Artists to Listen to During Black History Month
February is Black History Month in the United States. This a month to highlight, remember, and uplift Black creatives, historians, activists, and more. There are plenty of ways to celebrate Black History Month, and this week’s blog will be a dedication to big and small artists taking the music industry by storm.
Anderson .Paak
This multi-talented artist can do almost anything under the sun. He recently with Bruno Mars in the duo group Silk Sonic and has made plenty of cameos in many performances with Mac Miller and in the 2022 Superbowl Halftime. He is a rapper, drummer, producer, singer, and songwriter, constantly improving his craft almost every day.
Rico Nasty
After recently going on tour with Kehlani, this punk rock rapper from Maryland chose her rap name after being bullied throughout her school years. Currently, with 3 million listeners on Spotify and recently coming off tour with Kehlani, she is taking her new album Las Ruinas on the road in her headlining tour with Monster Energy.
Samara Joy
Speaking of GRAMMY winners, Samara Joy joins the list of talented artists to win the notorious award after this past Sunday when she won Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album. This new Jazz singer came from a family of music lovers and caught the attention of many after the phenomenal win at the 2023 GRAMMYs.
Baby Keem
Cousin of famous rapper Kendrick Lamar, Haykeem Carter is a rapper making his way to the mainstream media after his hit song ‘Family Ties’ and the release of his debut album, The Melodic Blue. After his headlining tour and supporting act on Kendrick Lamar’s tour, he is on his way to dominant and popular success.
Tkay Maizda
This singer from Australia opened for pop artists like Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa. This singer, songwriter, and rapper take control of her music on house, pop-sounding beats. Always looking for a way to create new media and music, Maizda’s recent release ‘Last Year was Weird Vol. 3’ invites different sounds to complete a cohesive and creative project.
Flo Milli
This rapper from Alabama had her career take off after her Beef FloMix song was released. Her most recent album ‘You Still Here, Ho?’ gained popularity with her single ‘Conceited’ and takes on the nostalgia of older 2000s reality television shows like ‘The Flavor of Love’.
FLO
This new girl group from London debuted with their single Cardboard Box in 2022 and has seen support ever since. They have received the Rising Star award at the BRITSs, which has been won by multiple popular artists like Adele, Jessie J, and Sam Smith. They are soon going on tour in Europe and North America with their new songs and are expected to release an album soon.
Tierra Whack
Tierra Whack is a rapper who decided to make music in 2015. Her music has been recognized by artists like 6lack, A$AP Rocky, and Melanie Martinez. She was an artist who started out battle rapping and became more motivated to be a rapper full-time. Her most recent EPs ‘Rap?’, ‘Pop?’, and ‘R&B?’ channel her creativity in exploring different genres.
Lu Kala
This Canadian singer is motivated in making her sound and voice known in the Pop genre. Recently on the new song ‘Lottery’ by Latto as a featured artist, her dreams are starting to come true with the new exposure, and is working toward becoming a new pop star who is here to stay.
Nao
Nao is an English singer-songwriter who has a dominant stance in the R&B genre. She has worked with artists like Ariana Grande and Stormzy and her album ‘Saturn’ has been nominated for multiple awards, including the Grammys. Her most recent album ‘And Then Life Was Beautiful’ has reached number one on the UK R&B Album charts.
Syd
This musician from Los Angeles uses her craft to create and sing music in plenty of genres. She has been recognized by artists like Beyonce and Pharell. After being a part of the talented music group ‘The Internet’, she released her solo album ‘Broken Hearts Club’ which gained popularity and she is now working on a new craft.
Black musical artists continue to inspire and expand their creativity in multiple ways. There are plenty of other artists beyond this list that should go recognized beyond February. To find more artists to celebrate, check out music sources like Pitchfork and NPR, as well as our Instagram post highlighting Black indie artists here