The Pick of the Litter: 8 Male R&B Artists Who are Taking Over the Industry

To make it big in the music industry, it takes talent, discipline, drive and tough skin. The music industry can be one that will literally make or break an artist if they don’t make the right moves. These few male R&B artists on this list are either on the rise or have been for a long time now. These men have taken over R&B and they will continue to do so as long as they keep bringing us the fire sounds that soothe and pleasure our ears. From up and coming singers and songwriters, to an artist that needs no introduction on how lit he is. Here’s my pick on male R&B artists who are taking over the industry.

khalid

Talk about a young star on the extreme rise! Khalid has shown us that you can be different, sing how you want and make hits by just being you. The singer came on the rise in March 2017 with his debut album American Teen. This album produced one of Khalid’s US top 20 hits Location. This young man has also topped the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200 charts, and has been nominated & won several awards. The takeover is real when it comes to Khalid.

giveon

Giveon is a contemporary R&B singer who rose to prominence with his feature on Drake's 2020 single Chicago Freestyle, which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. In March of 2020, Giveon released his debut EP Take Time, which is nominated for Best R&B Album at the upcoming 2021 Grammy Awards. With his deep baritone smooth vocal ability, Giveon is a contemporary artist that came out of Long Beach, California and is wrecking this industry with his sound. I mean come on, a Grammy nomination from your debut EP says a whole lot about his style and ability.

elijah blake

Keyshia Cole, Usher, Rick Ross, and Rihanna all have one thing in common, and that’s Elijah Blake. The Dominican American singer/songwriter is primarily known for his songwriting. This talented gentleman co-wrote one of Usher’s number one hits Climax. In 2012, Elijah Blake released his debut mixtape, Bijoux 22, which included the song "X.O.X", co-written and featuring Common. Still relevant today, Elijah Blake continues to write and recently released his feel-good single Sweet Love in December 2020.

daniel caesar

We can't talk about men taking over R&B without highlighting Daniel Caesar. Best known to me with his single with H.E.R. titled Best Part, Daniel Caesar, he has a smooth tone and uses it to capture his listeners every time. The Canadian-born singer rose to fame after releasing his two critically acclaimed EP’s Praise Break in 2014 and Pilgrim’s Paradise in 2015. The Grammy award-winning artist released his debut album Freudian in 2017 and shows no signs of letting up that smooth grove that he blesses our ears with.

6lack

We all know that when artists come out of ATL, they have a southern swag like no other. This is who R&B artist 6lack is. 6lack gained recognition after releasing his single Prblms from his debut album Free 6lack in 2016. He released his second album, East Atlanta Love Letter in September 2018, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. Recently in 2020, 6lack got the chance to work with Sir Elton John on an album by British band Gorillaz.

chris brown

Let’s be honest, between the years of 2005-2020, and so on, the R&B industry would not be complete without the one and only C-Breezy, better known as Chris Brown. Since early 2005, Chris Brown has made a name for himself like no other. From occasional rapping to the powerful rifts and runs when he sings, Chris Brown has shown time and time again how you take over an industry. Still, in 2020 he is going strong with his recent collaborative mixtape with rapper Young Thug, titled Slime & B, and his 100th career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

justin love

When an independent artist can snag not one, but two Grammy’s, you want to look out for that person. Justin Love is an R&B star on the rise who not only sings us down but is an award-winning songwriter. He is steadily rising in the industry and he’s not stopping anytime soon.

adrian marcel

Singer, songwriter and rapper Adrian Marcel comes from the great Bay Area of Oakland, California. By releasing his debut mixtape 7 Days of Weak, Adrian Marcel shows us his vocal ability and comes with the heavy hitters. Being the protégé of Grammy Award-Winning musician Raphael Saadiq, Adrian Marcel is learning and striving to be one of the best up and coming artists of this generation.