Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele emerged onto the neo-soul scene in the mid-2000s with a voice that resonated with depth and clarity. Born in Central Islip, New York, her journey into music began early, influenced by jazz, gospel, and soul. Michele’s debut album, I Am, dropped in 2007, introducing her velvety vocals to a broader audience. The album’s lead single, “If I Have My Way,” became an instant hit, showcasing her soulful delivery and lyrical sensibility. In 2006 she won a Grammy Award and recognized from the song “Be OK” for Best Urban/Alternative Performances. Following the success of I Am, Michele continued to carve out her niche in the music industry with albums like Epiphany (2009) and Let Freedom Reign (2010). Each album demonstrated her growth as an artist, blending soul, R&B, and jazz influences into a cohesive sound uniquely her own. Tracks such as “Epiphany (I’m Leaving)” and “Goodbye Game” further solidified her reputation as a singer-songwriter unafraid to explore emotional depth in her music.

Despite commercial success, Michele’s career faced challenges, notably when she released Better (2013), an album that showcased a more introspective and experimental side. Tracks like “A Couple of Forevers” revealed her ability to craft soulful ballads that resonated with listeners on a personal level.
Beyond her studio albums, Michele collaborated with industry heavyweights like Jay-Z and The Roots, expanding her artistic reach and influence. Her ability to blend classic soul with contemporary R&B has earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base.

Throughout her career, Chrisette Michele has navigated the highs and lows of the music industry with resilience, staying true to her musical roots while evolving as an artist. Her discography reflects not only her vocal prowess but also her growth as a storyteller, capturing moments of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery with authenticity and soulful elegance.

Howard Hewett

Howard Hewett Jr. (born October 1, 1955) is an American singer–songwriter.[2] Hewett rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the group Shalamar.[2] In 1985, he left the group to pursue his solo career but he later returned to the group in 2001. He signed with Elektra Records. In 1986, he released his debut solo album I Commit to Love. Hewett and his group Shalamar contributed material to the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. The soundtrack won a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media in 1986. Raised in Akron, Ohio Hewett moved to Los Angeles in 1976, where he first met Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley at a club in the LA Crenshaw district. Hewett formed a show group called “Beverly Hills” and toured throughout Europe, the UK, Scandinavia and Asia for all of 1977 till the middle of 1978. After returning from overseas, Hewett started recording for Jeffrey Bowen.

In 1978, he got a call from Jeffrey Daniel who was in need of a lead singer and Hewett accepted the offer.[8] Within three days Hewett flew to New Jersey, where he met up with Watley and Daniel and started recording the Big Fun LP with their producer, Leon Sylvers. The trio went on to record songs such as “Second Time Around”, “Make That Move”, “A Night to Remember”, “Dancing in the Sheets” and the ballad “This Is for the Lover in You”. Hewett was the group’s lead singer from 1979 until 1985.

When Shalamar broke up in the mid-1980s, Hewett went on to a solid solo career. However, in 1985 before signing his solo deal with Elektra Records, he was arrested and indicted in Miami with his fiancée Mori Molina for possession with an intent to distribute cocaine. Molina, who was indicted in Tampa as well as Miami, was convicted and served prison time; but after a four-day trial, in which Molina testified that Hewett had nothing to do with the crime, Hewett was acquitted of all charges. In spite of his legal battles, Hewett signed his solo deal with Elektra Records and in 1986, before the Miami trial, released his first solo album I Commit to Love (R&B number 12), a solid urban album that yielded two top 10 R&B hits, “I’m for Real” (R&B number 2) and “Stay” (R&B number 8).
In 1988, he released his second album Forever and Ever, which featured the hits “Strange Relationship” (R&B number 9, and “Once, Twice, Three Times” (R&B number 15)

Syleena Johnson

Grammy-nominated recording artists Syleena Johnson is a woman of many titles and talents. Singer, songwriter, author, and daytime talk show host are just a few avenue that she is able to share her gifts with the world. As an R&B/soul songstress, Syleena Johnson was destined to touch people and impact lives. Her sultry voice, combined with her timeless beauty, classic style, and piercing delivery has made her a fan-favorite for nearly twenty years.

Inspired by the pain, struggle, strength, and resilience of women everywhere, Syleena returned to the studio with Grammy award-winning production team, Toxic Productions. In January of 2019, Syleena dropped her highly anticipated single, WOMAN, from her forthcoming new album with the same title. Their collaboration resulted in a battle-cry for women everywhere, signaling a spirit of empowerment and amplifying the desire for cultural change. WOMAN is the opening single on the soundtrack of socially conscious revolution. Both Chicago natives, Toxic and Syleena decided to join forces again on her 11th studio album, Woman, which is set to be her most compelling work to date.

