  
  
• Mos Def
  Mos Def
  Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
  
  
• Mýa
  Mya
  -A person:* Bo Mya , Chief Commander of the Karen National Union* Mýa , American R&B singer-songwriter and actress** Mýa , a 1998 album by Mýa-A code:* Burmese language, ISO 639-3 code is mya* Moruya Airport's IATA code...
  
  
• Nelly Furtado
  Nelly Furtado
  Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
  
  
• Next
  Next (band)
  Next is an American R&B musical group, popular during the late 1990s. They are best known for their hit singles "Too Close" and "Wifey".-History:...
  
  
• N II U
  N II U
  N II U is a R&B group from New Jersey consisting of Chuck Howard, Chris Herbert, Don Carlis, and Craig Hill. The group had a hit in 1994 with the single "I Miss You" which hit number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100....
  
  
• Outkast
  OutKast
  Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
  
  
• Ol' Skool
  Ol' Skool
  Ol' Skool is an American new jack swing and urban R&B group from St. Louis, Missouri that consisted of Jason Little , Pookie , Tony Love , Curtis Jefferson and Bobby Crawford...
  
  
• One Be Lo
  One Be Lo
  Nahshid Sulaiman better known by his stage name One Be Lo is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums...
  
  
• Playa
  Playa (band)
  Playa was an American R&B/hip-hop group. Composed of Smoke E. Digglera , Digital Black , and the late Static Major , Playa is best known for their 1998 hit album, "Cheers 2 U", produced by longtime collaborator Timbaland...
  
  
• Public Announcement
  Public Announcement
  Public Announcement is an R&B and hip hop group, which was formed in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois, originally backing singer R. Kelly on his first album.-1990-1994: Born Into The 90's:...
  
  
• Pressha
  Pressha
  Pressha is an American R&B singer.His first single the 1995 single "Put Ya Thang Down"; then, as a member of the Southsyde B.O.I.Z., he released "Get Ready, Here It Comes ". His only album was a 1998 effort released on LaFace Records, which spawned the U.S...
  
  
• Pretty Ricky
  Pretty Ricky
  Pretty Ricky is an American R&B/hip hop group originally made up of Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith, Spectacular Smith, Corey "Slick 'em" Mathis, and Marcus "Pleasure P" Cooper. In 2007, Pleasure P left the group to pursue a solo career...
  
  
• Pussycat Dolls
  Pussycat Dolls
  The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
  
  
• P!nk
  P!nk
  Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
  
  
• Q-Tip
• R. Kelly
  R. Kelly
  Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
  
  
• Ray J
  Ray J
  William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...
  
  
• Rihanna
  Rihanna
  Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
  
  
• The Roots
  The Roots
  The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
  
  
• Ryan Leslie
  Ryan Leslie
  Anthony Ryan Leslie, known professionally as Ryan Leslie, is a Grammy nominated American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, entrepreneur, and singer. Founder of the media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has produced singles for a number of artists in a variety of genres...
  
  
• Senim Silla
  Senim Silla
  Senim Silla is a hip hop soul artist from Pontiac, Michigan, best known for his role in the rap duo Binary Star-Biography:...
  
  
• Slum Village
  Slum Village
  Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
  
  
• Somethin' for the People
  Somethin' for the People
  Somethin' for the People was an R&B group from Los Angeles, California, who scored several hits in the US in the late 1990s.-History:The group was founded in 1990 by Curtis "Sauce" Wilson and Jeff "Fuzzy" Young, both from Oakland, California, along with Los Angeles native Rochad "Cat Daddy" Holiday...
  
  
• Soul for Real
  Soul for Real
  Soul for Real is an R&B group from Wheatley Heights, New York, made up of brothers Andre , Brian , Christopher , and Jason Dalyrimple...
  
  
• Subway
• SWV
  SWV
  Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
  
  
• TLC
  TLC (band)
  TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
  
  
• Timbaland
  Timbaland
  Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
  
  
• Tony Thompson
  Tony Thompson
  Anthony T. "Tony" Thompson was a session drummer best known as a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, NY.-Chic:...
  
  
• Total
  Total (band)
  Total was an American R&B girl group and one of the signature acts of Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records imprint during the 1990s.-Emergence & Total:...
  
  
• Trey Songz
  Trey Songz
  Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
  
  
• A Tribe Called Quest
  A Tribe Called Quest
  A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
  
  
• Truth Hurts
  Truth Hurts
  Share Watson , known as Truth Hurts, is an American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.-Albums:-Singles:* 2002: "Addictive" Share Watson (born October 10, 1971, St. Louis, Missouri), known as Truth Hurts, is an American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.-Albums:-Singles:* 2002: "Addictive"...
  
  
• Tweet
  Tweet (singer)
  Tweet is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.-Early years:The youngest child of Tom and Shirley Keys, Tweet was born in Rochester, New York on January 21, 1972, and grew up singing in the church along with her parents and her four older siblings...
  
  
• Usher
  Usher (entertainer)
  Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
  
  
• Veronica
  Veronica (singer)
  Veronica is a dance music singer and theatrical actress. Along with singers Ultra Nate, Deborah Cox, she is considered to be one of the divas of the 1990s club music scene...
  
  
• Voices of Theory
  Voices of Theory
  -History:Voices of Theory was founded in the early 1990s by five Latino youths from North Philadelphia. Their first major exposure came when they were tapped to open for Mariah Carey for 12 nights of her 1993 tour. Later that year, they contributed a cover of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" for the...
  
  
• Xscape
• Zhané
  Zhane
  Zhané was an American R&B/hip hop soul duo, best known for their 1994 hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached #6 in the U.S. Other popular hits include "Groove Thang" and minor hit "Sending My Love," both released in 1994...