Amir Ali Said

Marvin Holmes & The Uptights were a funk band from Oakland, California who recorded in the '60s and '70s. In 1969, they recorded "The Funky Mule (Parts 1 & 2)."  It was one of their first hits, and it helped them secure a record…

The Artifacts are a hip hop group from Newark, New Jersey who primarily recorded in the '90s.  The group included three members: El Da Sensei, Tame One, and DJ Kaos.  Before rhyming, El Da Sensei and Tame One were well-known graffiti…

Frank Mills is a Canadian pianist an singer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  He grew up in a musical family; his mother was a pianist, and his father was a singer.  Mills started playing the piano at three years old.  However, he didn't…

Pharoahe Monch is a rapper from South Jamaica, Queens who emerged in the '90s.  He started his career as a member of Organized Kufsion, a hip hop duo that featured Prince Po.  Organized Kufsion had a solid fan base on the underground…

Lee Moses was a soul singer and a guitarist from Atlanta, Georgia.  His career spanned over three decades.  In the '50s, he formed his first band, The Showstoppers.  They enjoyed a nice run locally, but Moses eventually moved to New York…

Judy Mowatt is a Jamaican reggae artist from Gordon Town, Jamaica.  In 1967, she started her singing career when she joined The Gaylettes.   Mowatt sang lead, Beryl Lawson and Merle Clemenson completed the trio, and they released a slew of…

Sparky Dee is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York who came up in the '80s.  She first joined The Playgirls, a local hip hop group of female emcees.   The group included Mona (Mo Ski) and Lisa (City Slim).  In 1983, they recorded one of their…

Giannis Spanos was a Greek composer who recorded in the '60s and '70s.  At 17, he moved to Athens and studied piano at The National Odeum.  In the early '60s, he moved to Paris.  While there, he was mainly a piano accompanist.  He worked…

The Crooklyn Dodgers were a hip hop group that recorded as two different lineups in the '90s.  The Crooklyn Dodgers were created through an idea from Spike Lee for his film Crooklyn (1994).  The first group included Special Ed, Masta Ace,…

Irma Thomas is a soul singer from New Orleans who mainly recorded in the '60s and '70s.  She started singing in the baptist church and then she transitioned to secular music.  In 1959, she released her debut single, "Don't Mess With My…