In 2018, Syleena Johnson added the title of author to her repertoire by releasing her highly anticipated self-help book, “The Weight Is Over”. “The Weight is Over” is her compelling and triumphant journey toward self-love and discovery, while chronicling her battles with body image birthed in adolescence and carried throughout her music career. Honest, humane, and heart-warming, “The Weight Is Over” shares Syleena’s pain and progression; while providing practical ways to identify and eliminate stressors to sustain optimal mental, emotional, and physical health. A love letter of life’s lessons, “The Weight Is Over” shines a spotlight on the complexities of love and demonstrates how self-worth can dictate how we emotionally invest in ourselves and others. An ode to obstacles faced and conquered, this self-help book sets an indelible tone for reflection, resurgence, and redemption. Syleena Johnson’s highly anticipated self-help book, “The Weight Is Over,” shares her compelling and painful journey toward self-love and discovery; while chronicling her battles with body image birthed in adolescence and carried throughout her music career.

In 2017, the R&B Diva united with father – Legendary Soul/Blues Singer Syl Johnson for their first recording together in over two decades. The iconic Etta James once said about authentic soul and blues music, “you can’t fake this music. It’s how you connect to the songs and to the history behind them.” Syleena Johnson is one of those undeniable talents whose unfaltering truth shines through every note she sings. Undoubtedly one of the most talented singers of her generation, Johnson has collaborated with everyone from Kanye West and Common to Anthony Hamilton and many more. In recent years, she has enjoyed mainstream exposure appearing on such television shows as TV One’s “R&B Divas: Atlanta” and WE TV’s “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars” and as of September 18, 2017 Syleena is featured on the live TV One daily talk show “Sister Circle.” On November 10, 2017 Shanachie Entertainment released REBIRTH OF SOUL, a recording that Syleena has long wanted to bring to fruition. Conceived and produced by her father, the legendary soul/blues singer and producer Syl Johnson, whose original hit version of “Take Me To The River” was covered by Al Green and Talking Heads. Syl Johnson’s recordings have been sampled by artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Usher and Kanye West. REBIRTH OF SOUL featured Syleena Johnson’s sultry interpretations of classic R&B songs, mainly from the fifties and sixties; recorded in real time, with live musicians, just the way “real music” used to be made. Recording in Chicago, Syl Johnson’s long-time base and Syleena’s hometown, the sessions include musicians who played on hit R&B recordings there over the years and a majority of the album features songs associated with Chicago artists, songwriters or record labels. Syleena shares, “The inspiration behind REBIRTH OF SOUL is my father. In a time when auto-tune and electronic beats reign supreme, I wanted to honor my father and the beauty of musicianship.”

Surface
Surface was an American music group from New Jersey, active from 1983 to 1994. They are best known for their No. 1 pop and R&B hit “The First Time”. During its heyday, the group consisted of singer/bassist Bernard Jackson (born July 11, 1959),[2] David Townsend (May 17, 1955 – October 26, 2005), and David “Pic” Conley (born December 27, 1953). Surface is the debut studio album from the band of the same name. Three years after releasing the midtempo boogie track “Falling in Love” on Salsoul, Surface released their first album self-produced and released in 1986 on Columbia Records. The album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard R&B albums chart and number 55 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. At the same time, the hit single “Happy” peaked at number 2 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. The other song, “Lately” peaked at number 8 on the Billboard singles chart.

Jeter Jones

The King of Trail ride Southern soul. Jeter Jones is from Mansfield, Louisiana. He served in combat during the Afghanistan War and in Iraq with the Marines and then US Army following 9-11, and retired after twenty years of service at the rank of Sergeant First Class. In 2013 Jeter Jones began to record original Blues and Trailride music, and released his first three albums while still in the military. In 2015 he released the album Da GQ Country Boy and in 2016 he released the album Trailride Certified. In 2018 he released the album Dhis Him, and in 2020 he released the album Mufassa and “2 Kings”. As a stage performer, Jones also goes by the name “Da Kang of Trailride Blues”. His music has been described as a blend of “blues, R&B, soul, and hip-hop”. He has also partnered with Sir Charles Jones to record under the group name The Jones Boyz.

Jones is a ZBT, JMA, and Blues Critic Award winner, including the 2016 Blues/Southern Soul Artist of the Year. From 2017 to 2019 he was the winner of the Blue’s Critic award for Best Dance Or Funk Song for his tracks “ZBT Anthem”, “Black Horse” and “Trail Ride” and in 2019 and 2020 he was the winner of the Southern Soul Artist of the Year award.

In 2021, his album 2 Kings reached number 11 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart.

