Legacy of Sa-Ra
Artists and genres Sa-Ra directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
Jurassic 5artistJurassic 5 is an American alternative hip hop group formed by rappers Charles Stewart, Dante Givens (Akil), Courtenay Henderson, and Marc Stuart ; and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden. The six-piece crew came out of the Los Angeles venue Good Life. The group broke up in 2007, shortly after releasing the LP Feedback, citing "musical differences," but returned to the stage in 2013 and released a new track in 2014. The members have continued to release music individually.
Pharoahe MonchartistTroy Donald Jamerson, better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.
Heavy DartistDwight Arrington Myers, known professionally as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was the leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a group that included dancers/hype men G-Whiz and "Trouble" T. Roy, as well as DJ and producer Eddie F. The group maintained a sizeable audience in the United States through most of the 1990s. The five albums the group released included production mainly by Teddy Riley, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Myers's cousin Pete Rock, and "in-house" beatmaker Eddie F. Myers also released four solo albums and discovered Soul for Real and Monifah.
Bilalartist
Dr. Dreartist
Jill Scottartist
Erykah Baduartist
Frank OceanartistFrank Ocean is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. His accolades include two Grammy Awards and a Brit Award. He has been credited by several music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre.
JAY-ZartistShawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. In 2023, Billboard and Vibe ranked him as the greatest rapper of all time. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio. His music is built on a rags to riches narrative. According to Forbes, he is the wealthiest music artist in history, worth an estimated US$2.8 billion as of 2026.
John Legendartist
GoapeleartistGoapele Mohlabane is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. Her name means to move forward in Setswana, a Southern African language.
Krumbsnatchaartist
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.
Ty Dolla $ignartistTyrone William Griffin Jr., known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gained initial recognition for his guest appearance on fellow California rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year.