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February 29 - March i, 2012
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
11
Most Influential Artists in Black Music
Taylor Williams
Arts and Entertainment Editor
twilli26@gmail.com
Spencer Greene
New Media Director
sgreene.sawy@gmail.com
Michael Jackson
To mention all of Michael Jackson accomplish
ments would take forever We all pretty much
know what he has done for music and his
legacy will never be forgotten. From his hits
with the Jackson 5 to his solo careen the King
of Pop has inspired hundreds of artists.
Stevie Wonder
Not enough could be said about what Stevie
Wonder has done for our music. Wonder has
blessed our ears with his music since the early
60s and has 23 studio albums and 98 singles
from those albums. Wonder has also won 22
Grammys over his illustrious career
Marvin Gaye
Arguably one of the greatest voices of all-time,
Gaye had a way with words like no other He
transformed "love-making music” and is con
sidered one of the first black sex symbols. His
album "What’s Going On” is considered one
of the greatest albums in American music his
tory.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z is one of the most influential artists in
Hip-Hop; he creates trends (e.g. throwback
jerseys and button down shirts) and can end
them just as fast (e.g. D.O.A. (Death of Au
totune). Jay has also managed to get people
to take Hip-Hop seriously and expanded its
brand.
Miles Davis
63 studio albums, 53 live albums, and 61 com
pilation albums, astonishing numbers right?This
is what Miles Davis accomplished over his 40-
year career; Jazz would not be what it is today
without him.
George Clinton
Clinton is the lead singer composer and
songwriter behind the funk bands Parliament
and Funkadelic. Without the contributions
and originality that he brought to music there
would be no Hip-Hop. Songs from artists like
Dr Dre, 2Pac and Snoop Dogg sampled his
music often during their careers.
James Brown
Known as the "Godfather of Soul" and the cre
ator of funk music, Brown's unique vocal style
and great stage presence made him one of the
greatest entertainers ever Along with Clinton,
his songs, especially "Impeach the President"
and "Funky Drummer” have been used by
numerous Hip-Hop artists.
Kool Here
The Father of Hip-Hop, without this man
there would be no Jay-Z, 2Pac, Lil’Wayne, or
any of your favorite hip-hop artists. His legacy
lives on in every block party and every Hip-
Hop DJ that still spins today. He influenced the
careers of pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa and
Grandmaster Flash.
Fela Kuti
Kuti is credited with creating the genre of
Afro-Beat, which was fusion of jazz, funk, West
African music and rock. A political activist, Kuti
was not afraid to speak out on global issues.
Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul and the original "diva,"
Franklin has not only had a large influence on
our Black female singers but on our male sing
ers too. Her voice and career are timeless.
Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson embodies the concept
of being the best at whatever you do. As a
singer; he flaunts his wide vocal range and
amazing falsetto. As a musician, he plays over
7 instruments. As a songwriter/composer; he’s
written numerous hits for himself as well as
other artists. He’s also known for having one
of the most flamboyant energetic stages per
formances ever The artist formerly known as
Prince is definitely a musical genius.
Whitney Houston
While we still mourn the lost of arguably the
greatest voice of all time, we recognize Whit
ney’s legendary career Whitney developed
her powerful voice singing in a Baptist church
as a child. Her mega-hit “I Will Always Love
You" is the best selling single by a female artist
in music history. From blockbuster movies to
anthems such as "I’m Every Woman," Whitney
is the definition of a diva.
Isaac Hayes
Bald head, beard, no shirt, deep voice and dark
glasses, Isaac Hayes is arguably the first major
black sex symbol. He became the third African
American to win an Academy Award for his
musical score of the film "Shaft.” His music is
still sampled todayTor Hip Hop music.
Charlie Parker
Given the nickname Bird early in his career
Charlie Parker is one of the fathers of bebop.
His innovative saxophone skills transformed
the way jazz would be played forever Bird
remains one of the most respected jazz musi
cians of all time.
Rick James
Despite the wild stories and infamous Chap-
pelle's Show skit, Rick James' life consisted of
more than just partying. He began his career
as a songwriter for Motown records, work
ing with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
and the Spinners. As a solo artist he released
numerous hits, including the pop hit, "Super
Freak." He also launched the career ofTeena
Marie.
Quincy Jones
With a career spanning at least 5 decades,
Quincy Jones is by far the greatest producer
of all time. He began his career at age four
teen as a trumpeter; playing for Lionel Hamp
ton and befriending Ray Charles. He spent
years playing with and arranging songs for
jazz legends and became the musical director
for Dizzy Gillespie's band at the age of 23. It
would take forever to recognize all of Jones’
accomplishments.The only thing left to be
said is he produced Michael Jackson’s Thriller
album.That is all.
Jimi Hendrix
Not only is Hendrix one of the most innova
tive and influential artists in the history of rock
music, he is also one of the greatest guitarists
of all time. Hendrix’s style of guitar is evident
in nearly every guitarist and rock band to
come after him. If you’ve never heard anything
by Hendrix, listen to "Hey joe," "Purple Haze,”
or "Little Wing” and be amazed.
Chuck Berry
Forget all of the stories you’ve heard of Elvis
Presley, Chuck Berry is the king of Rock and
Roll. His sound and his lifestyle defined Rock
and Roll. He was one of the first musicians
to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, and hits like "Maybelline" and "Johnny B.
Goode" have helped cement his legacy. He is
still playing today at 85 years old.
Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters was the quintessential blues
man. He remains one of the must successful
and influential blues musicians of all time. He
is noted as one of the major influences of the
British blues and rock phenomenon, inspiring
Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling
Stones, who named their band after one of
Muddy’s songs.
Babyface
Kenneth "Babyface” Edmonds began his career
playing for Bootsy Collins and got his break
as a songwriter when he wrote the hit "Slow
Jam" for Midnight Starr Babyface is the co
founder of the famous LaFace Records with
L.A. Reid, launching the careers ofTLC, Usher;
Toni Braxton, Outkast and others. He is known
as one of the creators of new jack swing, along
with Teddy Riley. He’s written hits for Whitney
Houston, Beyonce, Boys II Men, Mariah Carey,
as well as hits for himself.
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