Celebrate Black Music Month With These Iconic Black Artists

Black music has always played a major part in the history of America. Many American genres that have existed through time have black roots tied to them. Many genres were also created by black musicians. Some genres include blues, rock, gospel, country, R&B, rap, etc. Black music is about embracing traditions and storytelling.

Black Music Month became what it is today in June 1979, when President Jimmy Carter thought black music deserved its flowers. Here at The Honey POP!, we want to celebrate the month by giving you a list of artists that we find iconic. The list below is a mixture of old-school artists who are icons and new-school artists.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson is more than Michael Jackson’s or The Jackson 5’s little sister, and she’s proved that from the beginning of her career. She first sang in front of others when she performed with her sisters at a casino. Shortly after that, she got a taste of acting, acting alongside her brothers in The Jacksons and Diff’rent Strokes. When Janet was only 16, she recorded and released her first album, Janet Jackson. From there, she would go on to create more albums and become the icon everyone knows today.

Janet Jackson’s discography runs long. Her music spreads across several genres, including R&B, pop, dance, new Jack City, funk, hip hop, and rock. Common themes in her songs include self-expression, sexuality, and taking control over different aspects of her life. To this day, she’s released eleven studio albums, fifty-two music videos, two remix albums, and four compilation albums. She has inspired many throughout the decades, and working hard is one thing she knows how to do.

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Lenny Kravitz

When you think of black rock artists, Lenny Kravitz comes to mind. He is another music artist who comes from a celebrity background. However, like Janet Jackson, he didn’t let that define who he was or wanted to become. He released his first album, Let Love Rule, in 1989 at 26. He started finding massive success when a certain icon in her own right covered one of his songs. Who was the icon? Madonna. And the song? ‘Justify My Love.’

Lenny Kravitz might be a rock star, but his music also includes elements of genres like R&B, soul, and funk. Some themes in his music include love, faith, and escaping. To his name, Lenny Kravitz has twelve studio albums, fifty-four music videos, five compilation albums, three live albums, and so much more. Like many icons, Lenny has inspired many. SAINt JHN and N.E.R.D are two of many.

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TLC

The 1990s were a big deal when it came to girl groups. There were many groups, but the one we felt stood out the most was TLC. TLC consisted of T-Boz, the late great Left Eye, and Chili. They were formed in the early 00s and released their debut album, Ooh… On the TLC Tip, in 1992. Their first song and video, ‘Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg’, showcased what people could expect to get from them from the jump. T-Boz and Chili came with the lead and secondary vocals, respectively, while Left Eye showcased her rapping skills. Each member took part in the background vocals alongside the dancing.

TLC music ranges from R&B to pop, soul, and hip-hop. The main theme that can be found in their music is female empowerment. However, it doesn’t stop there. Other themes in TLC’s music include safe sex, body image, sisterhood, heartache, and love. Safe sex was promoted a lot in their early careers, with them wearing condoms on their clothes and Left Eye occasionally wearing a condom on her left eye. During TLC’s career, they released five studio albums, twenty-four music videos, and thirteen compilation albums.

Sadly, in April 2002, tragedy struck the group when Left Eye passed away. T-Boz and Chili didn’t let that stop them. They went on to release a new music video, followed by a new album a few months later. T-Boz and Chili would later release what would be their final album, TLC, in 2017. TLC has made a lot of impact in the music world, and those they’ve inspired are endless, from other groups to solo artists. To name a few, they’ve inspired Destiny’s Child, the Spice Girls, Kehlani, Solange, and Tinashe. 

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André 3000

André 3000 has been around for a few decades now. He got his start in the hip-hop duo Outkast in the early 90s. The first album that was released was titled Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. From the jump, it was noticeable that André 3000 had what it takes to be a star. In our opinion, his standout songs as a rapper include ‘Ms. Jackson’ and ‘Hey Ya’. André 3000 eventually decided that he wanted to take a break from music, and when he made his return, he began doing features on other artists’ songs, from Beyonce to Anderson.Paak.

