Anthony Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter born in 1971. He was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, and began singing in his local church choir and an award-winning high school choir. Anthony would move to New York City and sign a deal with Uptown Records in 1992.

Anthony Hamilton would write for countless singers including Donell Jones and his hit “U Know What’s Up.” In 2000 Anthony would tour with D’Angelo as a backup singer, and by 2002 he was featured on the Grammy-nominated song “Po’ Folks” by Nappy Roots. Anthony Hamilton would release his breakout album Comin’ From Where I’m From in 2003 to critical acclaim and cement his name as one of old school R&B’s most soulful voices.

Anthony Hamilton’s second album Comin’ From Where I’m From would be certified Platinum and peak at #33 on the Billboard 200. His next five albums would peak at #19, #12, #12, #80, and #15, respectively. His breakout single “Charlene” would peak at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and be Hamilton’s most commercially successful solo single of his career.

Anthony Hamilton currently does a lot of feature work for other artists and recently featured on tracks from rappers Boosie Badazz and E-40.

The R&B artist Angela Winbush was born in 1955 in St. Louis, Missouri. Angela rose to fame in the early 1980’s as part of the duo known as Rene & Angela, but long before that time, as a child she learned to sing in her local family church. Initially with aspirations to become an architect, Winbush enrolled at Howard University, but he love of music and her desire to sing deterred her focus and she switched her major to music.

Eventually, Angela began working as a vocalist for Stevie Wonder, as part of his backup group, and the experience greatly expanded her understanding of music, especially in writing and arranging. The opportunity also resulted in her chance encounter with Rene Moore, which whom she established Rene & Angela in 1980. As part of the duo, Angela Winbush released the highly successful dbut album Rene & Angela, followed by the albums Wall to Wall (1982) and Rise (1983.) In the early 80’s, Winbush also wrote hits for a number of notable artists, including Janet Jackson and Stephanie Mills.

By the late 1980’s, Angela was ready to launch her career as a solo artist, and she released the album Sharp in 1987. The album rose to the number seven spot on the R&B charts, performing well both commercially and critically, as did the follow-up albums The Real Thing (1989) and Angela Winbush (1994.) The albums spawned the top twenty R&B singles “Angel,” “Run to Me,” “It’s the Real Thing,” “No More Tears,” “Lay Your Troubles Down,” “Treat U Rite,” and “Floatin’ on Your Love,” recorded with the Isley Brothers.

Although Angela Winbush has not released any new material in the few decades, she continues to make occasional appearances and perform. In 2010, Winbush performed on the Mo’Nique Show, and she was also featured in the documentary Unsung (2010.)

The American jazz and R&B singer Angela Bofill was born in 1954 in New York. Angela’s earliest work as a performer was with the Harlem Chorus, until a chance meeting with executives from GRP Records led to her first record deal in the mid 1970’s.

Bofill’s debut album, Angie, was released in 1978 to critical and commercial acclaim, and spawned the hit singles “Under the Moon and Over the Sky” and “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter.” Ten additional albums followed: Angel of the Night (1979), Something About You (1981), Too Tough (1983), Teaser (1983), Let Me Be the One (1984), Tell me Tomorrow (1985), Intuition (1988), I Wanna Love Somebody (1993), Love in Slow Motion (1996), and the live album Live from Manila (2006.) Angela Bofill’s albums gave audiences the top twenty R&B hits: “What I Wouldn’t Do (For the Love of You),” “Something About You,” “Too Tough,” “Tonight I Give In,” “I’m on Your Side,” and “I Just Wanna Stop.”

Angela Bofill continued to perform live well into the new millennium, until she suffered a series of strokes which prevented her ability to sing. Despite the limitation, Bofill does continue to make live stage performances alongside other performers. Bofill was most recently provided in the documentary film, Unsung, which released in 2012.

The singer and actress known simply as Amerie was born Amerie Mi Marie Rogers in 1980 and spent the early years of her childhood in her mother’s native South Korea. Amerie’s childhood was filled with worldwide travel, largely due to her father’s position in the United States military. A strict upbringing led Amerie to excel at both academics and extra-curricular pursuits, of which the arts were important part.

After graduating from Georgetown with a degree in English, Amerie had a fortuitous meeting with a representative from Columbia Records, which led to her first recording deal. Amerie’s debut album, All I Have, followed in 2002, although she’d already contributed vocals for Nas’s single “Rule” and Royce da 5’9’’s “Life.” Her first solo endeavor was a huge hit, spawning the single “Why Don’t We Fall in Love,” which rose nearly into the top twenty on the mainstream charts and into the top ten on the R&B and dance charts. The song also led to a Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist and additional nominations from the BET Awards and Image Awards.

All I Have was followed by Touch (2005), Because I Love It (2007), and In Love & War (2009.) The albums spawned the additional singles “Talkin’ to Me,” “Touch,” “Talkin’ About,” “Take Control,” “Gotta Work,” and “Why R U.” In addition, Amerie scored two hits with “Heard ‘em All,” performed alongside Lil Wayne, and “Pretty Brown,” featuring Trey Songz. In addition, the song “1 Thing,” which appears on Touch, earned Amerie her second set of award nominations, including two Grammy Award nominations.

