Legacy of Ryan Leslie
Artists and genres Ryan Leslie directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
Beyoncéartist
Britney Spearsartist
Chris Brownartist
DiddyartistSean John Combs, also known professionally as Diddy, is an American former rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher, among others.
FabolousartistJohn David Jackson, known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed to Clue's record label Desert Storm Records, in a joint venture with Elektra Records. He rose to further prominence with his debut studio album Ghetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n ." Adopting a further commercially-oriented approach, his second album, Street Dreams (2003), was supported by the singles "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You" —both of which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
LL Cool Jartist
Kanye Westartist
Usherartist
Cassie Venturaartist
Cheri Dennisartist
B5artist
New Editionartist
Danity Kaneartist
Boobaartist
50 CentartistCurtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive, and businessman. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, he recorded his debut album, Power of the Dollar, for Columbia Records. During a shooting in May 2000, he was struck by nine bullets, causing its release to be canceled and Jackson to be dropped from the label. His 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Detroit rapper Eminem, who signed Jackson to his label Shady Records that year.
Raphael Saadiqartist
Talib KweliartistTalib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He is one half of the hip-hop duo Black Star, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def. Their 1998 single, "Definition", entered the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded their eponymous debut album (1998), which entered the Billboard 200. The duo then began pursuing solo careers, although one further Black Star album — No Fear of Time (2022) — was released thereafter.
Miley Cyrusartist
ZAYNartistZain Javadd Malik, known professionally as Zayn Malik or simply Zayn, is an English singer. He auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition television series The X Factor in 2010, where he ended up being a part of five-piece boy band One Direction, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. He left the group in March 2015 and signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records.
BlxstartistMatthew Dean Burdette, known professionally as Blxst, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He released his debut extended play (EP), No Love Lost (2020). It spawned the single "Chosen", which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2022 single, "Die Hard" peaked at number five on the chart and remains his highest-charting song.
AmaaraeartistAma Serwah Genfi, known professionally as Amaarae, is a Ghanaian-American singer and songwriter. She is known for her fusion of pop, R&B, Afrobeats, and alté, as well as her fluid representation of gender and sexuality. After collaborating with local artists and putting out a few non-album singles, she released her debut EP, Passionfruit Summers, in 2017.