@Stephen Franklin

The best of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.

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Luther Vandross learned from the best. The impressive vocalist wrote for David Bowie and sang background for Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, and Barbra Streisand before his breakthrough in the early ‘80s. He first gained notoriety by singing lead vocals with the post-disco band Change, but his knack for penning smooth love songs is what quickly made him one of R&B's most beloved solo acts. A slow jam specialist, Vandross' success coincided with the height of the quiet storm era. All but one of his 13 studio albums have gone at least platinum, and he's won eight GRAMMY®s.

Fusing classic R&B hallmarks with African nuances, Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems (real name Temilade Openiyi) has created an alté sound that’s placed her distinctive voice at the forefront of Africa’s R&B renaissance. Establishing herself with breakout singles “Mr Rebel” and “Try Me,” her appearance on Wizkid’s massive 2020 single “Essence” catapulted her into the sonic stratosphere.

With an unmistakable voice and an innate ability to modernize the rich Black musical traditions that preceded him, D’Angelo helped birth the neo-soul movement of the mid-’90s. A demo tape and an impromptu piano recital for an exec earned him a deal at EMI, under which he released his 1995 debut, <i>Brown Sugar</i>. The album was a mix of earthy, vinyl-crackling soul that evoked Marvin Gaye and the edgy swagger of golden-era hip-hop. It featured a gorgeous reworking of Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin’” alongside downbeat tributes to objects of his desires such as “Lady” and “Brown Sugar.” 2000’s <i>Voodoo</i> followed—a vulnerable meditation on love, fatherhood, sexuality, and spirituality that heightened D’Angelo’s stardom via one of R&B’s all-time most memorable songs: “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” After a lengthy hiatus, he returned in 2014 with <i>Black Messiah</i>, a stirring collection of soulful analog grooves and sociopolitical lyrics that reflected the then-budding Black Lives Matter movement. D’Angelo passed away in 2025 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.