Amerie recently switched labels, signing with Island Def Jam, shortly before the release of In Love & War. So far in her career, which is really just getting started, Amerie has also earned multiple nominations from the MTV Video Music Awards and the Soul train Lady of Soul Awards. Although Amerie’s artistic focus is as a singer, she can also be seen in a number of small acting roles, the largest of which was as Mia Thompson in the 2004 film First Daughter.

The American R&B group All-4-One was established by founding members Tony Borowiak, Alfred Nevarez, Delious Kennedy, and Jamie Jones, who came together in California in the early 1990’s and quickly garnered the interest of major record labels. Their mega-hit “I Swear,” released from their debut album All-4-One, earned the group a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or group with Vocals and remained at the number one spot on the mainstream charts for a staggering eleven weeks, giving All-4-One one of the most successful starts for a debut R&B group in music history.

All-4-One also featured the singles “So Much In Love,” “Breathless,” “I Can Love You Like That,” and “Someday,” all of which rose to the top of the R&B charts. After the group’s debut, they released On and On (1999), A41 (2002), Split Personality (2004), and No Regrets (2009), giving audiences the additional singles “I Will Be Right Here,” “Not Ready for Goodbye,” “Beautiful as U,” “My Child,” and “When I Needed an Angel.”

In addition to All-4-One’s Grammy win for “I Swear,” the group has also been recognized with additional Grammy nominations, also for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, for “I Can Love You Like That” and “I’m Your Man.” Other awards include: an American Music Award for Favorite New Artists Soul/Rhythm and Blues (for So Much in Love); two American Music Award nominations for Favorite Soul/R&B Single and Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist; and A Billboard Award nomination for “I Swear.”

Although All-4-One still performs and records as a group, the individual members have also gone on to pursue individual endeavors in recent years. Delious Kennedy in particular has launched a career as a solo artist, releasing “My Rose” in 2012 and co-founding the highly prestigious Catalina Film Festival.

Alina Baraz is an American singer and songwriter born in 1993. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up listening to music from the 1990s as well as Adele and Amy Winehouse. She sang in a gospel choir and once she graduated high school, Baraz pursued a music career in Los Angeles. She soon connected with producer Galimatias online and dropped the song “Drift” in 2013.

They then started a partnership that led to the Urban Flora EP in 2015, which garnered much critical acclaim for Baraz. The next year she signed with Mom + Pop Music and started touring festivals across the globe. Baraz’s first solo single dropped in 2017 and featured singer Khalid. She would then drop her next project, The Color of You, in 2018 and go on an accompanying tour. She would also appear in the Coachella lineup that year.

Alina Baraz’s Urban Flora EP with Galimatias peaked at #111 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the US Electronic charts. The song “fantasy” would be certified Gold and peak at #36 on the US Electronic charts. She would release “Buzzin” in 2017 and that would peak at #10 on the US Electronic charts. Baraz’s second project, The Color of You, peaked at #59 on the Billboard 200.

Alina Baraz continues to work on her debut album and recently released the first single “To Me” on streaming platforms.

Despite her incredible youth, Grammy-winning Alicia Keys rocketed to success with her debut, the chart-topping album Songs in A Minor. The various influences on the album, including jazz, hip-hop, classical, and R&B, lend testament to the notion that Alicia Keys is an “old soul” with maturity and aptitude beyond her years.

Alicia Keys’ talents were clear from her very earliest days as a student in Manhattan’s Professional Performance Arts School. After honing her skills through the school’s exemplary instruction, she graduated and began her studies at Columbia University. Her college experience would be cut short, however, to pursue a music career, a gamble that would certainly pay off for Keys. She signed a deal with Arista Records in 1998, but switched to J Records after one year. Songs in A Minor was released in 2001, and rose to superstar status instantly.

Since her debut, Alicia Keys has released the additional albums: As I Am (2007), The Element of Freedom (2009), Girl on Fire (2012), and most recently, Here (2016), featuring the single, “In Common.” Thus far in her career as a musician, Keys has sold over 35 million albums and 30 million singles, making her one of the best selling artists of all time.

Beyond music, Alicia Keys has appeared in The Nanny Diaries, Smokin’ Aces, The Secret Life of Bees, and the television series Charmed. She also joined the reality competition series The Voice in 2015, as a coach. On the personal front, Alicia Keys is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child Alive. The non-profit assists families afflicted by AIDS in Africa, providing medical support and medication. For her altruistic efforts, Alicia Keys are recognized by Amnesty International as an Ambassador of Conscience in 2017.

The American R&B singer Alexander O’Neal was born in 1953 in Mississippi. After completing his studies at Alcorn State University, O’Neal moved to Minneapolis and within a few years he’d begun the full-time pursuit of a career in music.

