{"key":"98377","name":"Taylor McFerrin","bio":"Taylor McFerrin is a jazz\/soul\/electronic musician and producer whose first recorded appearance was as a background singer on \u201cJubilee\u201d, a song included on his father Bobby McFerrin's 1982 debut album.Moving on 3 decades, following on from a series of singles and EPs, Taylor released his amazing debut album \u2018Early Riser\u2019 on Flying Lotus\u2019 Brainfeeder imprint in 2014. The album featured guest appearances from Naipalm (Hiatus Kaiyote), Thundercat, Robert Glasper, Cesar Mariano, Marcus Gilmore and, returning a favour from 32 years prior, Bobby McFerrin.Taylor continues to tour worldwide supporting the release of his album both as a solo act, and as a duo featuring jazz drummer prodigy Marcus Gilmore. In addition to headline shows around North America, he has performed alongside artists such as Erykah Badu, The Roots, Nas and Talib Kweli.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/98377_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"21353","name":"John Legend","bio":"A member of the exclusive EGOT winners circle, including ten Grammy Award wins, singer-songwriter and producer John Legend is a multi-talented artist known for his signature vocals and songwriting style which has earned him legions of worldwide fans, along with a string of Top 10 platinum-selling albums. His albums Get Lifted (2004), Once Again (2006), and Evolver (2008) each reached #1 on the Billboard R&B\/Hip Hop charts, while his albums Love in the Future (2008) and Darkness and Light(2016) reached the top 5 on the Billboard R&B\/Hip Hop. Legend has collaborated with some of the best in the business and has written for numerous artists on bestselling recordings, including Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Kanye West. Legend's debut album, Get Lifted, earned eight Grammy nominations; won Best New Artist, Best R&B album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the song \"Ordinary People\", while selling more than three million copies worldwide. His follow-up album, Once Again, earned an RIAA platinum certification and a Grammy award for Heaven, which also won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Legend and the band The Roots released Wake Up! (2010), a compilation of music from the 60's and 70's all with an underlying theme of awareness, engagement, and social consciousness, which won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. The album is highlighted with tracks like Little Ghetto Boy by Donny Hathaway and Baby Huey and the Babysitters' Hard Times. Wake Up! also includes John's original composition Shine, which won a Grammy award for Best R&B Song and is featured in Oscar award winner Davis Guggenheim's domestic education reform documentary Waiting for Superman. Throughout his career, Legend has worked to make a difference in the lives of others. In 2007, John Legend launched the Show Me Campaign, an organization that works to break the cycle of poverty through education. In 2015, Legend launched #FREEAMERICA, a multi-year cultural change campaign focused on ending mass incarceration. He has been awarded the BET Humanitarian of the Year award, the CARE Humanitarian Award for Global Change, the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award from Africare, and the Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year Award. Legend sits on the Boards of Teach for America, Stand for Children and the Harlem Village Academies. He serves on the Advisory Council for Turnaround and is an \"IRC Voice\" for the International Rescue Committee. He was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2017 and \"Sexiest Man Alive\" by People Magazine in 2019.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/21353_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"17042","name":"Aloe Blacc","bio":"Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born 1979 in Orange County, California), better known by the stage name Aloe Blacc, is an American soul singer, rapper and musician. He began his recording career as an MC back in 1995 when he joined up with hip-hop producer Exile to form the mainstay indie rap group Emanon. Aloe released his debut solo album Shine Through on Stonethrow Records in 2006 and followed this up in 2010 with Good Things. He has also collaborated with the Cradle Orchestra under the name Bee, and they released the project Open Your Mind in 2009. His song \"I Need a Dollar\" is the intro song for the HBO show How to Make It in America. The I Need A Dollar Songfacts reports that after this retro soul track hit the charts throughout continental Europe, Blacc signed with major label Epic Records for the UK and Ireland release of the record. A few years later, Aloe would \u201cstow away\u201d on a Lootpack European tour and become fast friends with Oh No \u2013 a relationship which led to many fruitful collaborations as a solo artist.These days, Aloe Blacc has evolved into a true Renaissance man \u2013 dubbed \u201cthe indie R. Kelly\u201d by online retailer Turntable Lab. Recordings like his Latin cover of John Legend\u2019s \u201cOrdinary People\u201d prove that \u2013 not only can this multi-instrumentalist produce, rap and sing \u2013 but he can flip it in Spanish, too. With an amazingly broad set of influences ranging widely from the acoustic guitar stylings of folk artist Cat Stevens, to the soul-stirring sounds of the Negro Spirituals, Aloe prides himself on the spectrum of his musical roots. His sound often forays into the digital R&B realm, but always grooves with a tinge of Latin and the pulse of hip-hop.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/17042_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"175,000 - 300,000"}

