CHECK OUT THESE ARTISTS FOR BLACK HISTORY AND FUTURES MONTH

I don’t know about you, but I’m always searching for new artists to listen to, especially ones from marginalized communities. Now that we are in the peak of Black History Month, it’s crucial to start reserving a space for these important voices who are never shown in mainstream media. 

It should be pointed out that we shouldn’t only be streaming and supporting these artists during Black History and Futures Month, but instead we should be doing it all year round or just in general.

So, I put together this list of artists that I’ve been listening to for a while, who have unique sounds with different vibes and are built for diverse moods that I highly recommend listening to. I hope you get to check them out if you’ve never heard of them before! 

COCO JONES

You probably know Coco Jones from Let it Shine on Disney Channel (you’re a real one if you know this movie). She is a singer-songwriter and an actress who is known for her most recent role as Hilary Banks in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot on Peacock. Recently, she also became a Grammy winner for Best R&B performance. 

Coco Jones also has many collaborations under her belt such as with Tyler James Williams from Abbott Elementary, Justin Timberlake, Reneé Rapp from the Mean Girls musical, and Leon Thomas III most famously known for Victorious! 

“You See Me,” her recent single, is an original song for the adaptation of The Color Purple with Oprah Winfrey as a producer and a stellar cast of Black actors such as Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Ciara, Whoopi Goldberg, and many more.

If you’re looking for R&B and Pop vibes, although she doesn’t have a big discography, her album What I Didn’t Tell You is a good place to start. Also, her collaboration with Leon Thomas III, “Until the End of Time,” is not talked about enough so make sure to check it out! Yes, it’s the best Disney and Nickelodeon crossover you’ll ever listen to. The vocals in this song are just heavenly.

Vibes: Early 2010’s R&B.

LEON THOMAS III

Here is a familiar face! You probably know him as Andre Harris from Nickelodeon’s Victorious. He gave us many bangers in the show by actually producing some of the songs like “Tell Me That You Love Me” which could very well be considered his early stages of production. 

Now, Leon Thomas III is a songwriter, singer, actor, and a record producer for artists like Ariana Grande, Drake, SZA, Ty Dolla $ign, Kehlani, Post Malone, and many other well known artists. You’ve heard “Snooze” by SZA, right? Those midnight drive beats are all thanks to him. He is also a new Grammy award winner for Best R&B song for, you guessed it, “Snooze.” 

Leon Thomas III released his second album in 2023 called Electric Dusk (such a cool name). The songs I recommend from the album are “Crash & Burn” and “Treasure In The Hills.”

Vibes: The type of music you should listen to when you want to chill alone in your room with your headphones on and disconnect for a bit.

STEVE LACY

Two words. “Bad Habit.” That’s it. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. 

But seriously, Steve Lacy has been racking up some feel good tracks lately such as “Dark Red” and “Just A Stranger” ft. Kali Uchis. If you’re looking to stray a bit from the R&B genre and more into indie territory, Steve Lacy is one of the best choices you’ll find. Do you like Wallows? Kali Uchis? Frank Ocean? This is the guy for you. 

Steve Lacy is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer from California who used to be a part of the band The Internet. He collaborates with many other alternative and indie artists who you would not expect to mix well with his sound. I highly suggest listening to his songs with Ravyn Lenae called “Computer Luv,” “Basement Jack,” and “Mercury” to get you started with his music. 

Vibes: For walking around campus with headphones on and feeling cool. Definitely the type of music you’d hear live at a bar while lounging around with friends. 

FLO

First time I heard Flo, I instantly fell in love. “Not My Job” was the first song I listened to, which I highly recommend if you want a The Cheetah Girls feel with Little Mix vocals. Other amazing songs by them that I think you should check out are “Summertime” and “Feature Me.” 

Flo is a British girl group formed in 2019 and consists of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer. The group gained popularity on social media with their debut single “Cardboard Box,” which they released in 2022. They have a collaboration with Missy Elliot called “Fly Girl.” So far, all they have released are singles. 

Vibes: For dancing in the shower or getting ready for a girl’s night. 

AYRA STARR

Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Beninese-born Nigerian singer who focuses on Afrobeats and R&B. “Rush,” one of her most famous songs, is perfect for when you’re in the mood to dance. 

She has a collaboration with David Guetta named “FU” featuring Lil Durk. With Ayra Starr, be prepared to move your hips and lose yourself in the music. I just recently started listening to her so I don’t have much to say about her music, but I recommend her if you’re into Brazilian funk. She has released one album so far called 19 & Dangerous. 

Vibes: For dancing with your friends at night.

TAI VERDES

I could not write this list without mentioning one of my favorite artists ever. The only way to describe Tai Verdes is chill, happy vibes. “Let’s go to Hell” and “last day on earth” have fun, upbeat indie rhythms with deeper meanings if you take a second to analyze them a bit. His songs will definitely make you question what you would do if it was your last day on earth.

Tai Verdes is an American singer and songwriter from California who plays the guitar, ukulele, and piano. One of his most famous songs, “Stuck In The Middle,” went viral on TikTok in June 2020. Soon, he will be releasing his third studio album titled 4K. 

Disclaimer: some of his songs mention drug use.

Vibes: Chilling with your friends on the couch while talking about the little things or while playing cards. Listened to Tai Verdes while playing Raitrú (a game like Cards Against Humanity) and it was great! 

CHUWI

“Tikiri.” Need I say more?

Chuwi was recommended to me recently and, each time I’m in a bad mood, they never fail to cheer me up with their funky, Puerto Rican slang filled music. If you want to listen to some good drums and amazing vocals, Chuwi is the perfect boricua group to dance to.

The line: “Pa’ eso digo tikiri marikiri de dos tingüe,” from “Tikiri” gets me every time. Other songs that are worth a listen are “Rico y Pico” and “Tierra.” 

Vibes: For going to a café and studying. 

HONORABLE MENTION

Although their streaming platforms have not been completely updated, if you’re in Puerto Rico, you cannot miss a performance by Hanzen & Ralex from Imbuyé. They’re a group who sing traditional Puerto Rican music like bomba with a modern twist of reguetón. 

They usually post on social media where they are going to perform and go around the island to play at different festivals. If you’re interested in seeing their style, check out this video on their official channel. 

Vibes: When you want to feel the rhythm of the drums.

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