Busta Rhymes and P. Daddy’s song “Pass the Courvoisier” was a major hit in 2001, and reportedly led to a significant rise in the brand’s US sales.
Busta Rhymes/YouTube
Legend has it that African Americans soldiers brought back a love of cognac after service in Europe in World War II. It’s a lovely story, but the history goes back much further.
A 1902 portrait of Paul Lawrence Dunbar.
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Paul Laurence Dunbar became the first Black writer to earn international acclaim through his poetry, essays and musical lyrics.
Ain’t No Sunshine: Bill Withers in 1976.
Columbia Records
His songs struck a chord with millions and Lean on Me has become an anthem for the coronavirus pandemic.
Gospel music has always been challenged and Kanye West does so in this album, while also referencing past greats.
Etienne Laurent/EPA
Jesus is King has polarised discussion. But this genuinely contemporary album will challenge the traditional concept of African American gospel while influencing its shape for years to come.
A cover song can both enhance and diminish the legacy of the original artist.
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Some covers are recorded as a nod to the legacy of the original, only to end up becoming the definitive version of the song.
Trailblazer: Fats Domino helped break down racial divides in American pop music.
Klaus Hiltscher via Wikimedia Commons
Groundbreaking musician who inspired Elvis and The Beatles.
Oak Grove Acapella Singers, a Gospel group of Chester County, Tennessee, being recorded while singing in the office of the preacher at the Oak Grove Church of Christ.
Tennessee State Library and Archives
Preachers played a key role in shaping gospel music.