{"key":"111469","name":"BJ The Chicago Kid","bio":"Bryan James Sledge, better known by his stage name, BJ the Chicago Kid, is a singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. BJ the Chicago Kid is best known for frequently collaborating with Top Dawg Entertainment recording artists Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Rock. He has also worked with several other prominent rappers, such as Freddie Gibbs, Warren G, Big K.R.I.T., GLC, Anderson .Paak, and Kanye West. BJ's first work in the music industry was on a Dave Hollister record in 2001, titled \"For You,\" which he co-wrote alongside Gerald Haddon. In 2006, BJ's vocals were first featured on a high-profile single -- Kanye West's \"Impossible\", which was released in promotion for the 2006 film Mission: Impossible III. In February 2012, he independently released his debut studio album, Pineapple Now-Laters. BJ the Chicago Kid subsequently secured a record deal with Motown in August 2012. The label then serviced the Pineapple Now-Laters song \"Good Luv'n\" as BJ's commercial debut single. With Motown, BJ the Chicago Kid released his debut studio album, In My Mind, in February of 2016. His third studio album, 1123, followed in July of 2019.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/111469_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"10,000 - 30,000"}

{"key":"19925","name":"Mayer Hawthorne","bio":"Mayer Hawthorne (real name Andrew Mayer Cohen) grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and vividly remembers, as a child, driving with his father and tuning the car radio in to the rich soul and jazz history the region provided. \u201cMost of the best music ever made came out of Detroit,\u201d claims the singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, who counts Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry, and Barry White among his influences, but draws the most inspiration from the music of Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield and the legendary songwriting and production trio of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland Jr.The \u201cretro\u201d tag is added to almost any contemporary work that sounds like it was originally recorded between 1966 and 1974, and Hawthorne, among the newest contributors to the genre, is aware of how trends come and go. After being introduced to Stones Throw Records label head Peanut Butter Wolf by mutual friend Noelle Scaggs of the Rebirth, even his current boss was skeptical. \u201cHe showed me two songs and I didn\u2019t understand what I was listening to,\u201d Wolf recalls. \u201cI asked him if they were old songs that he did re-edits of \u2013 I couldn\u2019t believe they were new songs and that he played all the instruments.\u201dAnd after meeting in person, it was even harder for Wolf to believe that Hawthorne was also the lead vocalist. Few expect such heartfelt sentiment to come from a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, but he has caught the ear of his family at Stones Throw, as well as BBC Radio 1 host Gilles Peterson and producer\/DJ Mark Ronson. Expectations are high for the admitted vinyl junkie who never planned on taking his crooning public. Hawthorne\u2019s hanging-by-a-string falsetto and breakbeat production on his first recorded effort, the tender \u201cJust Ain\u2019t Gonna Work Out,\u201d are simultaneously Smokey and J Dilla \u2013 equal parts \u201cThe Tracks of My Tears\u201d and \u201cFall in Love.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s soul,\u201d he explains, \u201cBut it\u2019s new.\u201dHawthorne has produced and played instruments for much of his life, but never intended to become a singer. He isn\u2019t formally trained, and never sang in a choir or in any of the bands he was in before founding the County (formerly the County Commissioners). But here he is, new school soul sensation, who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated nearly every element but himself and a few hired hands. \u201cI think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I\u2019ve signed after hearing only two songs,\u201d says Peanut Butter Wolf. \u201cSometimes, you just know it\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201dAnd for those willing to believe anything is possible, be grateful to have Mayer Hawthorne on the scene. It\u2019s not just throwback music anymore \u2013 this revival is all about progression.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/19925_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"40,000 - 75,000"}

