Roots of Angie Stone

The Sequence was an American hip hop group formed in Columbia, South Carolina in 1979, that comprised Angie B., Blondy, and Cheryl the Pearl. The group rose to fame with the single, "Funk You Up" (1979), which was the first rap hit performed by women and one of the first commercially successful hip hop singles. Their debut album, Sugar Hill Presents The Sequence (1980), was released on Sugar Hill Records and was the first hip hop record on vinyl released by an all-female act.

Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, record producer, rapper and bass guitarist, best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998 before disbanding; their final album was released in 2016. He was also a member of the R&B group Lucy Pearl, and is known in recent years for his jazz collaborations with producer Adrian Younge.

Michael Eugene Archer, better known by his stage name D'Angelo, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Widely regarded as a pioneer of the neo-soul movement, Billboard named him one of the greatest R&B artists, while Rolling Stone ranked him as one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2025, he was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Gerald Edward Levert was an American singer-songwriter and producer. The son of singer Eddie Levert, he formed the R&B vocal group LeVert alongside his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon. He was also a member of the supergroup LSG, along with Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill. Levert is often credited with the discovery of R&B groups The Rude Boys, Men at Large, and 1 of the Girls. He released nine solo albums, and posthumously won a Grammy Award. In 2013, he was a part of the inaugural National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame inductees.

Aileen Nicole Coleman-Mullen, known professionally as Nicole C. Mullen, is an American singer, songwriter, and choreographer. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kelly Cherelle Price is an American R&B and gospel singer and songwriter. Beginning her career in 1992, Price originally performed backing vocals for Mariah Carey on multiple songs, including Carey's Billboard Hot 100-number one singles "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and "Fantasy." Price rose to wider prominence in 1997 following her uncredited performances on the number-one single "Mo Money Mo Problems" by the Notorious B.I.G. and the top-five single "Feel So Good" by Mase, prompting her to record as a lead artist. Her debut studio album, Soul of a Woman (1998), received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); its lead single, "Friend of Mine" peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.