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Black History: 25 of the Most Important African-American Artists of the Last 25 Years

Black History: 25 of the Most Important African-American Artists of the Last 25 Years

Posted February 7, 2012
You know them, you love them, and, most importantly, you respect them. They're some of the most important African-American artists ever—and, without them, there's a pretty good chance that this magazine (and many others like it!) probably wouldn't exist. Over the course of the last 25 years, we've seen thousands and thousands of different artists come and go, from the one-hit wonders of the world to those who put together consistent, though not spectacular, careers. But these 25 artists were different. Their music touched our lives, changed the way we thought about things, and ultimately made history.

With all of that in mind, we proudly present this gallery of 25 of the most important African-American artists of the last 25 years, in no particular order. There were plenty of people who could have made this list—and plenty who, unfortunately, didn't make the cut—so, if you think we forgot anyone, drop us a line in the comments section and let us know! Now, let's make some history.

Click Below To Begin

When He Got Arrested: March 2010


What He Got Arrested For: Offering an undercover policewoman $40 in exchange for oral sex in New York City


Why It Was Dumb: This is D'Angelo. The guy from the "Untitled" video. The guy who recorded Brown Sugar. The guy who was once the brightest R&B star on the planet. Damn, homie. In '95 you were the man, homie...

The Artist: 2Pac


The Day: 2 Times 2Pac Tuesdays


Even after eight posthumous releases (and a gang of unofficial mixtapes!), 2Pac's got still new songs locked away in a vault somewhere. Why not release them to the world? If two new ones come out every Tuesday, we should be able to hear them all by—*crunches numbers* *carries the 2* *finds another hard drive full of new stuff*—2018 or so. Hmmm, how about Makaveli Mondays, too?

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