Travis Scott　

Justin Bieber　

Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber was barely into his teens when he released his 2009 debut, My World, and became one of the youngest success stories in contemporary pop when it went either plat ..more

Squarepusher　

Tom Squarepusher Jenkinson makes manic, schizoid, experimental drum’n’bass with a heavy progressive jazz influence and a lean toward pushing the cliches of the genre out the proverbial window. Ri ..more

Meshell Ndegeocello　

Although Meshell Ndegeocello scored a few hits early in her career, the bassist, singer, and songwriter later opted to concentrate on more challenging material by exploring the politics of race and ..more

Portishead　

Portishead may not have invented trip-hop, but they were among the first to popularize it, particularly in America. Taking their cue from the slow, elastic beats that dominated Massive Attack ..more

Average White Band　

Their self-effacing name to the contrary, Average White Band was anything but -- one of the few white groups to cross the color line and achieve success and credibility playing funk, with their tig ..more

A Tribe Called Quest　

Without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap. In essence, they aba ..more

Kendrick Lamar　

Platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated rapper Kendrick Lamar is one of the rare artists who has achieved critical and commercial success while earning the respect and support of those who inspired him. ..more

Curtis Mayfield　

Perhaps because he didn’t cross over to the pop audience as heavily as Motown’s stars, it may be that the scope of Curtis Mayfield’s talents and contributions have yet to be fully recognized. ..more

Incognito　

An acid jazz project with surprisingly deep roots in the 1970s jazz/funk/fusion world, Incognito were originally formed by Jean-Paul Maunick (aka Bluey) and Paul Tubbs Williams. Both wer ..more

Amy Winehouse　

Much can be said about the late Amy Winehouse, one of the U.K.’s flagship vocalists during the 2000s. The British press and tabloids seemed to focus on her rowdy behavior, heavy consumption of alco ..more

Zara Larsson　

Swedish vocalist and songwriter Zara Larsson has a penchant for crafting soulful electropop that falls somewhere between Rihanna, Lorde, and Robyn. Born in Solna (a suburb of Stockholm), s ..more

Alicia Keys　

Alicia Keys became an international star with her singular mix of classic and contemporary R＆B. Behind the number one pop hit Fallin, her debut album, Songs in A Minor, sold more than 50,000 c ..more

Kanye West　

In the span of three short years, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, ..more

Alva Noto +Ruyichi Sakamoto　

Chaka Khan　

Best known in the mainstream for her superb 1984 cover of Prince’s I Feel for You, R＆B singer Chaka Khan enjoyed solo success as well as popularity as a member of the group Rufus. Bor ..more

Eminem　

He is not just a controversial rapper anymore, but one of the world’s top entertainers. Eminem will be coming next month to Japan for the first headlining concert with D12 and his Slim Shady Records’ ..more

21 Savage　

An Atlanta-based rapper who kicked off his career with the crew Slaughtergang, MC 21 Savage hit as a solo artist with his 2014 single Picky. Born Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in Dominica, he f ..more

Nujabes / Shing02　

Jose James