Notable Women
Sasha Fierce
Beyoncé's Halo
"The King of Pop"
Michael Jackson's Beat It
He became blind from glaucoma at the age of 6.
Ray Charles' Hit the Road Jack
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams
Destiny's Child's Say My Name
This singer said ‘kumbaya moments’ are not enough for better race relations
Kirk Franklin's Revolution
Her mother was also an accomplished singer, doing backup vocals for artists like Elvis and Aretha Franklin
Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody
This Jamaican born writes about growing up poor and biracial
Bob Marley & The Wailers' Three Little Birds
In this song, she describes horrors of Jim Crow-era lynching
Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit
His song became an anthem for strong and independent women
Ne-Yo's Miss Independent
She sang and grew up with a father who launched and Pastored their family church
She was looking for appreciation
(Also Ms. Amy used to live in the same building as her!)
Aretha Franklin (R.E.S.P.E.C.T.)
This royal wrote songs for other artists such as "Manic Monday," "I Feel For You," and "Nothing Compares 2 U"
Prince's Purple Rain
She wrote this song in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Nina Simone's Why? (The King of Love is Dead)
She's open about her mental health, stating “Sometimes when I’m in those situations, it makes me more anxious, because I’m like, ‘D***, they’re about to judge me for being a b****, or quiet, or looking rude,’"
SZA's Snooze
This Chicago-area native once described his writing process by stating, “I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t seem to find a melody.”
Brian Courtney Wilson's Worth Fighting For
She became the first woman to win five Grammy Awards in a single year
Ms. Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop (That Thing)
He is considered the greatest electric guitarist ever
Jimi Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower
He described his view of civil rights by saying "if jazz means anything, it is freedom of expression."
Duke Ellington's Take the "A" Train
When asked why he spend so much time focusing on penal reform, he replied "That's part of me not forgetting where I come from, and remembering how the criminal punishment system has affected so many people in my family, people in my neighborhood,"
John Legend's Ordinary People
These sisters have the same married names by coincidence!
Mary Mary's Shackles (Praise You)
(Erica Campbell and Trecina Campbell)
After her mother passed, she dropped out of school and began "running numbers" or selling tickets for an illegal, Mafia-run lottery before being sent to an institution
Ella Fitzgerald's It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
He first received musical training in Juvie!
Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World
In 1935, he formed this group, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording
Count Basie's Fly Me to the Moon
This bisexual artist's name is an acronym spelling out her moral code
Kaash Paige's Love Songs
(Kill All Arrogance Stop Hatred)
Described as the "Pastor of Hip Hop," he was raised in an ultra religious household and was forbade from activities like dancing and watching movies
Hezekiah Walker's Every Praise