After joining first the local cover band the Mystics, Alexander joined Enterprise, and then the band Flyte Tyme, which switched its name to the Time before garnering the interest of megastar Prince and singing a record deal with Warner Bros. Sadly, O’Neal and Prince did not see creatively eye to eye, and so Alexander left the Time, which forged forward with new front man Morris Day. O’Neal regrouped and signed with Tabu Records as a solo artist before releasing his debut album, Alexander O’Neal, in 1985.

The album was a hit, spawning the singles “Innocent,” “If You Were Here Tonight,” and “A Broken Heart Can Mend.” A duet with the artist Cherrelle, “Saturday Love,” also rose to the top of both the R&B and mainstream charts, further bolstering O’Neal’s popularity and establishing him as one of the period’s most successful R&B performers.

Since his debut, O’Neal has released the additional albums: Hearsay, My Gift to You, All True Man, Love Makes No Sense, Lovers Again, Saga of a Married Man, and Alex Loves. The albums spawned the additional R&B hits “What’s Missing,” “Fake,” “Criticize,” “Never Knew Love Like This” (again with Cherrelle), “The Lovers,” “(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me,” “All True Man,” “What Is This Thing Called Love?,” Love Makes No Sense,” “In the Middle,” and “Aphrodisia.”

Alexander O’Neal continues to perform and record, most recently releasing the album Five Questions: The New Journey. He also recently participated with his spouse in the series Wife Swap, and his career was the subject of an episode of the TV One series Unsung, which aired in 2011.

The musician, producer, and personality known as Akon was born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam in 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri. Most of Akon’s earliest years were spent in Senegal, where he learned to play a variety of instruments, including djembe and guitar. Eventually, his family settled in New Jersey, and then Atlanta, where Akon spent his formative teenage years.

Akon’s talents in music eventually led to a friendship and mentorship with Devyne Stephens of Upfront Megatainment. Stephens signed Akon to his production company and arranged for him to begin recording his music, which eventually garnered the interest of SRC Records at Universal. Additional collaborations with a variety of rappers and other artists helped to increase his exposure, and Trouble, Akon’s solo debut, was released in 2004. Featuring the hit singles “Lonely,” “Pot of Gold,” “Locked Up,” “Ghetto,” and Belly Dancer,” the album rocketed to the top of the charts and firmly established Akon as a music powerhouse.

Konvicted and Freedom followed in 2006 and 2008, and Akon embarked on a series of successful concert performances, including the Konvicted Tour in 2007 and 2008, the Sweet Escape Tour alongside Gwen Stefani in 2007, the Good Girl Gone Band Tour with Rihanna in 2008, and the OMG Tour with Usher in 2011. Quickly gaining a reputation as a solid performer and outstanding musician with whom to collaborate, Akon also began working with other musicians in a variety of capacities. He contributed to Gwen Stefani’s album, The Sweet Escape, collaborated with Chamillionaire on Mixtape Messiah 2, produced Soul Survivor for Young Jeezy, appeared on Strength and Loyalty with Bone Thugs’n’Harmony, produced Not 4 Sale for Kardinal Offishall, co-produced “Mirrors” for Natalia Kills, and co-wrote “Put It on My Tab” for the New Kids on the Block and “Just Dance” for Lady Gaga. He also contributed to Whitney Houston’s 2009 album, I Look To You, recorded “Wake it UP” with E-40 for the album, The Ball Street Journal, and collaborated with Aventura, Reggaeton, Wonder Girls, and Pitbull for a variety of music project. Akon has also fostered up and coming artists by establishing his own record label, Kon Live Distribution, signing such notable performers as Jeffree Star.

Akon’s enormous marketing power has brought him a staggering level of financial success, ranking him in the top 100 on the Forbes list for 2010. His critical accolades include numerous Grammy nominations, four triple platinum singles, and three double platinum singles. Akon’s latest album, titled Stadium, is scheduled for release in 2018. He recently appeared in the film American Heist in 2014, and then in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping in 2016.

The R&B group known as After 7 was founded by Keith Mitchell and siblings Kevon Edmonds and Melvin Edmonds. Kevon and Melvin had already learned the ins and outs of the music industry from their highly successful big brother, Babyface, and so it was no surprised that they would join forces to establish their own group under his guidance.

After 7 released its self-titled debut album in 1989, and the album rose not only to the very top of the R&B charts, but also into the top forty on the mainstream chart, reaching platinum status. The album spawned the hit singles: “Heat of the Moment,” “Don’t Cha’ Think,” “Ready or Not,” “Can’t Stop,” “My Only Woman,” and “Nights Like This,” and made After 7 one of the most significant R&B groups of the era.

After 7 released two more albums in the mid 1990’s: Takin’ My Time (1992) and Reflections (1995), both of which reached gold status and found a home in the top ten on the R&B charts. The albums gave audiences the additional chart-topping R&B hits “Kickin’ It,” “Baby I’m for Real/Natural High,” “Can He Love U Like This,” “Gonna Love You Right,” and “Til You Do Me Right.” After 7’s final released was in 1997 with the song “Sara Smile,” which reached number thirty-seven on the R&B charts, and After 7 concluded its successful run while still at the top.

After 7 released one more album, The Very Best of After 7, in 1997, followed by a another compilation, The Best of After 7, in 2003.