Kaitlyn Morell

Dazed slow jams are the primary mode of Atlanta-based contemporary R&B/rap artist Ricardo Valentine, a singer-slash-MC who goes by the name 6LACK ("black"). Prior to connecting with LVRN (Love Renaissance), the creative agency that has supported fellow Georgia native Raury, Valentine was signed to a label that he felt restricted his creativity.

A forthright lyricist and understated vocalist who has singled out the likes of Minnie Riperton and Mýa as two of her many inspirations, Ari Lennox has been the one-artist R&B contingent of J. Cole's Dreamville roster since 2015. The singer and songwriter made her commercial Dreamville debut in 2016 with the Pho EP and followed up in 2019 with her first album, Shea Butter Baby, which hit the Billboard 200 chart at number 104.

One of the most recognizable figures in contemporary music, Beyoncé rose to fame in the late '90s as the central member of pop-R&B group Destiny's Child, and the following decade embarked on a multi-platinum, record-breaking solo career with Dangerously in Love (2003), her first in an unbroken string of number one pop solo albums. Chart-topping singles such as "Crazy in Love" (2003), "Irreplaceable" (2006), and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008), combined with sold-out world tours and Grammy awards, all heightened her profile in the 2000s. Billboard named her female artist of the decade, while the RIAA acknowledged that, with 64 gold and platinum certifications, she was the decade's top-selling artist. Once Beyoncé released her self-titled fifth solo album in 2013, it was evident that the powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and dancer wasn't merely an entertainer but a progressive artist as well. The notion was affirmed throughout the remainder of the decade with Lemonade (2016) and Everything Is Love (2018), the latter of which was a collaboration with husband Jay-Z.