R&B crooner Ginuwine has modeled his career after musical heroes Prince and Michael Jackson, and has covered tunes by both artists. However, where those performers have rock leanings, Ginuwine has rooted himself in smooth contemporary R&B with a heal…

b. Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This US modern R&B singer earned immediate comparisons to fellow Midwest native R. Kelly when he made his initial breakthrough in 2000 with the hit single "Separated". Raised in Cleveland, Avant began singing in church but fi…

If you're looking for the perfect music to cap a romantic evening or, for that matter, get one started, slow-jam master R. Kelly might just do the trick. Whether he's turning out heart-on-sleeve love ballads (the R. Kelly-penned Michael Jackson 1995 …

Arriving on the heels of big sisterRB star Brandy rapper Ray J parlayed his success on television into a music career at the age of 14 Born in McComb MS Ray Js family moved to Carson CA when he was still a toddler landing him in the center of the ent…

Comprising Gary "Big G" Glenn, Gary "Little G" Jenkins, Jonathan Rasboro, Jimmy Gates Jnr. and Timothy Cameron, R&B vocal group Silk formed in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in the early 90s. Their 1992 debut album, Lose Control, was a smooth collection of r…

b. 22 May 1973, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Edward Ferrell of Untouchables Entertainment discovered this talented singer-songwriter at the Black Radio Exclusive Conference in Washington, DC. The ex-Heavy D associate helped Jones sign a deal with LaFace R…

A member of ImmatureIMx Marques Batman Houston debuted as a solo artist in 2003 with MH Interscope Since joining Immature as a young adolescent in the early 90s Houston has crossed over into television as a recurring cast member of Sister Sister and …

Urban R&B outfit Dru Hill took their name from the historic Druid Hill Park complex in Baltimore, USA, where all four members were raised. They began their rise to fame in the mid-90s, largely through the intervention of Island Records' Hiriam Hicks …

Jamie Foxx is best known for his film and television roles, most notably his Oscar-winning turn as Ray Charles in the biopic RAY. More than simply a lip-syncher in the movies, however, Foxx released a debut album of slowjam R&B in 1994, though to li…

Born in Mississippi but raised in Atlanta smooth RB crooner Bobby Valentino had a hard time convincing his skeptical parents that the music business was the place for him When the 16-year-old Valentino -- who was then known by his real name Bobby Wil…

b. Austin, Texas, USA. R&B vocalist Ciara enjoyed immediate commercial success when her debut "Goodies', climbed up the US charts to reach the peak position in September 2004. As a child of a military family, Ciara spent an itinerant childhood moving…

b. Jonathan David Buck, 11 November 1974, Rhode Island, USA. This Los Angeles, California, USA-based R&B vocalist and multi-instrumentalist is also an established producer and songwriter. Buck comes from a musical family; his father is a professor of…

Acronym for Sisters With Voices, these "ghetto sisters" from Brooklyn and the Bronx, New York, comprised the talents of Coko (b. Cheryl Gamble), Taj (b. Tamara Johnson) and Lelee (b. Leanne Lyons). Shaped by swingbeat producer Teddy Riley to reflect …

Hailing from Chattanooga, TN, Usher Raymond (best known by his given name) emerged in the '90s as a young R&B singer full of promise. The stars must have been aligned correctly for him, as he snagged Puffy Combs as a producer for his eponymous 1994 d…

Sean "Puffy" Combs, as the head of his own record company (Bad Boy), helped launch the career of the boy band 112. Unlike most of the other artists on Bad Boy, 112 have an image was the complete opposite of tough guy gangsta rappers--both their music…

b. Nivea Hamilton, 24 March 1982, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This multi-talented urban diva broke into the US charts in late 2002 with the highly catchy "Don't Mess With My Man". Nivea followed the typical route to success of American soul singers, perfo…

One of the more real urban songstresses out there in the mid-2000s Keyshia Cole worked her way up the industry ladder diligently yet quickly making her major-label debut in 2004 at age 21 Born on the other side of the California Bay -- the often toug…

The name translates literally as "Barking Dog", a fitting title for Japan's finest exponents of melodic heavy metal. Formed in 1976, the band comprised Kyoji Yamamoto (vocals/guitar), Mitsuhiro Saito (vocals/guitar), Kenji Sano (bass) and Toshiri Nii…

With her multi-octave voice and more than 80 million records sold worldwide, it's no surprise that pop diva Mariah Carey is viewed as the successor to Whitney Houston. She emerged as the premier R&B/pop songstress of the 1990s, and by the end of the …