Artist Archives - Rolling Out

Collins Obijaku, a Nigerian self-taught artist, refers to himself as a custodian of contemporary Black culture. He uses his art as a vehicle to explore the evolving consciousness and contexts of his own identity. Using charcoal color, he brings his subjects to life on the canvas with contoured lines and fingerprint-like designs. In his latest…

The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards aired Sunday night, Aug. 30, 2020, and actress Keke Palmer hosted the virtual event. She opened by dedicating the show to actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday, Aug. 28, from colon cancer. “We dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many,” Palmer said. The tribute included…

Tiyon Christian is a Grammy-nominated international artist, producer and songwriter. He has worked with some of the biggest artists in the industry, including Brandy, Tamar Braxton and John Legend. After years of writing for artists nationally and internationally, Christian is pursuing a career as a singer. He recently released his debut album, RAIN, which reached…

From DJ to producer to radio host, Ferrari Simmons has proven that he has a blueprint for success in the music and entertainment industry. Simmons currently serves as the music director of Streetz 94.5, where he hosts his weeknight slot. In addition, he can also be heard weekly on “The Baller Alert Show” with Kenny…

On Aug. 25, 2001, tragedy struck the music industry when R&B princess Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas. Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton, the young singer broke into the industry as a teenager and changed the industry forever. Aaliyah, who was just 22 when she died, was a billboard chart-topping singer who produced…

15 year-old Prince Navon has already worked with a few of music greats in his young career. The legends Teddy Riley and Jazzy Pha have laced the young phenom with some of their magic. The North Carolina native has been dubbed the next big thing. His most recent song, “Miss Me,” is heating up on…

Lafayette, Indiana-bred rising emcee Ian Demontrio began his artistic journey in 2007 when he was just 15 years old. His passion was further fueled by a move to an Atlanta suburb, which placed him in the direct company of many hip-hop legends. As an independent artist, he continued to blossom, learning how to produce and…

Travis Greene is a young gospel artist and faith leader. Along with his wife, Greene pastors Forward City Church in Columbia, South Carolina. He recently released his album Broken Record, featuring his hit song “Won’t Let Go.” We spoke with Greene about his music and ministry. What was the inspiration behind your new song ?…

Adrian Brandon is a Seattle-raised, Brooklyn-based visual artist who is using his creativity to capture attention, raise awareness and get people thinking. He is driven to make art that creates an understanding of Black culture, Black love and Black pain so that we can move forward together. Rolling out spoke with Brandon about his powerful…

As a visual artist, native Chicagoan Maxwell Emcays speaks a specific language. He speaks the language of creativity and purpose. His most recent visual art gallery, “Let Them Stay Home,” is an exploration in the stark difference in living conditions as it relates to the upper class and lower class. He examines the word “home”…

On Friday, June 5, 2020, D.C. residents woke up to the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” painted on the street leading up to the White House. The bold yellow words could be seen via satellite and captured the attention of people across the country and around the world. The mural was commissioned by Washington, D.C., Mayor…

Trey Songz has written an emotional new record that speaks to the current climate in Black America. The song, titled “How Many Times,” was debuted on the famous DJ D-Nice’s Wednesday evening Instagram live mix on June 3, 2020, playing the song 14 minutes and 34 seconds into the 50-minute livestream. Songz opens the track…

V. Bozeman is a multitalented singer, record producer and actress, whose artistry shines in all facets of her creativity. She made her talents known on a national scale in her recurring role as Veronica on the hit Fox series “Empire.” Her vocals are powerful, and she is setting the stage to be a force in…

Drake sleeps on a one-of-a-kind luxury bed. The “One Dance” hitmaker made the admission to Architectural Digest about the hefty price tag of his very impressive bed, which includes a top-shelf bar built into the headboard. The article about the $395,000 bed explains why it’s so expensive: “The headboard, accented with antique mirror and channel-tufted…

Brandy is set to make a comeback with a major Chicago rapper this week. The R&B legend — who has sold more than 40 million records worldwide — will release the new single “Baby Mama” with Chance the Rapper on Friday, May 1, 2020. The track, which is produced by Hit-Boy, was teased on Instagram with…

Spotify is allowing artists to receive “tips” or donate money to charity. The music streaming platform has introduced a new feature where bands can display an “Artists Fundraising Pick” badge on their profile, which lets them spotlight a destination for fans to send cash. This can include artists fundraising for themselves, as well as being…

Ryan Alexander is an artist, producer and songwriter. The skillful Chicago musician has been playing piano and drums for more than 16 years and producing music for 11 years, bringing a mixture of hip-hop, R&B and soul to his performances through a genre he calls new wave soul. Rolling out spoke with Alexander about his…

Alicia Keys says motherhood made her stop caring about what other people think. The 39-year-old singer-songwriter has sons Egypt, 9, and Genesis, 5, with her husband Swizz Beatz and revealed that becoming a mom in 2010, helped her to focus more on her own happiness rather than worrying about the outside world. She told Clash magazine: “Honestly…

Erykah Badu didn’t make any profit on her first livestream from her Quarantine Concert Series. After most of the world went into lockdown last month due to the global health pandemic, Badu was worried about how canceling all of her shows would affect her band and crew, so she worked with a company to set…

Stevie Wonder was planning to hit the studio with late soul legend Bill Withers before his passing. The “Isn’t She Lovely” singer had been in constant contact with the “Ain’t No Sunshine” hitmaker right up until his death from heart complications at age 81 last week and has revealed the pair were planning to play…