{"key":"17485","name":"Jill Scott","bio":"Born Jill Heather Scott in the North Philly neighborhood of the City of Philadelphia, PA on April 4, 1972. She began her career as a performance poet. She was discovered by Amir \"Questlove\" Thompson of The Roots. Questlove invited her to join the band in the studios. Which resulted in the live version of \"You Got Me\" in 1999. Subsequently, she collaborated with Eric Benet, Will Smith, Lupe Fiasco, Common and broadened her performing experience by touring Canada in a production of the Broadway musical Rent. Signed to Steve McKeever's newly formed Hidden Beach Recordings label, she released her debut album Who Is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 in July 2000. The following summer she released Experience:Jil Scott 826+ after she released the single \"A Long Walk.\" Scott continued to gain more recognition, eventually earning a Grammy nomination in early 2003 for Best Female Vocal Performance for \"A Long Walk\", Jill Scott won a Grammy award at the 2005 Grammy awards for Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male or Female.Jill Scott appears in David Chappelle's Block Party performing with The Roots and Erykah Badu.Scott released a new album, entitled Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 in 2004. Her book of poetry, The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours was released in April 2005.Recently, Scott was prominently featured on hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco's 2006 single \"Daydreaming\" which also appeared on a new Scott collection called Collaborations on January 30, 2007.The Collaborations collection served as \"an appetizer\" for her next studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 released September 25, 2007. A clip of the title track was released on a bonus disc from Hidden Beach Records and included with Collaborations. The lead single \"Hate on Me\", gained airplay in May 2007 with a video released in mid-July. In advance of the album's release, Hidden Beach released a 17-minute album sampler through their forums. Interspersed between the dozen songs previewed on the sampler was a personal explanation from Jill for the inspiration behind some of her songs.Jill Scott is also an accomplished actor, appearing as detective Precious Ramotswe in the BBC's dramatisation of Alexander McCall Smith's series of books: \"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency\". Scott also appeared as \"Sheila\" in the Tyler Perrry film, \"Why Did I Get Married\" (2007) and its sequel, \"Why Did I Get Married Too\" (2010) .","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/17485_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"150,000 - 300,000"}

{"key":"21377","name":"India.Arie","bio":"India.Arie, born India Arie Simpson on October 3, 1975, in Denver, Colorado.She absorbed musical skill early in life, encouraged by both parents: her mother, Joyce, herself a former singer, and now India Arie's stylist; and her father, former ABA and NBA basketball player Ralph Simpson (not former NBA star player Ralph Sampson, as has been mistakenly reported in some media). She had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, Colorado, but her interest in the guitar while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. \"When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs,\" she said at the press release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul.Co-founding the Atlanta-based independent music collective GroovmentEarthseed (Groovement was the collective artists' name and Earthshare was their independent label name), her one-song turn on a locally released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the Lilith Fair. Their Universal Records\/Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to Motown CEO Kedar Massenburg. Sidestepping all the devices of flavor-of-the-month record-making, Acoustic Soul acquainted listeners with a brave and eloquent new voice, drawing an uncommonly broad swath of listeners from hip-hop, the so called neo-soul, blues, folk, and classic troubadour-style singer\/songwriting, all at once. The album, released in 2001, debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the R&B album chart. Within months, without the concentrated radio play that typically powers pop and rap albums, Acoustic Soul was certified double-platinum.India.Arie also features on Stevie Wonder's album A Time To Love which was released on October 18, 2005. India.Arie and Stevie Wonder duet on the title track \"A Time To Love\" that India wrote, which was nominated in the 2006 forty-eighth Grammy Awards, for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration with Vocals.On