Angie Stone is a real soul sister, but she got her first big record as a hip-hop artist. It just goes to show you how versatile the singer/songwriter/actress really is. Stone has made several gorgeous records and despite the dearth of real singers on the charts, her career remains a dynamic one. She can even boast being one of the creative influences on her ex, D’Angelo, who she collaborated with on both of his Grammy-winning albums. Stone’s latest CD “Rich Girl” was released last month. Read on for more on our latest In-Studio Jam artist.
BORN: Angela Laverne Brown in Columbia, S.C.
BIG BREAK: Getting her start in church and then as a part of Sequence, an early female hip –hop trio that signed to the famed hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records.
BACK STORY: After hitting with Sequence on the early hip-hop hip “Funk You Up” Stone worked with producer Mantronix and then went to the forefront as the lead singer in the 90’s group Vertical Hold.
RESUME: Stone is often credited with major contributions to both of D’Angelo’s albums “Brown Sugar” and “Voodoo.” The two had a personal relationship that resulted in a son, Michael, now a teenager. She has also worked with Lenny Kravitz, Guru, Macy Gray, Omar, Dionne Warwick, Kool and the Gang and more.
FUN FACTS: Stone told “Ebony” magazine that Dr. Dre owns the publishing on “Funk You Up,” which he acquired from the late Sylvia Robinson. (The song “Keep Their Heads Ringin’” uses the sample.
