Black culture and history is so deeply intertwined with music history in America. Since the arrival of enslaved Africans to the U.S., Black people have had a hand in the evolution of music. What started off as folk tales, hymns, and work songs turned into country, rock, hip-hop, and house. Then, those genres evolved into more subgenres of music such as R&B, Gospel, and Techno. Yes, Black people started Techno which evolved from both House and Rock. The biggest and most talented names in the music industry are Black people. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé are hailed as the most awarded artists, not just “Black artists”, in history. And Black people still are a big part of music’s ever evolving industry. Here are a few Black artists from many different genres that are paving the way in the music industry. But, first let’s talk about what it means to “pave the way”.
Here’s an example. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a queer Black woman who started the blend between Gospel and Rock, which wasn’t very popular until she stepped onto the scene in the 1930s and 40s. A time where Black artists were not given much attention by a big audience due to racism and segregation. She paved the way for Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, and Elvis. Michael Jackson is another example and I don’t think he needs much of an introduction. But thanks to him we got artists like Usher, Beyoncé, and *checks notes* Offset? To “pave the way”, artists need to be able to change the way their genre or others normally sound, or they can change the way artists market or produce their music. They have to be credited with some major change or influence on the music industry that very few artists have done before them. So here’s eight artists who are making a major impact on the music industry.
Beyoncé
Queen Bey herself. Beyoncé has been in the music industry for 25 years. Some things she has accomplished in her career are (and I’ll try to summarize because there is a lot): most Grammy-awarded artist but third most awarded artist of all time, creator of the suprise-album-drop trend, the reason why artists drop music on Tuesdays, she brought back House music and honored the icons that started it, and she single-handedly saved country music, in my opinion. We also can’t for get that she was the first Black woman to headline Coachella. And, that’s just a few but if I had to write all of the ways she has changed the music industry, this article would be very long.
Tyler, The Creator
Igor, Flower Boy, Wolf Haley, and, finally, Sir Baudelaire. Tyler, the Creator has set himself so far apart from other rappers, with his use of alter egos, eras, and the way he produces and markets his music. Tyler produces and writes his own music in which he combines his own quirkiness with the traditional sounds of Hip-Hop. For example, in his album “Cherry Bomb”, he hires a whole orchestra to include in one of his songs. What rapper you know is using an orchestra to make their song? Tyler’s impact is so strong that it crosses the boundary of music and into fashion. Some of his recent fashion ventures are his brand Golf Le Fleur and his recent collab with Louis Vuitton. Also, he’s probably the only artist that can bring back loafers with white calf-length socks. There are not enough words to describe Tyler’s artistry so check out his documentary “Cherry Bomb: The Documentary” on Youtube.
SZA
2023 was really the year of SZA. After the release of her latest album, SOS, SZA established herself as a innovator. Before SZA and her album, CTRL, alternative R&B wasn’t as prevalent and traditional R&B was the main focus of listeners and artists. SZA changed the way R&B sounded. Critics name her as “one of the most innovative artists in Contemporary R&B” (NME). They credit her for the way new artists use music to tell their stories about being in their 20s and navigating their love life.
Kendrick lamar
Now, Kendrick may not be the first rapper to tell the struggles of Black people in his music, but he is one of few who does it in a poetic way that is atypical to the traditional sound of Hip-Hop. Kendrick Lamar has intertwined Jazz and Hip-Hop to beautifully tell and commentate on the tragic stories of his life, people he knows, or just Black people in general.(Political Pandora)
Megan Thee Stallion
This H-Town Hottie’s rise to fame was probably the most inspiring. Megan Thee Stallion faced a lot of challenges during her debut year such as losing her mother and grandmother, getting injured in a shootout, and drama between her and other female rappers. Yet, Megan pushed through and released a very vulnerable album called “Traumazine” where she addressed all the rumors and discussions about her life and her own mental health struggles. This album is important and trailblazing because Megan’s bravery to discuss her mental health issues to a broad audience will normalize and inspire other rappers, male and female, to do the same.
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean. We could really stop there but I’ll elaborate more on what makes this man so impactful. Frank Ocean is one of very few openly queer male artists and he changed the way R&B music sounds for men. Without Frank, we wouldn’t have Brent Faiyaz, Destin Conrad, or even SZA. Frank can be credited for the way many male R&B artists sound, the way Contemporary R&B has become an outlet for artists to tell their stories about being young and in love, and for writing some of our favorite songs like “Thinking Bout You” or “Superpower”.
Teyana Taylor
While Teyana Taylor is a great artist and makes beautiful relatable music, most of her impact has been behind the scenes. Taylor started trending on Twitter in September 2023 after some users found out that she is the mastermind behind some other talented musicians’ style and musical evolution. Taylor is not just a singer but also a music video director, choreographer, producer, song-writer, and creative director. Whew! She has worked with Lil Baby, Summer Walker, Latto, and more. Taylor express her reason for moving from the spotlight to behind the scenes of music in an interview she did with Harper’s Bazaar saying, “One of my biggest goals right now is to pour energy into these artists like Latto and Summer Walker and really be able to provide them with something that I didn’t have.” If that’s not influential, then I don’t know what is.
Pink Pantheress
Although she’s pretty early in her career, Pink Pantheress is already making waves in the music industry. The singer was discovered on TikTok and started off making music and posting it anonymously. You really just had to be there. People turned into FBI agents to figure out who was behind the account. But other than the love for a mystery, people were drawn to her unique sound that’s a bit reminiscent of the early 2000s sound and has influences from dancehall and the goth scene. Pink Pantheress also produces her music like her earlier songs such as “Pain” and “Passion”, which garnered her the fame she has today. Pink Pantheress is one artist that is definitely going very far.