POPCAAN
- In 2013, Popcaan signed with Mixpak Records and released his debut studio album, Where We Come From
- Popcaan made his acting debut in the film The Intent 2: The Come Up
- Popcaan’s breakthrough came in 2010 with “Clarks”, a collaboration with Kartel
- Popcaan’s voice was then sampled by Kanye West on Yeezus in 2013
- Popcaan’s music career spans over a decade
AYRA STARR
- Ayra Starr’s real name is Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe
- Ayra Starr chose the Arabic name, “Ayra,” meaning honorable and respected
- At the age of 10, Ayra Starr sang in a high school choir and began writing songs with her brother
- Ayra Starr attended Les Cours Sonou University and received a BA degree in international relations and political science
- Ayra Starr sings in English, Pidgin English and Yoruba
BLEU
- Bleu’s birth name is Jeremy Biddle
- Bleu is also known as Blue Vandross or Yung Bleu
- Bleu was discovered by Boosie
- Bleu is best known for his 2020 single “You’re Mines Still”
- Bleu is a 2x Grammy nominated artist
METRO BOOMIN
- Metro Boomin’s real name is Leland Tyler Wayne
- Metro Boomin began making beats when he was 13 years old
- Metro Boomin is also known as Young Metro or simply Metro
- When Metro Boomin was in high school, Metro’s mother would often drive him for over eight hours from St. Louis to Atlanta to collaborate with artists he met online
- Metro Boomin was 19 years old when he released his first mixtape called 19 & Boomin
MEGHAN TRAINOR
- Meghan Trainor began singing in church at the age of 6
- Meghan Trainor began writing her own music at the age of 11
- Meghan Trainor was actually a substitute cheerleader in high school
- Meghan Trainor turned down a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music while still in her late teens to pursue her dream of songwriting and performing.
- Meghan Trainor wrote her first original song when she was 13 titled “Give Me A Chance”
MILEY CYRUS
- Miley Ray Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus
- Miley Cyrus’ music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop, and experimental music
- Miley Cyrus founded a nonprofit called Happy Hippie Foundation
- Miley Cyrus had an uncredited cameo in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”
- Miley Cyrus’ hit single “We Can’t Stop” was originally written for Rihanna
ALICIA KEYS
- Alicia Keys’ real name is Alicia Augello Cook
- Alicia Keys started composing songs when she was 12
- Alicia Keys was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records
- Alicia Keys is a 15-time Grammy winner
- Alicia Keys’ debut album, Songs in A Minor, sold over 12 million copies worldwide and earned Keys 5 Grammy Awards in 2002
STEVE LACY
- Steve Lacy’s full name is Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya
- Steve Lacy is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer
- Steve Lacy gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet
- Steve Lacy released his self-produced debut EP, Steve Lacy’s Demo in 2017
- Steve Lacy is signed to AWAL & RCA Records
K.O
- Although he is famously known as K.O, his real name is Ntokozo Mdluli
- K.O started rapping at a young age, and while he was in high school, he participated in different cyphers
- He began his career as a member of Teargas, a South African hip hop group
- K.O’s fans also refer to him as Mr Cashtime and Skhanda Gawd
- K.O attended Vaal University of Technology where he studied a national diploma in public relations management.
CHLOE
- Chloe is best known for being one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle with her sister Halle Bailey
- In 2021, Chloe debuted as a solo artist with “Have Mercy” as the lead single from her upcoming solo debut studio album
- Chloe Bailey starred as Jazlyn “Jazz” Forster on the TV series Grown-ish after having sung the series’s theme song “Grown”
- Chloe’s biggest musical inspiration is Beyonce
NXWORRIES & ANDERSON PAAK
- NxWorries is an American music superduo consisting of recording artist Anderson .Paak and record producer Knxwledge
- NxWorries is signed to Stones Throw Records
- NxWorries was formed in 2014
- NxWorries took a six year hiatus in 2018
- Anderson Paak is of mixed African American and Korean heritage
AKA
- AKA’s music career spans over 13 years
- AKA co-founded The I.V League that signed artists such as ProKid and JR
- AKA was the first South African rapper to win the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award for Favorite South African Star
- AKA and his friends, Vice Versa and Greyhound, created the Entity hip-hop music group while they were still in high school
- AKA belonged to the Beam Group record label
COI LERAY
- Coi Leray is the daughter of rapper and media mogul Benzino, and has five brothers
- Coi Leray started out posting her music to SoundCloud
- Coi Leray is of Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean Ethnicity
- Coi Leray is well known for her sharp flow, slick delivery, and catchy hooks
- Coi Leray has a tattoo dedicated to Nicki Minaj
BRENT FAIYAZ
- Brent Faiyaz’s birth name is Christopher Brent Wood
- Brent Faiyaz is best-known as a singer and one of the members of the group ‘Sonder’
- Brent Faiyaz is 5 ft 11 in (181 cm) tall
- Brent Faiyaz started creating music when he was just 12 years old.
- In 2018, Brent Faiyaz was nominated for the Grammy Awards in the category of ‘Best Rap/Sung Performance
EBONY RILEY
- Ebony Riley was previously known as Riley Montana
- Ebony Riley has 80.6K monthly listeners on Spotify
- Before music, Ebony Riley is a nine-year veteran in the modeling industry
- Thanks to her mother and grandmother, Ebony Riley had an early musical education in gospel and ‘90s R&B
- Ebony Riley draws from her music inspirations such as Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige and Erykah Badu
LIBIANCA
- Libianca is an Cameroonian-American Singer, Songwriter and Performer
- Libianca was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and moved to Bamenda, Cameroon at the age of 4 years old
- Libianca’s full name is Libianca Kenzonkinboum Fonji
- Libianca is best known for participating in singing reality show The Voice Season 21
- Libianca’s childhood was filled with gospel, R&B, afrobeats and makossa (the amalgamation of all these genres combined)