Amir Ali Said

The Click was a hip hop group from Vallejo, California who came up in the '90s.  The group featured four rappers: E-40, B-Legit, D-Shot, and Suga-T.   One thing I think is cool about the group is that they’re all family. B-Legit is E-40’s…

Freda Payne is a singer and a actress from Detroit, Michigan who primarily recorded in the '60s and the '70s.  Her biggest song is "Band of Gold" (1970).  Here's a brief backstory on the single: The song was composed by the legendary…

Maxo Kream is a rapper from Houston, Texas, and his career started on the mixtape circuit.  In 2012, he released his debut mixtape, Retro Card.  The mixtape was led by his cover of Kendrick Lamar's "Rigamortis."  Kream followed with two…

Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican songwriter, keyboardist, and musical director who recorded for three decades.  In the '60s, he was the musical director at the esteemed Studio One label, and Mittoo was a member of several bands.  Studio One is…

Common is a rapper and a actor from Chicago, Illinois who has been rhyming since the '80s.  In high school, Common was apart of a rap trio called C.D.R.  After the trio split in the early '90s, Common pursued a solo career.  He started…

Avolonto Honoré was a percussionist from Benin, Africa.  In 1969, he started his recording career.  In the beginning, he only played the conga, but as his career evolved, Honoré started recording his own compositions.  As a solo artist, he…

2 Chainz is a rapper from College Park, Georgia who has been recording since the late '90s.  In 1997, he rhymed under the name Tity Boi, and he formed Playaz Circle with his friend and local rapper Dolla Boy. They enjoyed a decent run in…

The Edwards Generation was a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that recorded in the '70s.  The band was led by Chuck Edwards (a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was signed to Duke Records).  In the early '70s, Edwards moved to San…

Bobby Hutcherson was a jazz vibraphone and marimba player from Los Angeles, California.  Hutcherson started performing in the '50s, but he made his recording debut in the early '60s.  In the '50s, Hutcherson performed with jazz artists,…

Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) is a rapper, songwriter, and actor from Brooklyn, New York who debuted in the '90s.  At the beginning of his rap career, he formed two different teams.  First, he formed the group UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) with his…