Jorja Smith 1997 (Walsall, UK) Singer, songwriter Associated Styles Soul, r&b, grime Influences & Project Connections Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, The Impressions, Erykah Badu, Maverick Sabre, Khalid, Mahalia, Nubya Garcia
Nao 987 (London, UK)
Little Simz 1994 (London, UK)
Singer, songwriter, musician, producer
Rapper, songwriter, musician, composer, producer
Associated Styles Soul, funk, wonky funk, r&b
Associated Styles Rap, grime, hip hop, soul, experimental
Influences & Project Connections Nas, Prince, George Clinton, Erykah Badu, Larry Graham, Kelis, Carleen Anderson, Deniece Williams, Roy Ayers, Lalah Hathaway, Mahalia
Influences & Project Connections Missy Ellliot, Lauryn Hill, Angie Stone, Erykah Badu, Fela Kuti, Candi Staton, Tony Allen, Mahalia, Khalid, Little Dragon, Kojey Radical, Michael Kiwanuka, The Internet
Erykah Badu 1971 (Dallas, Texas) Artist Erykah Badu fused her blues and jazz influences together with r&b and hip-hop creating an innovative new sound. Her 1997 debut album Baduizm redefined r&b heavily influencing modern soul music and hip hop culture Singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, musician, producer, dj Associated Styles Soul, blues, funk, jazz, hip hop, r&b, neo soul, experimental Influences & Project Connections Miles Davis, Betty Davis, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Candi Staton, Gwen Dickey, Notorious B.I.G. Fela Kuti, Sun Ra Arkestra, Roy Ayers, George Clinton, Fred Wesley, Tony Allen, Angie Stone, The Roots, Mos Def, Bilal, T3, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Robert Glasper, Talib Kweli, Public Enemy, Ghostface Killlah, Pharoahe Monch, Pete Rock, Raphael Saadiq, dead prez, Thundercat, The Internet, Rapsody, Little Simz, Nao
Roy Ayers 1940 (Los Angeles, California)
Charles Wright 1940 (Clarksdale, Mississippi)
Leon Ware 1940 (Detroit, Michigan)
Pioneering jazz composer Roy Ayers was instrumental in the creation of acid jazz and jazz funk styles. His music has been a major influence on the evolution of soul, r&b and hip hop
Founder and frontman of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
One of the most prolific songwriters of the 70’s, Leon composed and produced for Motown and was a continuous force behind much bigger artists such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye
Vibraphonist, keyboards, vocals, songwriter, composer, arranger, producer
Associated Styles Soul, funk, r&b, blues, doo wop
Associated Styles Jazz, Jazz-fusion, jazz funk, acid jazz, soul, r&b, neo soul, hip hop Influences & Project Connections Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Edwin Birdsong, Bill Withers, Leon Ware, Sun Ra Arkestra, George Clinton, Larry Graham, Fred Wesley, Amp Fiddler, Public Enemy, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Pete Rock, Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, DJ Spinna, Method Man, Dilated Peoples, The Roots, Omar, Aloe Blacc, Rapsody, Robert Glasper
Singer, songwriter, musician, producer
Influences & Project Connections Jesse Belvin, Jimmy Reed, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, James Gadson, Zapp, Fred Wesley, Jungle Brothers, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Phife Dawg, T3, DJ Premier, Mos Def
Composer, singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, producer Associated Styles Soul, smooth soul, jazz, funk, r&b, disco Influences & Project Connections Nat King Cole, Erroll Garner, James Brown, Roy Ayers, George Clinton, Amp Fiddler, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, DJ Spinna, Phife Dawg, Method Man, Talib Kweli, EPMD, Carleen Anderson, Michael Franti, Raphael Saadiq, Havoc, Rapsody, Thundercat
Marshal Allen & The Sun Ra Arkestra Tyler Mitchell, Elson Nascimento, Dave Hotep, Tara Middleton, Danny Ray Thompson, Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott, Farid Abdul-Bari Barron, Craig Harris, Dave Davis Sun Ra (1914 Alabama) was a jazz composer, bandleader, pianist, poet and Afrofuturist pioneer. Forming his musical collective ‘The Arkestra’ in the mid 1950’s, he was known for his cosmic philosophies and experimental music, including his pioneering use of electronic keyboards and the Minimoog within Jazz. Alto saxophonist Marshall Allen (1924 Kentucky) has performed almost exclusively with The Arkestra since 1958, taking over as Bandleader after Sun Ra’s death in 1993. Associated Styles Avant-garde jazz, free jazz, jazz fusion, experimental, bebop, space music Project Connections & Influence George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Tony Allen, Lonnie Liston Smith, Fred Wesley, Shuggie Otis, Roy Ayers, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Shabaka Hutchings, Gilles Peterson, Thundercat, Zapp, The Internet, Hiatus Kaiyote, Prince, Slum Village, Outkast, Sa-Ra, Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Esperanza Spalding, Janelle Monáe
Tony Allen 1940-2020 (Lagos, Nigeria) Drummer, composer, writer, producer and pioneer of modern African music. Combining African polyrhythmic grooves with a concoction of jazz and funk, Tony is known as the Godfather of Afrobeat. Musical director of Fela Kuti’s band ‘Africa ‘70’ from 1968-1979 Associated Styles Afrobeat, jazz, afrofunk, highlife-jazz Influences & Project Connections Art Blakely, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Gene Krupa, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Amp Fiddler, Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Sun Ra Arkestra, Dele Sosimi, Mulatu Astatke, Shabaka Hutchings, Erykah Badu, Kojey Radical, Little Simz
Femi Kuti 1962 (London, raised Lagos, Nigeria) Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, bandleader Positive Force Associated Styles Afrobeat, jazz, funk Influences & Project Connections Fela Kuti, James Moody, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Tony Allen, Dele Sosimi, Roy Ayers, Seun Kuti, Sun Ra Arkestra, Mos Def, IAM
Seun Kuti 1983 (Lagos, Nigeria) Singer, saxophonist, songwriter, composer, producer, bandleader The Egypt 80 Associated Styles Afrobeat, jazz Influences & Project Connections Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Dele Sosimi, Dr Dre, Public Enemy, George Clinton, Robert Glasper, Mos Def, dead prez, Hiatus Kaiyote