Oldies
The 1980 hit “Never Knew Love Like This Before” won two Grammys for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Which artist recorded it?
Stephanie Mills
Which song featured on Frank Ocean’s 2016 album Blonde, features background vocals from Beyoncé?
Pink + White
Beyoncé made history at the 2016 MTV VMAs by winning Video of the Year for which politically charged song from her Lemonade album?
Formation
What was the title of A$AP Rocky’s 2011 debut mixtape, which included “Peso”, “Purple Swag”, and production from Clams Casino?
LIVE.LOVE.A$AP
Before becoming a chart-topping solo artist, Ne-Yo wrote which 2004 hit single for Mario that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?
“Let Me Love You”
When Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in the ’90s, what did confused media outlets have to call him instead?
“The Artist Formerly Known As Prince”
Janet Jackson’s “Got ’Til It’s Gone” (1997) samples which Joni Mitchell track almost verbatim in its chorus?
Big Yellow Taxi
What 1994 Mary J. Blige album, executive produced by Sean “Puffy” Combs, solidified her title as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”?
My Life
Wale’s More About Nothing mixtape (2010) famously sampled what 1990s TV show throughout the project — including in the intro and on tracks like “The Soup”?
Seinfeld
What Atlanta group is credited with starting the snap music movement, thanks to their 2003 hit “Laffy Taffy” and heavy use of finger snaps instead of claps?
D4L
Which group served as musical consultants and performers for the 1999 film The Five Heartbeats and its real-life member’s stage presence was said to inspire the character Eddie King Jr.?
The Dells, Marvin Junior
Since its 1982 release, this song has been sampled extensively in R&B and hip-hop songs, most notably by the Mary Jane Girls song "All Night Long", LL Cool J’s Around The Way Girl, and Love No Limit by Mary J. Blige.
Risin to the Top by Keni Burke
D’Angelo’s 1995 debut Brown Sugar is often credited with launching neo-soul. However, which lesser-known UK-based soul singer released an album in 1993 that some critics argue predates the genre’s U.S. breakthrough?
Lewis Taylor – “Lewis Taylor” (1996 in the U.S., but 1993 in the UK)
In 2010, Curren$y dropped a mixtape produced entirely by Ski Beatz, recorded at Dame Dash’s Creative Control studio in NYC. What was the project called?
Pilot Talk
Huey dropped a 2006 anthem that had clubs yelling “Pop, lock, and drop it!” — but what city was he representing?
St. Louis
Which Smokey Robinson album from 1975 not only gave us the song with this title, but also inspired an entire late-night radio format named after it?
A Quiet Storm
Before Channel Orange, Frank Ocean released several songs to Tumblr. Which track from this era includes the lyric “I believe in heaven, I believe in war” and eventually ended up on Nostalgia, Ultra?
We All Try
What Stevie Wonder album, released in 1976, featured the tracks “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Isn’t She Lovely” — and was originally packaged as a double LP with a bonus 7-inch record?
Songs in the Key of Life
Which 2011 mixtape by Big K.R.I.T. is often considered his magnum opus of the era — blending Southern rap with soulful production, featuring tracks like “Dreamin’”, “Rotation”, and “The Vent”?
Return of 4Eva
Soulja Boy’s breakout “Crank That” (2007) was recorded on which free home computer software before going viral?
FL Studio (formerly FruityLoops)
Before he became a rock legend, which guitarist played on The Isley Brothers’ 1964 single “Testify”and toured with them briefly?
Jimi Hendrix
Joey Bada$$ made a splash with his 2012 tape 1999. Which late legendary producer — known for working with Big L and A Tribe Called Quest — had multiple beats featured posthumously on that project?
J Dilla
In 2015, Kendrick Lamar won a Grammy for Best Rap Album with To Pimp a Butterfly. Which jazz musician, known for his work with the West Coast Get Down collective, played a major role in shaping the album’s experimental sound?
Kamasi Washington
The Cool Kids helped define the blog era’s retro style with minimalist beats and BMX bike bars. What was the name of their 2008–2010 delayed-but-hyped debut album that eventually dropped in 2011?
When Fish Ride Bicycles
What is the name of the rap group that created the 2009 song Swag Surfin?
Fast Life Youngstaz