As a genre stemming from an alchemy of blues and folk, country music has a storied history in Black art spaces. Despite this presence often being erased, cast away, or discredited, from the 1920s to 2019, Black artists have been the one’s pioneering and preserving country music, and that impact can be seen through its traverse influence over art from across genres and generations.

When debates arise about the best song from The Notorious B.I.G. many will pinpoint to “Juicy” for the superior storytelling skills and its mainstream breakthrough. Some will say it’s “Big Poppa” for establishing one of his many monikers. Others will argue “Hypnotize” for its addictive chorus and being his first to go No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. For me, it's "My Downfall" from Life After Death, the greatest album from the G.O.A.T.

Steeped in tradition while pushing music into new frontiers, modern R&B has infiltrated the mainstream and become the go-to sound for pop music. Here are the various umbrellas R&B has placed itself in, and the stars that are pioneering and leading these movements.

From shaping contemporary R&B to overlooking his own XO label and fashion line, The Weeknd has become one of the biggest artists of the decade. An explanation on his sonic sound from the first mix-tape, House of Balloons up to his most recent work on LPs and EPs.

From a string of surprise releases to her openly revealing public persona, Ariana Grande has redefined what it means to be a pop star (and "It Woman") today.

Here are eight songs to explain the fusion happening between trap&B and various East Asian pop genres.

POISON is not just an album full of club bangers from a legendary producer who shaped most of the 2000s R&B and hip-hop sound; it's a cohesive project that understands its need in the current climate.

On the LP, Drake discerns his ability to preserve the history and legacies of one of R&B's most successful slow jam genres, one that has consistently influenced the sound of late nite radio.

The Quiet Storm: The genre that soundtracked R&B radio after dark.

Whenever someone finds out I'm an OG Tinashe fan, I'm always hit with the inquiry of "what went wrong," alongside a simultaneous rush of championing a cult legend-to-be in music. I can't necessairly answer that question, but what I can do is discuss the artistry in her musicality, hoping this guide will finally get the public into an artist I've been stanning since before the aftermath of "2 On."

When Brandy released Never Say Never on June 9, 1998, R&B had been in the throes of a contemporary renaissance. Brandy also found herself in a metamorphosis stage, both artistically and as a teen star entering adulthood. Comprised of 16 tracks, the singer's sophomore project not only chronicled her adjustments to love and music, but also blueprinted her signature silky, smooth sound.

When discussing Kimberly Denise Jones' influential role as the de facto blueprint for her commercial successors in female hip hop, most get the basics right.Lil' Kim's legacy has brought the rap game an archetype of the "acquisitive gangstress"—a woman willing to ride or die for all the things she cherishes and loves. Interestingly enough, Lil' Kim barely receives sufficient credit for navigating the multiple personalities she's invented and introduced throughout her discography, proving that Lil' Kim had been lightyears ahead on yet another trend.

Exactly a year ago (Sept. 24), Cardi B's debut lead single "Bodak Yellow" reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. It had been 19 years since a woman earned that accomplishment by herself, without guests, standing on her own grounds. Now, Cardi B has three No. 1 singles thanks to Maroon 5's "Girls Like You." Through earning these accomplishments, here's how she paid homage to the women in rap that preceeded her reign.

But what about the singles, features, and deep cuts from Rihanna’s catalogue that haven’t received the roses they deserve? The songs that have either been snubbed from the public conscious, are panned by some Navy members themselves, or don’t enter the conversation as much as others. Here’s a ranking of 15 Rihanna songs from the recording entrepreneur that require a bit more attention from music listeners.