The newly slimmed down Aretha Franklin turns 69 years old today.  The Queen of Soul’s instantly recognizable voice has been an inspiration to many singers over the years.  Songs like “Respect” and “Natural Woman” have become theme songs for today’s modern woman.

Check out AOL Black Voices for a beautiful gallery of photos of the living legend.

What’s your favorite Aretha Franklin track!

Musiq Soulchild sat down with Madame Noire to talk about everything from his baby boy with 702 singer Kameelah Williams to his VERY interesting choice in classic movies.  Check it all out in the video below!

What’s your favorite Musiq Soulchild song?

In 2010, you may have spent your days looking at fabulous and fun photos of all the events that you did not attend. This year, we are filling you in early so mark your calendar because 2011 is going to be a very eventful year. Don’t miss out!

Here are a few up-coming events that you don’t want to miss:

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Natalie “Floacist” Stewart formerly of London/Philly soul duo Floetry, but today she has a new album (“Floetic Soul”), a new look and a new tour in the works.  Check out what the Floacist told Madame Noire about her single with Musiq, her reason for leaving Floetry and what the heck she’s been up to for the past four years.

Read the rest of this entry »

Calling all poetry readers, listeners, and writers…have you ever heard a poem so deep that it gave you chills? Hasn’t the spoken art cut directly into your soul? Weren’t you impacted by its portrayal of love, happiness, and desperation? Music reverberates every emotion there is – even the frustration of putting pen to paper.

We love poets so much that we’ve decided to showcase lyrical geniuses who changed the poetry circuit for good!

Check them out:

Read the rest of this entry »

At first glance, singer Nikki Leonti looks like the mild-mannered, California church girl she was raised to be. A fan of the Winans family, she was only allowed to listen to gospel music growing up. Rich Velonkis has a bad boy air about him that probably stems from his days as a DJ in New York City. The unlikely pair are the two parts that make up the soulful duo, Nikki & Rich.

Referred to as “the most anticipated new duo in music” by industry heads, the pair combine pop, soul, R&B and classic ’60s sounds to make catchy hits. Leonti and Velonkis first met in Nashville when she was working as a backup singer for Carrie Underwood. Velonkis brought experience having produced tracks for Robin Thicke, Mario and Ludacris while Leonti brought an amazing voice, singing her whole life as a pastor’s daughter and Christian artist.

Read the rest of this entry »