R&B Divas Who Impacted Hip Hop
Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna and other genre-benders.
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Prior to embarking on trailblazing careers as R&B and pop divas, many of our heralded singing queens spent time in the hip hop labs creating and writing some of the game's biggest hooks and anthems. As we celebrate Black Music Month, here are the women who stood toe-to-toe with some of the illest MCs.
Photo By Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM, Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for BET,Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
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Mary J. Blige earned her title as The Queen of Hip Hop Soul as she came through the ranks of hip hop before becoming a bonafide R&B diva. Originally singing hooks for '90s star Father MC on the 1992 smash "I'll Do 4 U," Mary would go on to also bless tracks for Jay Z, Grand Puba, Method Man, Ludacris and Talib Kweli just to name a few. It's fair to say Mary is a certified B-girl and you can't knock her hustle. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Kelly Price was never signed to Bad Boy but she crafted and sang hooks for some of the label's biggest hits. Her voice can be heard on Biggie's No. 1 heater "Mo Money Mo Problems" as well as "Nasty Boy." She also blessed Ma$e on the chorus of "Feels So Good." Lending her vocals to other future classics like Jigga's "You Must Love M." (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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An assist by Erykah Badu on"You Got Me" helped The Roots snag a Grammy in 2000 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. She and Common also made magic with "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)." She also went on a few platinum adventures with Outkast on cuts like "Humble Mumble." (Photo: Josh Brasted/FilmMagic)
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Alicia Keys helped Jay Z craft a new anthem for New York in 2009 with "Empire State of Mind." The multi-platinum selling smash sat at the top of the Billboard charts for five consecutive weeks, gave Hov a Billboard No. 1 hit. Keys has also rocked out with Drake, Rakim and Nas and delivered some "Gangsta Lovin'" with Eve. (Photo: Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for MTV)
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Ashanti helped Murder Inc. become one of the most respected labels in the early 2000s as she tore up the hip hop and R&B charts. Her hip hop run started with Big Pun's posthumous hit "How We Roll" and then she and Ja Rule went on a platinum run with hits like "Always on Time" and "Mesmerize." She also created timeless dance floor classics like "What's Luv?" with Fat Joe and "Into You" with Fabolous. (Photo: Moses Robinson/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Moses Robinson/Getty Images
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Mariah Carey made a few vocal performances with some of hip hop's finest as she ushered in the Rap/Pop genre collaborations that still run the game today, like Busta Rhyme's "I Know What You Want" She also tore down the game with a gang of her own classic hip hop remixes, including Fantasy" with Ol' D.B. and "Heartbreaker" Jay Z and a remix that included Da Brat and Missy Elliott. (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
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Faith Evans, Bad Boy's former first lady, left her vocal prints on the game early as she collaborated with her late husband Biggie on "One More Chance" and A Tribe Called Quest on "Stressed Out." In 1998, Faith and Diddy took home a Grammy for the Biggie tribute "I'll Be Missing You." A few more of her powerful impacts include DMX's "How's It's Goin' Down" and Eve's domestic abuse awareness track "Love Is Blind." (Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for BET)
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Rihanna has been burning up the hip hop charts for years. She led Jay Z, Kanye West, and Eminem to multiple Grammy wins for "Run This Town," "All of the Lights" and "The Monster." A few more of her island gal vocals can be found on Billboard hits like T.I.'s "Live Your Life" and Drake's "Take Care," while she also got "Fly" with Nicki Minaj on their women empowerment anthem. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for DirecTV)