Angie Stone is one of those artists with a Midas touch. Her buttery smooth honey-toned pipes, undeniable gritty soulfulness and epic songwriting talents have been called upon by everyone from Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo and Lenny Kravitz to Moby, Erykah Badu, Ice Cube and Alicia Keys, to name a few. Rolling Stone Magazine once declared, “When soul music was in the lost and found, she came along to claim it.” It is this belief that has made Stone the go-to woman for three different record labels when they were creating a new sound and vision. In the 70s it was Angie Stone who helped to define the sound of the now legendary Sugar Hill Records, when she was one of the first recorded female rappers/singers in the ground-breaking trio Sequence. Their hit “Funk You Up” is a classic that gets folks moving to this day! Fast forward, Clive Davis tapped Stone’s iconic sound in the early 2000’s, when he launched J Records. She recorded her gold-selling Mahogany Soul for the label and Stone Love. The in demand Renaissance woman moves seamlessly from the studio and stage (she’s starred on Broadway) to television and silver screen without missing a beat. A legend in this tough business, Angie Stone stands in a class by herself. November 2015 Stone will release her new CD Dream on Shanachie Entertainment in collaboration with Conjunction Entertainment Inc. Music Executive/Producer Walter W. Millsap III (Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez) and TopNotch Music. The album’s first single, “2 Bad Habits,” is soon to ship to radio. At last Angie Stone’s story will fully be told as she will be a featured artist later this month in an upcoming episode of BET/Centric TV’s Being, which profiles notable artists and personalities.
“As much success as Angie Stone has had, I still feel that she is under-recognized, given all the things that she has achieved, ” notes Shanachie General Manger Randall Grass. “When you put it all together, her story is amazing, from being part of the first female rap group to being one of the best, most soulful vocalists of the past couple decades to her work as a songwriter and actress. We are very excited to be working with her and look forward to truly tell ‘the Angie Stone story’ to its fullest!”
“When Darrell Thompson approached me with the idea of signing Angie Stone I was all in,” notes Music Executive and CEO of Conjunction Entertainment Inc. Walter W. Millsap III. “In my initial conversations with Angie we spoke very candidly about redefining her artistry and line extending her brand. I instantly knew, Angie’s history and experience in music paired with her phenomenal talent would make the process very serene. She’s a gem, a workaholic and a creative guru! Having worked with some of the biggest names in music today from Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys; it is evident that Angie Stone’s contribution to music has helped to pave the way for today’s artistry. The uniqueness Angie posses is second to none. Her ability to tap into ones soul musically, with or without their permission is divine.” TopNotch Music President Marv Mack adds, “It is more than a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with one of the most Soulful voices of this Generation. Angie is beyond talented and is still holding the Torch of ‘real soul music.’ When Walter and Angie played me the album in my office, I immediately said ‘this is a true blessing to hear soul music back in the form it needs to be in. Lets create a partnership!'”
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Angie Stone began singing gospel music as a child. Her father, a member of a local gospel quartet, would take her to hear many of the great gospel artists. Stone first caught the music world’s attention as a member of Sequence, an all-female trio that recorded for Sylvia Robinson’s pioneering hip-hop label Sugar Hill. The group made history with the now-classic “Funk You Up,” “Funky Sound (Tear the Roof Off),” and “I Don’t Need Your Love.” Soon after, Stone began working with futuristic rap group Mantronix and Lenny Kravitz. She was a part of Kravitz’s Let Love Rule Tour and appears on his album 5. In the early 90s Stone was a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold. She went on to co-write and coproduce D’Angelo’s critically lauded and Gold-selling debut, Brown Sugar in 1995 as well as 2000s Voodoo. The two also have a son together. 1999 saw the release of Angie Stone’s Arista debut Black Diamond, which garnered two Grammy nods and two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. The album featured the hit single “No More Rain (In This Cloud).” The Gold selling Mahogany Soul followed in 2001 on the newly founded J Records and Stone Love followed in 2004. The Art of Love & War followed next featuring the Grammy nominated single “Baby” with Betty Wright in 2007 and Stone’s album Unexpected was released in 2010. Her album Rich Girl was issued on Saguaro Road via Time Life. The Renaissance woman appeared on two reality TV shows – VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club (2006) and TV One’s R&B Divas (2013). She’s starred in such movies as The Fighting Temptations, Pastor Brown and School Gyrls and she starred in Chicago on Broadway. For a creative genius like Angie Stone the possibilities are limitless!