the September 2005 premiere of The Tyra Banks Show, Arie performed \"Just 4 2day\". She wrote this song especially for Tyra's show. Arie also wrote \"What About the Child\", a song that did not air but was made available as a $1 internet download to support child victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Voyage to IndiaIndia.Arie followed the success of her debut in 2002 with the release of Voyage to India. Debuting at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B chart, the album eventually earned a 2003 Grammy for Best R&B Album. The single \"Little Things\" also won a 2003 Grammy for Best Urban\/Alternative Performance. Soon after its release, Voyage to India was certified gold; and it was certified platinum on Friday 4 August 2006.Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & RelationshipIndia.Arie's third studio album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, was released on June 27, 2006. Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship gave India.Arie her first number-one on the Billboard 200 and was her second chart-topper on the U.S. R&B album chart. This album was also the first #1 album for the Motown record label in 33 years since Diana Ross's #1 Lady Sings the Blues Its first week sales of 161,000 copies is Arie's best sales week to date and was certified gold on Friday, August 4, 2006. Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics was released on Tuesday, February 10, 2009.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/21377_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"50,000 - 100,000"}

{"key":"231586","name":"Musiq Soulchild","bio":"Musiq Soulchild (born Taalib Johnson on September 16, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), is an American, neo soul and R&B artist, and was one of the most popular artists on the Def Jam\/Def Soul label. Since 2001, he has gone by simply \"Musiq\", he dropped the \"Soulchild\" from his moniker, because he said he had not mastered his craft yet, and thus was not yet \"music's soulchild\". Since 2007's \"Luvanmusiq,\" however, he has reclaimed the surname. Besides being a successful recording artist, Musiq is notable for his disregard for normal rules of capitalisation, punctuation, and spelling, as well as aussie flava which can be seen by the titles of his singles and his albums.BioMusiq Soulchild was born and raised in Philadelphia and grew up with his family\u2013including eight brothers and sister]. As a teenager, he began plans for a career in music. He released his debut album, ''Aijuswanaseing'' (read: \"I Just Want to Sing\"), in 2000, which was well-received by critics and audiences. Musiq did much of his own songwriting, and most of the record was produced and co-written by Ivan \"Orthodox\" Barias and Carvin \"Ransum\" Haggins, then of the A Touch of Jazz production company headed by Jazzy Jeff, now of Karma Productions. The singles \"Just Friends (Sunny)\", \"Love\", and \"Girl Next Door\" received exposure in America mainly on the more underground music video network, MTV2, as well as on BET. His singles also received a good amount of airplay on urban and urban contemporary radio stations.In 2002, he released his sophomore album, ''Juslisen'' (read: \"Just Listen\"), as simply ''Musiq''. He had continued urban and MTV2 success with its singles, \"halfcrazy\" and \"dontchange\", the former of which was one of the most played music videos on MTV2 in the summer of 2002 and during the year overall. Both videos also got substantial play during the year on VH1 Soul. The singles had heavily amounts of airplay on both urban and urban contemporary radio sations in 2002. He also gained exposure during that year by opening concerts for Alicia Keys.In late 2002, Musiq contributed guest vocals to \"Break You Off\", the first single from The Roots' ''Phrenology'' album. Once again, its video got heavy play on MTV2 and VH1 Soul, as well as on MTV Jams. He also appeared in Santana's song \"Nothing at All\" which is featured in his 2002 album ''Shaman''.In 2003, the singles and videos \"forthenight\" and \"whoknows\" from his third LP, ''Soulstar''. \"forthenight\" was one of VH1 Soul's most played videos of 2004, and also had a very successful run on American urban radio stations. Recently, Musiq Soulchild (who has added the \"Soulchild\" to his moniker again) has parted ways with Def Soul and has signed with Atlantic Records. A new Musiq Soulchild album is slated for a spring 2007 release. He will be making guest appearances on rapper Lloyd Banks's ''Rotten Apple'', Talib Kweli \"Eardrum\", Black Ice \"The Death of Willie Lynch\", pay tribute to Soul music legends Earth Wind and Fire and appear on the soundtrack \"Daddy's Little Girls\".Musiq Soulchild released his debut album, Aijuswanaseing (I Just Want to Sing), in 2000, which included the Billboard Hot R&B\/Hip Hop single, \"Just Friends (Sunny)\". Musiq's second single, \"Love\", spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Musiq\u2019s sophomore album, 2002's Juslisen (Just Listen), debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts and went platinum; \"Halfcrazy\" and \"Dontchange\". In 2003, Musiq released his 3rd album, Soulstar. It included the singles \"Forthenight\" and \"Whoknows\".After a four year break and changing his management to Solqi Management and his record label to Atlantic Records, in 2007, Musiq's released his fourth album Luvanmusiq (Love and Music) which included the singles \"B.U.D.D.Y.