Amir Ali Said

William Stuckey was a soul singer from Arkansas who recorded in the '70s.  His musical journey started with the trumpet.  He studied the trumpet at the Arkansas School for the Blind.  Later, he switched to the clarinet and the alto…

The Beatnuts are a hip hop production duo from NYC that features rappers and producers Juju and Psycho Les. They started recording in the '90s, and they performed well into the 2000s.  In 1994, they released their debut album, The Beatnuts:…

The Funkees were a Nigerian band that recorded in the '60s and the '70s.  Their sound was a mix of afrobeat, funk, rock, and soul.  In the late '60s, the band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Harry Mosco. Initially, the band played…

Don Covay was a singer and a songwriter from Orangeburg, South Carolina.  His career started in the early '50s.  He sang alongside his family in their gospel quartet called the Cherry Keys.  In 1956, Covay transitioned to secular music. …

Mac Dre was a rapper from Oakland, California who rhymed in the '80s, '90s, and the 2000s.  In 1989, while he was still in high school, Dre released his debut EP, Young Black Brotha.  The EP featured his debut single, "Too Hard for the…

Gábor Szabó was a Hungarian guitarist who made jazz, pop, and rock music.   In 1961, Szabó started his career as a member of Chico Hamilton's quintet.  Chico Hamilton was a famous jazz drummer and a bandleader who made his mark in the '50s…

“Group Home was a group from New York made up of members Lil Dap (from Brooklyn) and Malechi (from the Bronx). In the '90s, they were members of The Gang Starr Foundation.  The Gang Starr Foundation was a separate collective of artists that…

Van Mccoy was a singer, songwriter, and producer from Washington, D.C.  He came up as a songwriter in the '50s and the '60s.  He wrote hits for artists like Gladys Knight & The Pips ("Giving Up), Barbara Lewis ("Baby I'm Yours"), and…

James Cotton was a blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter from Tunica, Mississippi.  In the early '50s, he started his career as a harmonica player in Howlin Wolf's band.  A few years later, Cotton was recruited by Muddy Waters to…

Black Milk is a rapper and a producer from Detroit, Michigan who's been performing since the early 2000s.  In 2002, his production career started with Slum Village.  He produced a number of songs on their third album, Trinity (Past Present…