Frank Ocean is a singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer and photographer. He was born Christopher Edwin Breaux on October 28, 1987 in Long Beach, California. His parents, Calvin Edward Cooksey and Katonya Breaux, moved the family to New Orleans, Louisiana when he was five years old. His father left the family … Read MoreFrank Ocean (Christopher “Lonny” Francis William Ocean) (1987- )
Death Row Records is a West Coast record label which pushed the genre of gangsta rap to the top of the mainstream charts in the early 1990s. Founded by Marion “Suge” Knight and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young in 1992, the successes of Death Row Records established the legitimacy of rap music. The origins … Read MoreDeath Row Records (1992- )
Founded and incorporated by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 1992, Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group has grown from a small record label into a massive, highly successful entertainment company. Sparking the careers of superstars like Craig Mack, Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, and Lil’ Kim, Bad Boy has left a charismatic imprint on … Read MoreBad Boy Entertainment (1992- )
Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly, is an R&B singer, songwriter, and producer who is best known for his hit song “I Believe I Can Fly.” Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois to Joanne Kelly. R. Kelly is the third of four children … Read MoreRobert Sylvester Kelly / “R. Kelly” (1967- )
C. Delores Tucker is best remembered as a civil rights trailblazer who fought for women of color and toward the end of her life against profane and misogynist lyrics in hip-hop/ rap music. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1927 to Bahamian parents Reverend Whitfield and Captilda Nottage. Her father … Read MoreC. Delores Tucker (1927-2005)
Compton is a city in Southern California, located in south Los Angeles County. Compton was settled in 1867 by thirty pioneer families led by Griffith Dickenson Compton, after whom the city was named. The first black families came to the city just before World War … Read MoreCompton, California (1867- )
Aubrey “Drake” Graham is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor, and songwriter. Drake was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Sandi Graham, a Jewish Canadian, and Dennis Graham, a black drummer from Memphis, Tennessee. The couple divorced when Drake was five years-old. … Read MoreAubrey Drake Graham (1986- )
Image Ownership: Rolland J Curtis Collection; Los Angeles Photographers Collection Douglas Dollarhide was the first African American mayor of the city of Compton, California, and a pioneer and role model for future black politicians across the state of California. Dollarhide was born in March 1923 … Read MoreDouglas Dollarhide (1923-2008)
Bobby Womack, American musician and soul singer, was born on March 4, 1944, to Friendly and Naomi Womack in Cleveland, Ohio. Bobby was the middle child of five siblings who were all boys: Friendly Jr., Curtis, Bobby, Harry, and Cecil. Bobby started playing with his … Read MoreBobby Womack (1944-2014)
Image Ownership: Avi Loud/DomeCare Solutions Jonathan Moore, teacher, musician, entrepreneur, activist, and youth advocate, was born to Gwendolyn Jones and Jonny Moore in Seattle, Washington, on April 21, 1969. As a student at Roosevelt High School in the 1980s, Moore rented rooms at the Seattle … Read MoreJonathan Moore (1969-2017)
