Music History Makers

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Kehlani, the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and performer whose honesty, vulnerability, and authenticity have made her one of the most influential voices in contemporary R&B. Blending R&B, soul, pop, and hip hop, Kehlani has built a career rooted in emotional transparency and fearless self-expression. And she did it without ever asking her audience to accept a smaller, safer version of who she i

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Kaytranada, the Grammy-winning producer, DJ, and sonic innovator whose blend of house, hip hop, R&B, funk, and electronic music has changed the sound of modern music. If you've moved your body to a song in the last ten years, there's a good chance Kaytranada had something to do with it. His grooves sound effortless. They are anything but. From Port-au-Prince to Montreal Louis Kevin Celestin was born

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Frank Ocean, the groundbreaking singer, songwriter, and visionary whose honesty helped reshape modern R&B. Some artists change music with a sound. Frank Ocean changed it with a sound and a letter. From New Orleans to Los Angeles Christopher Edwin Breaux was born on October 28, 1987, in Long Beach, California, and moved with his family to New Orleans when he was five. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destr

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Lil Nas X, the chart-topping artist who shattered barriers and redefined what visibility looks like in modern music. He broke records, then broke the rules about who gets to be a superstar. And he did it all out loud. An Atlanta kid who knew the internet Montero Lamar Hill was born on April 9, 1999, in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from Lithia Springs High School in 2017. Like a lot of artists of

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Janelle Monáe, the visionary artist whose music, storytelling, and fearless self-expression have expanded what a modern superstar can be. Blending R&B, funk, soul, hip hop, pop, and Afrofuturism, Monáe has built one of the most inventive careers in music, and a lot of it was built right here in Atlanta. From Kansas City to Atlanta Janelle Monáe was born on December 1, 1985, in Kansas City, Kansas. S

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Big Freedia, the Queen of Bounce and one of the most influential LGBTQ voices in modern music. If you've ever heard a crowd go wild the second a bounce beat drops, you've felt Big Freedia's influence, whether you knew her name or not. Born and raised in New Orleans Freddie Ross Jr. was born on January 28, 1978, in New Orleans. Bounce music, a high-energy style of hip hop rooted in Black New Orleans

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Cakes Da Killa, the groundbreaking rapper, lyricist, and cultural disruptor who helped carve out space for openly queer voices in hip hop. Long before the industry was ready, Cakes Da Killa was rapping exactly as himself: sharp, funny, confident, and unmistakably queer. From New Jersey to the New York scene Born Rashard Bradshaw in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cakes came up as part of a wave of openly queer

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Doechii, the groundbreaking rapper, singer, songwriter, and performer whose fearless creativity is redefining hip hop for a new generation. In just a few years, Doechii went from a viral song on TikTok to standing on the Grammy stage. And she did it sounding like nobody else. Tampa's own Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon was born on August 14, 1998, in Tampa, Florida. In September 2020 she released “Yucky Bluck

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Carl Bean, a Black gay singer, minister, activist, and visionary whose impact reached far beyond music. Some people change music. Carl Bean changed music, faith, and the fight against AIDS, all in one lifetime. A Baltimore voice Carl Bean was born on May 26, 1944, in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up singing gospel, and his voice eventually brought him to Motown. I Was Born This Way In 1977, Motown re

Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story. Today, we spotlight Frankie Knuckles, the legendary Black gay DJ, producer, and cultural icon known worldwide as the “Godfather of House Music.” Every time a house track fills a dance floor anywhere in the world, it carries a little bit of Frankie Knuckles with it. From the Bronx to the booth Francis Warren Nicholls Jr. was born on January 18, 1955, in the Bronx, New York City. As a teenager he met Larry Levan, another