Celebrate Black Music Month by visiting Richland Library for a Small Talk with Neo-Soul songstress and Soda-City native, Angie Stone. Joining Stone for this intimate walk down memory lane from 7:00 – 9 {: } 0 0 \quad \mathrm { p. m. } , Friday, June 21 at the Richland Library Main (1431 Assembly St., 29201) are the members of The Sequence – Cheryl “Cheryl the Pearl” Cook and Gwendolyn “Blondy” Chisolm.
A singer, MC, self-taught keyboardist, and prolific songwriter, Stone entered the scene as a member of the Sequence, a pioneering hip-hop trio who arrived with “Funk You Up” (1979), the second release on famed 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.
Stone began singing
gospel music at a young age at First Nazareth Baptist Church. Her father, a member of a local gospel quartet, ensured her attendance at live performances by gospel artists. During her youth, she wrote poetry, played sports, and after graduating from C. A. Johnson High School, was offered college basketball scholarships. While working dead-end jobs, Stone began saving money to record her own demos at a local studio called PAW. Hard work paid off for Grammy-Nominated Stone who went on to earn two Gold Certified albums among many other accolades.
The Columbia natives, return home to share first-hand experiences as pioneers of Hip Hop with Dr. Toby S. Jenkins, author of The Hip Hop Mindset during this after-hours event for adults, brought to you by Richland Library and Richland County.
For questions, please contact media@richlandlibrary.com
