Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Nelly's 2000 solo debut, Country Grammar, spawned a smash single by the same name, and his unique approach to music has kept his sound fresh and the hits coming (“Nelly”). After a 2018 track with Jacquees, "Freaky with You," Nelly retreated a bit but returned in 2020 with a slew of collaborations with such country artists as Jimmie Allen, Florida Georgia Line, and Kane Brown. This was the prelude to Heartland, a 2021 album that blended country-pop and rap (“Nelly Biography”). The County-pop and rap blend was something he’d played with in the past, sharing a single with Tim McGraw called "Over and Over" in 2004.
Lizzo
(b. 1988)
Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she later moved to Houston, Texas, where she began performing before moving to Minneapolis, where she began her recording career in hip hop music (“Lizzo Biography”). She has three Grammy wins, Best Solo Performance for her song Truth Hurts, Best Traditional R&B Performance for Jerome, and Best Urban Contemporary Album Cuz I Love You (Deluxe). She also has five additional Grammy nominations for Record of The Year Truth Hurts, Album of the Year Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Song of the Year Truth Hurts, Best New Artist (2019), and Best R&B Performance for Exactly How I Feel (“Lizzo”).
“The Anxiety”
Willow Smith (b. 2000) & Tyler Cole (b. 1998)
As a singer/songwriter, Smith debuted with the viral 2010 hit pop single "Whip My Hair" before maturing her sound to include alt-R&B textures with her full-length debut, Ardipithecus, which she also produced. Her collaborative work with Cole was extended when the pair formed the Anxiety, recording a self-titled album that landed in early 2020. In 2021, Smith added pop-punk to her sonic resumé with the single "Transparent Soul," a Paramore-esque foray that featured drummer Travis Barker (Yeung). Cole is an American actor, writer, filmmaker, singer, songwriter and musician. He has released two albums so far, Stranger and We're in Love & the World Is Ending. He has co-produced and featured on Willow Smith's third album WILLOW, which was released on July 19, 2019 (“Who Is Tyler Cole?). Cole is in two bands, “The Anxiety” with Willow Smith, “Mourning Knights” who released their debut album, Wake Up | Let Down, in 2020 (Moore).