DARRYL “DMC” MCDANIELS

Innovator, Motivator, Philanthropist, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels changed music and made history when he broke down cultural barriers with his legendary band Run-DMC. Forty million record sales and over a billion streams later, he continues to inspire & impact the world…

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is a legendary music icon who first impacted the world 40 years ago when RUN DMC made their recording debut “It’s Like That/ Sucker MCs.” From the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine to the first to appear on MTV, he helped changed music, culture, fashion, language and made American history. It would be hard to overstate his influence on popular culture.

Forty million+ physical record sales and over a billion song streams later, DMC still continues to create, inspire and motivate. In 2009, as a founding member of Run-DMC, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2016 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy given to “performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.”

He recently launched a new cookie company in 2023 called Darryl Makes Cookies featuring his favorite cookies, and continues to delight fans through his comic book company Darryl Makes Comics, offering readers a journey that helps bridge the gap between the worlds of hip-hop and the fantastic adventures he got wrapped up in as a youth. The comic company’s first full length graphic novel hit stores in October 2014 and has since followed up with a new release every year.

In addition to his cookies and comics, Darryl released his first children’s book in 2021 entitled “Darryl’s Dream” on Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (RHCB), in partnership with Nickelodeon and ViacomCBS Consumer Products and is working on a second release.

Darryl is also the co-author of two critically acclaimed books: his memoir entitled, Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide (2016/Harpers/Amistad) giving him another platform to talk about his past struggles with depression and helping those, especially men of color, remove the shame of asking for help. To help advanxe this important platform, he has partnered with Uwill, the leading mental health and wellness solution supporting 3 million students at 400 schools, as a mental health advocate.

Darryl released the hit single “Just like Me” featuring Sarah McLachlan; a song he wrote after discovering he was adopted. The song spoke to his new revelation and began his journey down another life path, in search of his birth mother. While his search struggle was captured in the 2007 Emmy Winning VH1 documentary DMC: My Adoption Journey, the process gave DMC tremendous insight and purpose, prompting him to become an advocate for adoption and children in foster care.

In 2006 he co-founded the Felix Organization with Hollywood casting agent Sheila Jaffe- a nonprofit that works to provide inspiring opportunities and new experiences to enrich the lives of children who are growing in the foster care system. http://www.thefelixorganization.org

All the while, DMC’s music continues to inspire! In 2017 he released the eagerly anticipated special vinyl-only limited edition EP, Back From the Dead- The Legend Lives with the 4-track power-bolt featuring iconic collaborations from the rock and hip hop worlds including Chuck D (Public Enemy), John Moyer (Disturbed), Rome (Sublime), and Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash), and others. The Deluxe Package (a limited rollout of 4000, individually numbered and pressed in red vinyl) with the cover artwork for Back From The Dead portraying DMC as a zombie, was designed by award winning Walking Dead graphic novel artist Tony Moore.

Darryl recently released the single “Me and My Microphone” featuring Chuck D, Ice-T, Jazzy Jeff and produced by Bumpy Knuckles. (LISTEN) The single has a corresponding comic featuring each of the hip hop icons as superheroes.

Available on the DMC imprint King of Rock Entertainment, the single is in advance of his new album AMERICA that will feature songs with Joan Jett, Sammy Hagar, Travis Barker (Blink 182), Chuck D, Sum 41, DJ Hurricane (Beastie Boys), Ice-T, Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Mick Mars (Motley Crue), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) and more. The first single “She Gets Me High” is scheduled for release in Spring 2025.

In between his work as a musical artist and producer, published author and speaker, philanthropist and advocate, McDaniels finds time to talk with kids across the country about respect, responsibility, and self-awareness. One of his many memorable engagements included an invitation in 2015 by former President Barack Obama to speak at the White House to a group of young men about fatherhood.

Darryl has also appeared before Congress and various State legislatures in support of adoptees and foster children, worked with former First Lady Michelle Obama on part of her “Get Fit” Campaign, was a featured speaker at the 2016 Kennedy Forum #Young Minds Matter event on Mental Health, and was a featured speaker at the 2017 SXSW Music Festival and 2017 Kennedy Center Honors to name a few.

He is a member of Stevie Van Zandt’s TeachRock Artist Council and is an Advisory Board Member for Hip Hop Public Health, an organization whose mission “is to foster positive health behavior change through the transformative power of hip-hop music.” He helped create early awareness on the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19. https://hhph.org/communityimmunity.

For his many philanthropic endeavors, DMC has received numerous awards including the Hard Rock’s Love All Serve All Award, the Doing Art Together (DAT) Honoree Award for his contributions to helping under-served communities in NYC, and the coveted CHILDREN’S RIGHTS Champion Award for his tireless work on behalf of foster children through his nonprofit The Felix Organization, providing opportunities for children in foster care.

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels also serves on the Board of Directors of The Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, to make dreams come true for children facing obstacles.