Roots of Lalah Hathaway

Donald Lawrence is an American gospel music songwriter, record producer, composer, singer, and music arranger. He is best known for the songs he had created, in which had been known for their the blend of several genres and genre-influences. In the 2000s, his Grammy Award-nominated songs "The Blessing of Abraham" and "Encourage Yourself," became few of the most known "staples." He owns the record label, QuietWater Entertainment.

Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations.

Terrace Jamahl Martin is an American musician, rapper, singer, and record producer. He is perhaps best known for producing records for several prominent artists in the music industry, including Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, the Game, Busta Rhymes, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Wilson, Raphael Saadiq and YG, among others. Martin is a multi-instrumentalist whose music production embodies funk, jazz, classical and soul. Martin released his sixth studio album, Velvet Portraits, on his label, Sounds of Crenshaw Records, through Ropeadope Records.

Moonchild is an American alternative R&B band based in Los Angeles, California, consisting of Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk. The band is known for blending elements of jazz, R&B, and electronic music.

Snarky Puppy is an American jazz fusion band led by bassist Michael League. Founded in 2004, Snarky Puppy combines a variety of jazz idioms, rock, world music, and funk and has won five Grammy Awards. Although the band has worked with vocalists, League described Snarky Puppy as "a pop band that improvises a lot, without vocals".

Mother's Finest is an American funk rock band, first formed in 1970 and led by the married vocal duo of Joyce "Baby Jean" Kennedy and Glenn "Doc" Murdock. Described by Classic Rock magazine as "Sly and The Family Stone-meets-Led Zeppelin," the band gained notice in the 1970s for their interracial membership and energetic live performances opening for both funk and rock bands. While the band did not find mainstream success during their heyday, they earned belated praise as a formative influence on later bands that combined funk and rock music, such as Living Colour and Red Hot Chili Peppers. They have also been noted as originators of funk metal.

Nao Yoshioka is a soul singer and songwriter from Osaka, Japan, now based in Tokyo.

Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte, is an American rapper, singer, producer, actor, and voice over artist. He is a member of the North Carolina hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother and one-half of the duo The Foreign Exchange. His music spans multiple genres including R&B, hip-hop, house and electronic music.

Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations.

Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who Rolling Stone described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include "The Ghetto", "This Christmas", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "Little Ghetto Boy". Hathaway is also renowned for his renditions of "A Song for You", "For All We Know", "Jealous Guy" and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", along with "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of many collaborations with Roberta Flack. He has been inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame and won one Grammy Award from four nominations. Hathaway was also posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Dutch director David Kleijwegt made a documentary called Mister Soul – A Story About Donny Hathaway, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on January 28, 2020.

The Emotions are an American female vocal group from Chicago, Illinois, who achieved mainstream success during the 1970s. The original lineup comprised sisters Wanda Hutchinson, Sheila Hutchinson, and Jeanette Hutchinson. The group debuted on Volt Records with the release of their top-ten R&B single "So I Can Love You" in 1968. Following the decline of Volt Records and its parent company, Stax Records, the group transitioned to Columbia Records in 1975.