Legacy of Francis and the Lights
Artists and genres Francis and the Lights directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
Drakeartist
Lyrics BornartistTsutomu William "Tom" Shimura, better known by his stage name Lyrics Born, is a Japanese-American rapper, singer, and producer. He is one half of the duo Latyrx with Lateef the Truthspeaker.
Das Racistartist
Kathleen Edwardsartist
Chance the Rapperartist
Jeremihartist
Cashmere Catartist
The Weekndartist
Kool A.D.artistVictor Vazquez, also known by his stage name Kool A.D., is an American rapper, record producer, author, and artist. He is from the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Vazquez is best known for being a member of the New York-based rap group Das Racist, though he has also been a member of the bands Boy Crisis and Party Animal. Vazquez has also released his own solo material, including numerous mixtapes. Mother Jones magazine described his work as "a thoughtful effort to deconstruct and rearrange cultural objects in ways that challenge our deepest assumptions about society and cultural products".
Kanye Westartist
KIDS SEE GHOSTSartistKids See Ghosts were an American hip-hop superduo composed of rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Formed during West's 2018 Wyoming sessions, the duo's only album, Kids See Ghosts, was released in June of that year by Def Jam Recordings, along with their respective label imprints, GOOD Music and Wicked Awesome Records. A critical and commercial success, the album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Despite a planned sequel and television series, the duo disbanded in 2022 due to personal disagreements, and Cudi ended his affiliation with West in 2025.
Pusha TartistTerrence LeVarr Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother Malice. Established in 1994, the duo were discovered by Pharrell Williams and signed with his record label Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Arista Records, in 2001. They initially released three studio albums—Lord Willin' (2002), Hell Hath No Fury (2006) and Til the Casket Drops (2009)—to mild commercial success; the former spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Grindin'" and "When the Last Time", for which they became best known.
benny blancoartistBenjamin Joseph Levin, known professionally as Benny Blanco, is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Blanco has also won five BMI Songwriter of the Year Awards, won the 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award, and received eleven Grammy Award nominations.
- 2 Chainzartist
Marsha Ambrosiusartist
Banksartist
Kacy HillartistKacy Anne Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and former model. She is best known for her guest appearance on Travis Scott's 2015 single "90210", which received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
AbelartistAbel Tesfaye, known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Regarded as an influential figure in popular music, he is known for his light-lyric tenor vocal range and falsetto, alternative R&B sound, and dark aesthetics, as well as the cinematic visuals and storytelling of his music videos. His accolades include 4 Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, and a Latin Grammy Award.
DayglowartistSloan Christian Struble is an American rock music singer, songwriter, and producer from Aledo, Texas. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band and indie pop project Dayglow. Dayglow released its debut album, Fuzzybrain, on September 28, 2018. Dayglow performing members include bassist Peyton Harrington, drummer Brady Knippa, keyboardist Norrie Swofford, guitarist Colin Crawford, and in the past have included guitarist Nate Davis, drummer Reece Myers, keyboardist Nico Fennell, bassist Eric Loop, and saxophonist Marshall Lowry.
WeekendartistAbel Tesfaye, known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Regarded as an influential figure in popular music, he is known for his light-lyric tenor vocal range and falsetto, alternative R&B sound, and dark aesthetics, as well as the cinematic visuals and storytelling of his music videos. His accolades include 4 Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, and a Latin Grammy Award.
Sunday Service ChoirartistThe Sunday Service Choir is an American gospel group led by rapper Kanye West and conducted by choir director Jason White. Beginning in January 2019, and initially produced by Jack and Michael Skolnick, the group has performed every Sunday as well as on Friday, September 27, when West's album Jesus Is King was announced for release. Their debut album, Jesus Is Born (2019), was released three months later on Christmas Day. In 2025, the group's official website has been deactivated, and its status is in question.