The following list includes African-American singers, composers, rappers, pianists, and other musicians who have contributed to the world of music, including Count Basie, Akon, Natalie Cole, Missy Elliot, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and more.
50 Cent, rapperAaliyah, singer and actress Akon, singerMarian Anderson, opera singer Louis Armstrong, jazz musician Josephine Baker, singer and dancer Count Basie, jazz musician and composer Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000), rap artist Chuck Berry, rock and roll musician and songwriter Eubie Blake, pianist and composer Mary J. Blige, singer, songwriterBoyz II Men, R&B/hip-hop groupBrandy, singer and actress Foxy Brown, rapperJames Brown, soul singer Harry T. Burleigh, American baritone and composer Busta Rhymes, rapperCab Calloway, jazz singer and band leader Benny Carter, jazz saxophonist and composer Betty Carter, jazz singer Chamillionaire, rapperRay Charles, singer, pianist, and composer Chingy, rapperChuck D, musicianCiara, singerGeorge Clinton, musician Natalie Cole, singer Nat “King” Cole, musician and composer John Coltrane, jazz saxophonist Sean “Diddy” Combs, rap singer and producer Coolio, rap singer
Miles Davis, trumpet player and composer Sammy Davis Jr., entertainer William L. Dawson, composer and conductor Destiny’s Child, R&B group Robert Nathaniel Dett, composer and pianist Bo Diddley, rock-and-roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter DMX, rapperSnoop Dogg, rap musician Antoine “Fats” Domino, singer Thomas A. Dorsey, gospel music composer Dr. Dre, rap singer and producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, singer and producer Duke Ellington, jazz musician and composer Missy Elliott, rapper, music producerElla Fitzgerald, jazz singer Aretha Franklin, soul singer The Fugees, hip-hop groupThe Game, rapperMarvin Gaye, Motown singer and songwriter Dizzy Gillespie, jazz musician and composer Berry Gordy, Jr., record company executive Guru, rapper
Lionel Hampton, musician, band leader Herbie Hancock, jazz musician William Christopher Handy, songwriter and band leader Ben Harper, musician Isaac Hayes, singer Roland Hayes, American opera singer Jimi Hendrix, rock musician, guitarist Lauryn Hill, rap artist, producer Billie Holiday, jazz singer John Lee Hooker, blues guitarist, singer, songwriter Lena Horne, singer Whitney Houston, singer, actress Ice Cube, rap artist, actor Ice T, rap artist, actor Janet Jackson, singer, dancer, actress Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer Michael Jackson, musician Ja Rule, rapperJay-Z, rapper, music producer, business personalityEve Jeffers, rapper, actorJohnnie Johnson, blues and rock pianist Robert Johnson, blues singer, guitarist Mike Jones, rapperQuincy Jones, pop-soul composer, producer Scott Joplin, ragtime pianist and composer
B. B. King, guitarist Queen Latifah, rap musician, actress Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, singer Lil’ Bow Wow, rapperLil’ Fizz, rapper, actorLil’ Kim, rapperLil’ Romeo, rapper, actorLudacris, rapperWynton Marsalis, jazz trumpeter, composer Master P, rap musician, filmmaker, record label executiveCharles Mingus, jazz musician Thelonious Monk, jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton, jazz composer Mos Def, rapper, actorMya, singer, songwriter Nas, musician, actorNelly, rap artist Aaron Neville, singer Jessye Norman, opera singer The Notorious B.I.G., rap artist Outkast, rappersCharlie “Bird” Parker, jazz saxophonist Antwan Patton (Big Boi), rap artist Pretty Ricky, singersLeontyne Price, opera singer Prince, singer and producer
Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, blues singer Otis Redding, singer Irene Reid, singer and actressMax Roache, jazz musician Paul Robeson, actor and singer Smokey Robinson, singer and songwriter Darius Rucker, pop singer Tupac Shakur, rap artist and actor Nina Simone, singer Bessie Smith, blues singer Will Smith, rap artist and actor William Grant Still, composer Levi Stubbs, singer Howard Swanson, composer
Tone-Loc, rapper, actorIke Turner, R&B singer Tina Turner, R&B singer Luther Vandross, R&B singer Sarah Vaughan, jazz singer Thomas “Fats” Waller, jazz pianist and songwriter Dinah Washington, blues and jazz singer Muddy Waters, blues singer Junior Wells, blues singer and harmonica player Kanye West, music producer, rapperJohn Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, blues singer and harmonica player Cassandra Wilson, jazz singer Howlin’ Wolf, blues singer and composer Stevie Wonder, singer, composer, producer Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop bandLester Young, jazz musician
