The familiar maxim of the triple threat – singer, songwriter, musician – doesn’t begin to cover it for Toby Keith, one of the modern era’s most complete self-directed hit makers. And Keith’s most recent months are a remarkably accurate representation of his entire career. At the close of 2018, he celebrated the 25th anniversary of […]

Maroon 5 stand out as not only one of pop music’s most enduring artists, but also one of the 21st century’s biggest acts. To date, the universally renowned Los Angeles band have achieved three GRAMMY® Awards and become “the most successful group in the history of the Billboard Hot 100″with 12 Top 10 entries, sold […]

Compton born-and-bred MC Keenon Jackson, otherwise known as YG or Young Gangsta, got his start in music by building a massive following on the internet. The success of songs like “She a Model” and “Aim Me” online earned him a bid with Def Jam, and he signed to the pioneering hip-hop label in 2009. Several mixtapes followed, including 2010’s The […]

Long Beach’s Vince Staples infiltrated the hip-hop scene in the early 2010s with appearances on Odd Future-related records like Earl Sweatshirt’s “epaR,” Mike G’s “Moracular World,” and Domo Genesis’ “Elimination Chamber.” After three mixtapes, Staples released his Def Jam debut album Summertime ’06 to widespread acclaim from critics, who praised the album’s production and lyricism. His next album Big Fish Theory and his most recent release, FM!, have […]

After joining a singing group in the late ’90s, Terius Nash was reborn. By 2003, after being sought after locally in Atlanta, the Bankhead prodigy would land his first real record for B2K, penning the song “Everything.” It marked the first time The-Dream was professionally compensated as a songwriter and earned him his first publishing contract with Peer Music. While […]

Teyana Taylor’s rise to stardom has been a long and eventful ascent ever since she got her start on Pharrell Williams’s Star Trak Entertainment imprint at age 17. A dancer, actress, model, and singer, the Harlem native’s dynamic promise was evident very early on. She choreographed the music video for Beyoncé’s “Ring The Alarm” and appeared […]

As part of Top Dawg Entertainment’s eclectic crew of spitters, ScHoolboy Q is a rowdy voice in the new generation of West Coast rappers. With a steady mix of radio anthems and more introspective hits, Q has become one of the most exciting voices of the last decade. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Q was an accomplished football player […]

Rihanna has taken the music, entertainment, and fashion industry by storm; as an accomplished performer, she has sold 60 million albums and 215 million digital tracks worldwide, making her the top-selling digital artist of all time. The Barbadian singer-songwriter got the attention of producer Evan Rogers while performing with a group of friends in her hometown; […]