In 2023, André 3000 released his debut album, New Blue Sun, an instrumental album that showcases his ability and love for playing instruments. The instrument that’s front and center throughout the album is the flute. While it’s a massive switch from André 3000, we love that André 3000 is making music that feels like him and makes him happy. As the first song on his solo album says, ‘I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time’.

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Mickey Guyton

Black country artists tend to be overlooked. Mickey Guyton refuses to go unnoticed. She stepped onto the music scene in 2014 and has already made waves and a name for herself. The first music project that Mickey released was an EP titled Unbreakable. It wasn’t until 2021 that she released her debut album, Remember Her Name.

While Mickey Guyton’s music is classified as country, she isn’t afraid to sprinkle some R&B and pop into the mix. The themes you hear when listening to her music range from country life to empowerment, relationships, and equality. As of June 2024, she’s released one studio album, nine music videos, and four EPs. Mickey Guyton’s musical influences include Whitney Houston, BeBe & CeCe Winans, to name a few. We’re sure this is only the beginning, with more to come. Fingers crossed.

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Khamari

Khamari is possibly one of our more recent artists who has risen to the scene on the list. He made his debut with his EP, Eldorado, in May 2020. Khamari is not only a singer. He’s also known to produce, play instruments, and write songs.

His music genre is classified as R&B, but he mixes rock and pop elements into the mixture. Themes included in his music are jealousy, loneliness, and everyday life. So far, Khamari has released one studio album, three videos, and an EP. His influences include the Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone, and Steve Wonder. We here at THP see a bright future coming Khamari’s way.

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H.E.R.

R&B singer, guitarist, and songwriter are things to describe H.E.R.. If you’re curious what H.E.R. stands for, the acronym means Having Everything Revealed. Her music shows she isn’t afraid to reveal or speak about anything and everything. She got her start in the world of music when she was ten years old. The first time was on the Today Show, and the second was an appearance at the Apollo Theater. The first single H.E.R. released was a song called ‘Something to Prove’, under her real name when she was fourteen. In 2016, she dropped H.E.R. Vol. 1, her debut EP, under a stage name she found fitting.

If you want to be exact, H.E.R. is a contemporary R&B artist. She sings about various themes. Some themes she likes to sing about are empowerment, self-confidence, feminism, equal rights, and we could go on. As of June 2024, she’s released one studio album, fifteen music videos, five EPs, and compilation albums. H.E.R. has been influenced by many. Some notable artists she’s been influenced by are Lenny Kravitz, B.B. King, Mary J. Blige, and Prince.

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Dax

The final black music artist we’re choosing to talk about in this article is Dax.

Dax is a rapper who’s not afraid to be vulnerable. In August 2016, he released what would be the first of many projects. The EP was titled It’s Different Now. He’s proven throughout the years that while he might have some star power, he still remembers where he started. Sometimes Dax hosts an open verse challenge where he allows others to create a verse to one of his songs. The most recent one that he’s done was for his song “Dear Alcohol,” where he raps about his struggle with alcohol. He’s made a few remixes for it, but the megamix is a must-listen, if you ask us.

When it comes to genres, he’s a mixture of hip hop, Christian hip hop, R&B, and country rap. When we say he’s not afraid to tell it all, that’s what we mean. Dax has talked about various topics throughout his career. These topics include his faith, anger, violence, struggles, his relationship with alcohol, and his view of the world. There are others, but those are to name a few. He’s released one studio album, over twenty-five music videos, three EPs, and one mixtape. Musically, he’s influenced by rappers such as Tupac and Lil’ Wayne.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DAX:
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There you have it. That concludes our list of iconic and potentially iconic black music artists we wanted to share to celebrate Black Music Month. Do you or have you listened to any of the artists mentioned above? Or do you have any black artists you would love us to check out? 

Let us know in the comments below, tweeting THP @thehoneypop or reaching out to us on our Facebook and Instagram.