HOLIDAY COVER: LEGENDARY SINGER SONGWRITER ANGIE STONE

A singer, MC, self-taught keyboardist, and prolific songwriter, Angie Stone’s first claim to fame was her membership in the Sequence, a pioneering hip-hop trio who arrived with “Funk You Up” (1979), the second release on Sugar Hill Records and the first rap single by an all-female group. Following a brief period with the post-new jack swing R&B act Vertical Hold, Stone began a fruitful and lasting solo career as one of neo-soul’s leading lights, known for providing sharp insight into romantic relationships with her smoky yet upfront voice. She established her solo career with a pair of gold-certified albums, Black Diamond (1999) and Mahogany Soul (2001), and added to her accolades with Grammy nominations in the R&B field for “More Than a Woman” (2002), “U-Haul” (2004), and “Baby” (2007). Increasingly occupied with acting roles, she has continued to record over the years.

In November Angie Stone has inked a deal with SRG-ILS Group, in partnership with Walter Millsap III’s Conjunction Entertainment.

She joins SRG-ILS Group’s growing roster that includes Chaka Khan, Tito Jackson, Brian McKnight, Keith Sweat, Raheem DeVaughn and Vivian Green.

Claude Villani, founder and CEO of SRG/ILS Group, says, “Angie Stone is the real deal! A true soul and R&B vocalist and songwriter of legendary status. We at SRG are so excited to welcome her and her esteemed manager/producer, Walter Millsap, to our ever-growing family. I can feel the magic – it’s about to go down again!”

Stone adds, “I have been in the music business for more than four decades, and having a fantastic team brings a certain peace, so when the head of my label and manager, Walter Millsap, suggested that we do this partnership with Claude and SRG, I did not blink an eye. Claude’s passion and enthusiasm are electric and contagious.”