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Yaya Bey is one of R&B’s most exciting storytellers. Using a combination of ancestral forces and her own self-actualization, the singer/songwriter seamlessly navigates life’s hardships and joyful moments through music. Bey’s new album, ‘Remember Your North Star’ (out June 17), captures this emotional rollercoaster with a fusion of soul, jazz, reggae, afrobeat and hip-hop that feeds the soul. The artist’s knack for storytelling is best displayed in the album’s lead single, “keisha”. Read more on Last.fm

The Staple Singers was an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group from Chicago who signed their first professional contract in 1952. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (1914–2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (1934–2013), Pervis (1935-2021), Yvonne (1937-2018), and Mavis (b. 1939). They are best-remembered for their 1970s hits "Respect Yourself", "I'll Take You There", "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)", and "Let's Do It Again". Read more on Last.fm

Aja Monet (sometimes stylized in all lowercase) is an American contemporary poet, writer, lyricist and activist based in Los Angeles, CA, United States. She has published many books and poems. Here on Last.fm we will focus on her recorded output, mostly spoken word poetry to a musical background. In 2019, Monet collaborated with Eryn Allen Kane for Kane's album, A Tree Planted by Water. In 2021, with Smoke Signals Collective, Monet released 'The FREE Tape' Read more on Last.fm

Boyz II Men is an American R&B/soul singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988 as a quintet, Boyz II Men found fame as a quartet, with members Wanya Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman, and Nathan Morris, on Motown Records during the early 1990s. Based on sales, Boyz II Men is one of the most successful R&B groups of all time, having recorded five #1 pop hits between 1992 and 1997. They have since topped sales of 25 million records. Read more on Last.fm

Monifah (born Monifah Carter on January 28, 1972 is an American female Pop/R&B singer. Monfah has recorded three hit albums, "Moods... Moments" (1996), Mo'Hogany" (1998) and "Home" (2000). Her hit songs include "You", "I Miss You (Come Back Home)","You Don't Have To Love Me", "Suga Suga", "Touch It", "I Can Tell", "Brown Eyes" and "Fairytales." She was one of the stars of the cancelled docu-series, “R&B Divas”, on TvOne, which chronicled the present lives and careers of 90’s recording artists Read more on Last.fm

Ann Peebles (b. 1947) is a U.S. singer and songwriter, best known for her popular Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records label. Two of her better known songs are "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" and "I Can't Stand the Rain". Born on 27th April 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Peebles was discovered as a talent by Gene "Bowlegs" Miller of Hi Records during a 1968 trip to sit in singing with him at a Memphis, Tennessee, nightclub. A popular local bandleader Read more on Last.fm

There are at least three groups known as the Passions: 1) The Passions was a Birmingham-based post-punk band, best known for their one hit "I'm in Love with a German Film Star", The Passions, based around singer-songwriter Barbara Gogan, looked for a while in the early 80s as though they might become major new wave stars, yet it all faded fast. 2) An indie rock group from Minnesota, currently active. 3) A doo wop group from Brooklyn, New York that emerged in the late 50s and early 60s. Best known for their 1959 song "Just To Be With You". Read more on Last.fm

When polymath artist Wesley Joseph moved to London to study as a filmmaker, he discovered something in city life that demanded to be captured in song, and found a crew of collaborators—including A.K. Paul, Dave Okumu, Joy Orbison, Leon Vynehall, Lexxx, Loyle Carner and his childhood friend Jorja Smith—to help him do it. The result was his 2021 debut ULTRAMARINE (released on his own imprint EEVILTWINN), a deeply textured collection of avant-R&B Read more on Last.fm

Kae Tempest[2][3] (born 22 December 1985) is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. Tempest started out as a rapper, toured the spoken word circuit for a number of years, and now works as a poet and playwright too. Their work includes 'Balance', their first album with their band Sound of Rum, 'Everything Speaks in its Own Way', their first collection of poems, published on their own imprint Zingaro, which comes with a CD and DVD of live performance; 'GlassHouse' Read more on Last.fm

Kelela Mizanekristos (Amharic: ከለላ ሚዛነክርስቶስ, käläla mizanäkərəsətosə; born June 4, 1983) is an American singer. A second-generation Ethiopian American and an only child, Mizanekristos was born in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1983. Growing up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she learned to play the violin in fourth grade and sang in her school's choir. In 2001, she graduated from Magruder High School. After transferring from Montgomery College to the American University Read more on Last.fm