\", \"Teachme\", and \"Makeyouhappy\". His fifth album OnMyRadio was released on December 2, 2008. The lead single, \"Radio\" has posted on both Musiq's MySpace page and official website.Musiq Soulchild has had 2 platinum albums, 2 gold albums and 7 hit singles. He has received awards from Billboard, BET, ASCAP, BMI, and Soul Train. Musiq has also earned award nominations from MTV, American Music Awards, NAACP, and 9 Grammy nominations, including 3 for his 2007 album Luvanmusiq. Besides being a successful recording artist, Musiq is notable for his creative and unique way of titling his albums and songs by ignoring the rules of capitalization, punctuation and spelling.He recently performed at the Antigua & Barbuda first Romantic Rhythms Music Festival in the Caribbean which was held from June 12-15,2008 which features legendary artists such as Kenny Rogers, Brian McKnight, Lionel Richie, Keyshia Cole, Maxi Priest, Destra, Heather Headly, Shaggy and many other local artist from the island including The Burning Flames.He has also made guest appearances on rapper Lloyd Banks's album Rotten Apple, Talib Kweli's Eardrum, The Roots's Phrenology (album), Black Ice's The Death of Willie Lynch and pays tribute to soul music legends Earth Wind and Fire, appearing on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry's movie Daddy's Little Girls. And Ice Cube announced that Musiq will appear on his upcoming album, Raw Footage. He also lent a song from his latest album Luvanmusiq to the soundtrack for Perry's later movie Why Did I Get Married?. He then recorded a remake of Arrested Development's song \"People Everyday\" with British rapper Estelle for the soundtrack to Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns entitled \"People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)\".Outside of music, he has been featured in television and print ads for McDonald's, Nike, Inc., Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss & Co. and The Gap. He also made a special appearance in The CW's #1 comedy The Game on Monday, October 29, 2007.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/231586_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"21378","name":"Raphael Saadiq","bio":"Raphael Saadiq (born Charlie Ray Wiggins on May 14, 1966 in Oakland, California) is an acclaimed American music artist. He is a singer, songwriter and record producer associated with the neo-soul music movement.Saadiq made a name for himself as the lead vocalist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Ton\u00e9!. He went by his birth name during the beginning of Tony! Toni! Ton\u00e9!, where he was joined by his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian. He adopted the name of Raphael Saadiq in the mid-1990s.After the 1996 Tony! Toni! Ton\u00e9! album, House of Music, (when he performed under his current name) Saadiq started his solo career. He produced a few solo tracks, but Saadiq's next big project became the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl. He recorded the self-titled album with Dawn Robinson (En Vogue) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest). This group only lasted for one album. His solo album Instant Vintage, released in 2002, also earned 5 Grammy nominations.Saadiq released his third solo album, The Way I See It, on September 16 2008, featuring collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone. Saadiq acknowledges the album's old school soul sound, which he says includes nods to Gladys Knight & The Pips, Al Green, The Four Tops, The Delfonics and The Stylistics.Various artists have tapped Saadiq to produce their work through the years. Some of Saadiq's most notable work has been with D'Angelo. The 2000 collaboration \"Untitled\" won D'Angelo a Grammy award for Best R&B Album. In 2007, Saadiq was called on to produce the whole third album from UK Soul singer Joss Stone. Other artists he has collaborated with include The Roots, Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg, Kelis, Q-Tip and Young Bellz.In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment. Among the artists on the label are Joi and Truth Hurts.Saadiq has been playing music since the age of six. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, he played bass at church and school. He also enjoyed his on-stage moments at various local events of his hometown.http:\/\/vimeo.com\/3020000","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/21378_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"50,000 - 100,000"}