A production team comprising Robert Clivillés (b. New York City, New York, USA) and David Cole (b. 1963, Tennessee, USA, d. 24 January 1995, USA), who first recorded as A Black Man And A Dominican with "Do It Properly" on their own label in 1987. As …

This Pittsburgh malefemale dance duo had a huge international smash in 1990 with The Power London-based rapper Turbo B and his cousin Jackie Harris teamed on The Power with Harris curdling vocal elevating Turbo Bs pedestrian rap But by the time thing…

b. New Jersey, USA. Waters' enjoys one of the more colourful backgrounds among dance music's modern female exponents. She majored in Computer Science at Howard University. Her father was jazz musician Junior Waters, and her great-aunt Ethel Waters. I…

b. Nester Alexander Haddaway, Tobago, West Indies. A lightweight dance music artist licensed to Arista Records from his German home at Coconut/Logic Records, Haddaway scored a huge crossover hit throughout Europe with the anthemic "What Is Love" in 1…

In the spotlight since the age of four, Michael Jackson rose to fame as the lead vocalist for the Jackson Five. In the late 1970s, Jackson embarked on a solo career as a young adult with the Quincy Jones-produced OFF THE WALL. With one hit album unde…

One of this UK band's principal assets is the androgynous persona of Pete Burns (b. 5 August 1959, Port Sunlight, England; vocals) who had fronted Liverpool's Mystery Girls in 1977, then Nightmares In Wax, in which he was accompanied by Mick Reid (gu…

The first rap group with an all-woman crew, including both rappers and DJ, the 1980s successes of Salt 'N Pepa paved the way for a torrent of female hip-hop bands. Performing until the end of the 20th century, the group surprised many critics with th…

Formed in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, in 1989 by James Atkin (b. 28 March 1969, Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England; vocals), Ian Dench (b. 7 August 1964, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England; guitar/keyboards), Derry Brownson (b. …

Norman Cook's first foray into the music biz came as the bass player for 1980s UK pop/rock band the Housemartins, but once he got into the DJ world, he hung up his bass for good. As Fatboy Slim, he was at the forefront of the mid-'90s "big beat" move…

This Turin, Italy-based trio, comprising singer Jeffrey Jey (b. 1970, Sicily, Italy), keyboard player Maurizio Lobina, and DJ Gabriele Ponte, is closely associated with Massimo Gabutti's hugely successful BlissCorporation label. The trio rose to prom…

Formed in the late 80s by O-Jay (b. Olaf Jeglitza, Germany), Real McCoy are among Germany's most successful dance acts. Under the name MC Sar And The Real McCoy, his debut record, the anthemic "It's On You" (1991) became a number 1 hit in 12 countrie…

Madonna is arguably the most popular female pop singer in American musical history. Although she began her career in the late 1970s as a dancer and as drummer for new wave group the Breakfast Club, Madonna has touched upon many different styles throu…

The word "genius" may be used a little too freely when describing pop musicians, but many would have to agree that Prince is deserving of such an accolade. Since his 1978 debut album, the Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/singer has …

A house diva whose productions use live instrumentation just as much as electronics Robin S debuted with the Top Ten hit Show Me Love The Queens NY native was signed by Big Beat Records in 1993 and debuted with the hot single which climbed the charts…

The Los Angeles-based hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas has made a name for itself by taking an eclectic and organic approach to rap, R&B, and funk. Led by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Will.I.Am., the band also includes two other MCs, Apl.de.Ap. and Ta…

U.K. R&B collective Soul II Soul sprang from the same burgeoning sound-system scene of the 1980s that also spawned Massive Attack. Blending classic funk and R&B grooves with a hip-hop production sensibility and an ear to the acid-jazz explosion sweep…

The production team of CC Lemonhead Nathaniel Orange and Jay Ski Johnny McGowan met as high-school pals in Jacksonville FL Interested in the bottom-heavy sound of Miami bass the pair began producing and worked with Icy J and Three Grand before creati…

Though he is arguably pop music's most notorious punchline, former rap star Vanilla Ice remains one of the best-selling MCs of all time, thanks entirely to his 1990 Jive Records debut TO THE EXTREME and its notorious single "Ice Ice Baby." Due to dub…

Eschewing everything but the pursuit of fun, Athens, GA's B-'52s burst onto the New Wave scene in 1979. Their mix of '50s/'60s kitsch and pure pop instincts produced some classic campy tunes ("Rock Lobster," "Private Idaho"). The band's popularity hi…

Atlanta-based hip-hop duo Outkast succeeded in bringing an unorthodox rhyme style and quirky, P-Funk-influenced sound and presentation into the rap mainstream. Successful since their 1994 debut, Outkast have gotten progressively more idiosyncratic. T…