In honor of the 2024 Black History Month (BHM) Theme: African-Americans and the Arts, I am here to highlight three influential African-American artists from the 90's!
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, better known as, Aaliyah, was just 15 years old when she released her first 1994 studio album, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, where she proved just that and showed the world that her teen vocals could dominate the music industry! Her soft yet powerful vocals over a variety of hip-hop mixed with experimental R&B beats created a unique soft-urban sound that we often hear today from artists like Jhene Aiko.
Aaliyah not only influenced music since the 90's but, also influenced 90's style. Aaliyah often wore oversized clothing or clothing from male-leaning brands and managed to - with a hint of femininity - pull off her look, empowering many women to embrace their unisex-tomboy style. She also coined the infamous "Aaliyah Bang" - a side bang with a deep swoosh, nearly covering one side of your face. Aaliyah's style and legacy live on, and her hits remain popular, even being sampled from some of our favorite artists today including Kehlani (Personal) and SZA (Love Language).
Mariah Carey
One of the greatest "MCs" - Mariah Carey has been around since the 90s and continues to be a big deal in the music industry. Mariah Carey blended an urban-pop sound and served the most out-of-this-world, effortless whistle notes. We hear her influence from artists like Ariana Grande, who I also consider a whistle-note queen. We also can't talk about Mariah Carey without mentioning her annual chart-topping song: All I Want for Christmas Is You. Many artists have made renditions of Mariah's versions, but none quite like hers. If you ever need to question Mariah's influence and relevance - check the top 100 songs every December.
We also see MC's impact and effect on the industry in samples from artists like Bryson Tiller (Don't) and Drake (Emotionless). Mariah Carey's whistle notes and writing abilities will forever be impactful.
Usher
They call him U-S-H-E-R, R-A-Y-M-O-N-D! Making his name known with his first 1994 studio self-titled album and spelling it out in his second studio album, Usher hit the scene running and has not stopped. With a career spanning over two decades, Usher has made his imprint across various music genres including Contemporary R&B, Hip-Hop/R&B, and Pop, giving us hits like You Make Me Wanna, Yeah! ft. Lil John and Ludacris, and OMG ft. Will.i.am. Other artists including Ne-yo, Justin Bieber, and Eric Bellinger have praised Usher for his ability to be versatile and morph accordingly (including dance moves), without losing his touch through each wave of music throughout the years. Usher is also an inspiration to other artists for his longevity.
His influence and relevancy today are evident, as Usher recently finished a successful Las Vegas Residency, set record viewing numbers as the 2024 NFL Super Bowl Halftime Performer, just released his NINTH studio album, Coming Home, and is expected to go on his 2024 Past Present Future Tour (how ironic).
There are so many influential African-American artists from the 90's.
Check out the BHM: 90's Influential Artists Spotify Playlist to hear influential songs from the artists above and more. You might even hear a melody or lyrics that have been sampled by some of your favorite artists from today!