Music Monday – 6 Hidden Gems of R&B

There is so much great music floating around out there and if you don’t know where to look, you may be missing out on some quality tunes.

A good amount of the music on the radio is trash these days, so we must seek other avenues to find adequate sounds. And as an avid R&B lover, I decided to share some of the hidden gems in the R&B industry.

1. Sebastian Kole

I wrote about Sebastian Kole before. He is absolutely an incredible talent. His EP drops May 13, 2016, and I cannot wait. Check out my original piece on Kole here.

2. BJ The Chicago Kid

Bryan James Sledge, BJ The Chicago Kid, is a great talent and doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. BJ was born to two choir directors, so his roots in gospel music are strong and that is definitely reflected in the song above and throughout his discography. Get into his music, you won’t regret it.

3. Eryn Allen Kane

I first heard the commanding vocal talent of Eryn Allen Kane during an episode of Being Mary Jane (Season 3 Episode 5). She was singing her face off as Mary Jane was soaking her feet in her pool. At the time, I did not know who I was hearing. All I knew was it was amazing and I had to find out who it was. I asked Twitter what song was playing. Someone connected to Kane’s camp tweeted me back with the song title, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Check out her YouTube page to witness the greatness.

4. Cameron J.

I first heard the Oklahoma native while listening to a Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify and this track randomly came on shuffle. I was hooked immediately. This song is dope as hell. I’m dumbfound that this song isn’t in heavy radio rotation. Cameron J has an incredible gift of creativity to complement his soulful voice. This is evident throughout his diverse array of YouTube videos. My personal favorite is the Beyonce Medley. He has so much material out on both Spotify and YouTube. Get into it. He’s also the one behind the hilarious Starrkiesha Cheer Squad video!

5. Andra Day

Many of you probably know of Andra Day from when she sang circles around Ellie Goulding on the Grammy stage or when she slayed the Black Girls Rock stage this year. Being nominated for two Grammy awards (Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album) and one NAACP award (Outstanding New Artist) this year, Andra is becoming more and more visible. I can’t wait for the world to become more familiar with her gift.

6. dvsn

dvsn (produced “division”) is a duo from Canada. Singer Daniel Daley and record producer Nineteen85 make up the R&B duo; they are signed to OVO Sound. dvsn released their first studio album, Sept. 5th, earlier this month and it’s pretty dope. I highly suggest it.

6. Gallant

I read someone say Gallant is Prince and Usher’s love child and I can’t say that I disagree. Born Christopher Gallant in Washington D.C., Gallant has been quietly slaying the industry since 2014. On April 6 of this year, Gallant released his debut studio album (Ology) and similar to the song above, it is everything.