African-American male songwriters

American jazz musician, trumpeter and singer (1901–1971)

Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, record executive, and businessman. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, he recorded his debut album, Power of the Dollar, for Columbia Records. During a shooting in May 2000, he was struck by nine bullets, causing its release to be canceled and Jackson to be dropped from the label. His 2002 mixtape Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Detroit rapper Eminem, who signed Jackson to his label Shady Records that year.

British musician

Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper and singer. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythmic style. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly stated that "just about every current pop trend can be traced back to him—from sultry, urban-edged R&B songstresses [...] to the art of incorporating avant-garde sounds into No. 1 hits." He has won four Grammy Awards from 22 nominations.

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip-hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgia-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He met local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather in the late 1990s, joining his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment — an imprint of Arista and LaFace Records — by 1999. The lukewarm critical and commercial response of his debut studio album, ''I'm Serious'' (2001), led him to part ways the label. He then sign

American rapper

American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer

American singer

Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he signed with Interscope Records in January 2019. His debut studio album, Baby on Baby (2019), spawned the single "Suge", which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 a month after its release.

American rapper (born 1988)

American musician

American record producer and rapper (born 1975)

American blues harmonica player (1930-1968)

American record producer (born 1993)

John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous (, ), is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed to Clue's record label Desert Storm Records, in a joint venture with Elektra Records. He rose to further prominence with his debut studio album Ghetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" (featuring Nate Dogg) and "Young'n (Holla Back)." Adopting a further commercially-oriented approach, his second album, Street Dreams (2003), w

American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter (1902–1969)

American musician and producer (born 1977)

American blues guitarist and singer (b. 1953)

American music producer, rapper and singer (born 1989)

Marcus Jamal Hopson (born July 18, 1985), known professionally as Hopsin, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is known for his use of white colored eye contacts in his music videos and performances.

American record producer and rapper

American actor and musician

American rapper

American rapper

American blues musician (1914–1948)

American rapper

American rapper

American rapper and producer

American rapper (1985–2021)

American singer (1935–1980)

American singer and producer

American songwriter (1931–2002)

Collins Obinna Chibueze (born May 9, 1995), known professionally as Shaboozey, is a Nigerian-American singer. His music combines country, Americana and hip-hop. After releasing two albums, he gained wider recognition through his appearances on the soundtrack to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter (2024).

American composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor, and actor (1901-2000)

American one-man band musician, songwriter

American pop/rhythm and blues singer, songwriter and producer

American musician

American musician, record producer (1929–2010)

American singer and producer (1928–1990)

American songwriter

American pianist, singer, and composer (1876–1921)

American singer-songwriter (1953-2025)

American record producer and rapper

American musician (1930-2001)

American multi-instrumentalist

Chicago blues harmonica player (1921-2006)

American musician (1951–1999)

singer (1937-2012)

African American, Chicago blues tenor saxophonist

American musician (1938-2005)

American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist (1925–1985)

American rapper

American blues guitarist and vocalist (1892–1952)

American rapper

American musician (1949–2016)

American rapper (1998–2022)

American blues musician

American soul and R&B musician (1936–2021)

American record producer and songwriter

American singer