The Best Artists Making Music from Houston, Texas
The stars of the music world typically flock to the coastal cities like Los Angeles and New York. If those are the galaxies where stars congregate, where is the nebula where the biggest stars in music today are born? The South has long been a hotbed of talent appreciated by listeners around the country. Texas — the South Coast, if you will —is known as the home to some of America’s finest musicians. Austin is regarded as the live music capital of the world. However, hugging the Gulf of Mexico, Houston reasonably can claim it makes the best music in the state. Honestly, they can make the claim that they are home to the best musicians in the nation. Here is an admittedly not exhaustive list of noteworthy artists making music today from Houston, Texas — in no particular order.
I made a playlist featuring each of the artists’ work. Available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube here
Beyoncé
Okay after this it’s in no particular order. It only feels right to put Beyoncé Knowles first. She is the premier musical act of a generation and has maintained impressive amounts of control over her art in an industry full of record label bullies. For instance, she served as writer, director, and executive producer of her excellent documentary film on Netflix, Homecoming, which goes behind the scenes of her iconic 2018 performance at one of the world’s most famous music festivals: Coachella. She is the exception to many rules, not just mine for this article.
First gaining notoriety as a member of the star-studded group Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé Knowles has been blessing her fan base, the Beyhive, with top tier music that transcends traditional genres by blending Soul, R&B, House, Pop, and Hip Hop with her beautifully powerful voice and attention-demanding demeanor. That was a long sentence, but Beyoncé has had a long career. She rose to prominence in the 90s and never left. Collaboration has always been a major component of her career as she has worked with the likes of Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, Frank Ocean, Houston native Megan thee Stallion, and her husband JAY-Z. All seven of her solo albums have been atop the Billboard Top 100, making her the first female artist to accomplish such a feat. Her career is important because it has served to break music typically labeled as “urban” out of the mold and into mainstream pop territory — a feat which is not easy for many African-American artists.
Her continued musical success, collaboration with Adidas to make her killer clothing line: Ivy Park, and appearance in films such as The Pink Panther, The Lion King (voicing adult Nala), and Austin Powers have cemented her status in international stardom. Elegance and elevated energy can be used to describe any Beyoncé song. In a strategy similar to that of Serena and Venus Williams sisters’ dad, Richard, in tennis, Beyoncé’s parents played a large role in the development of her career — serving as the managers of Destiny’s Child. The end result was the same: the creation of an absolute legend and the Queen of her respective craft.
Robert Glasper
First developing his sound in church with his professional musician for a mother, Kim Yvette Glasper, Robert Glasper strikes an incredible balance with his sonic blend of old and new. You can see this in his collaborations where he has worked with seemingly everyone from living legends like Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder to r&b soul icons like Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, Anderson .Paak and more recently H.E.R. to legends of hip hop like Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Common and fledgling super lyricist Denzel Curry.
Glasper’s reach stretches from coast to coast. For instance, this summer, he had a residency at the Blue Note in Napa Valley, California — where he put on a festival hosted by Dave Chappelle that included performances from Snoop Dogg, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Madlib, and Black Star. He also included younger acts like D Smoke, Alex Isley, and Domi & JD Beck. Now, this fall, he has a star-studded residency at the Blue Note in New York City which will feature singer Lalah Hathaway, alto saxophonist Terrace Martin, and drummer Chris Dave.
In what I consider to be his commercial breakthrough album, Black Radio, Glasper found a smashing success. This is the first album in the history of music to debut in the top 10 of 4 different genre charts simultaneously: Hip Hop/R&B, Urban Contemporary, Jazz, and Contemporary Jazz.
Few, if any, have imbued jazz with the sounds of hip hop like Glasper has. He even has a hip hop themed “mixtape” entitled F*** Your Feelings. He has also done much to imprint hip hop with his original style of jazz with his plethora of collaborations on other artists’ work such as the king of the underground, Big K.R.I.T., and this guy you may have heard of named Kendrick Lamar. His ability to cook up a delicious feast of artists together in a single dish of a song is perhaps Glasper’s greatest ability. Seemingly everyone wants to collaborate with this guy.
The success of Glasper’s 3 Black Radio albums and his most recent collaboration, Dinner Party, with saxophonist Kamasi Washington, producer 9th Wonder and producer/alto saxophonist Terrace Martin has cemented him on the Mount Rushmore of modern jazz artists.
Tobe Nwigwe
Although he is relatively new to the music game, Tobe Nwigwe has absoluted exploded on the scene! He is quickly emerging as a star in hip hop and one of Houston’s most exciting new artists. After his dreams of playing in the NFL were derailed by injury while playing linebacker at North Texas, Nwigwe did not let his habit of dreaming big fizzle out. Instead he started an education nonprofit, Team GINI, before turning his talents to music. The organization’s motto — making purpose popular — has carried over into Nwigwe’s artistry.
Although primarily focusing on hip hop, Nwigwe’s first song to hit the Billboard chart, Try Jesus, was more of a gospel song with a hilarious and soulful message to anyone thinking about standing in Nwigwe’s way: “try Jesus, not me because I throw hands”. Nwigwe’s soul is on full display in his work, and that is what makes him so easy to support. Family is of the utmost importance to Tobe. Among his team of producers is his sister, Nell. Additonally, most of his songs are featuring an artist by the name of FAT. This is Tobe’s wife, Martica Nwigwe. I really cannot think of another happily married couple with kids making hip hop together like this. One will often see his children in their music videos together as well. As Tobe says himself in the song FYE FYE, “ if you book me for a show and I can’t bring my wife and my babies I’m leaving”.
Another unique aspect of Nwigwe’s artistry is his music video style. His latest projects all incorporate the color mint green and amazing group choreography from the Black Angels Collective which give his videos an instantly recognizable distinction. His delivery is also unique to him. He carries a calmness combined with quickness in his delivery that projects a genuine confidence and infectious energy. The industry has quickly taken notice of his talents as he has secured features from Earthgang, Pharrell, Big K.R.I.T., D Smoke, CeeLo Green, Royce da 5'9, and fellow Houston natives Chamillionaire and Bun B.
As an independent artist, Nwigwe found unique ways to thrive during the pandemic. He performed at Dave Chappelle’s “Summer Camp” and put on a virtual show for At the Crib Fest. Perhaps most notably, he live streamed a 2 hour performance from the White Oak Music Hall in Houston called “The Pandemic Experience” which garnered plenty of attention and love.
Speaking of Houston, Nwigwe also co-starred alongside Mohammed Amer in Season 1 of one of my favorite new shows on Netflix, Mo. Mo is a truly unique show set in Houston, Texas that follows the story of a refugee from Palestine as he tries to cope with living as an undocumented person in America. It’s hilarious and touches the heart. Moreover, Nwigwe’s acting in the show is actually pretty good. This guy can really do anything! I say he’s the LeBron James of rap because he is so multi-talented with a focus on family and giving back to the community from which he comes.
Solange
Solange Knowles, has made quite the name for herself with ambitious, adventurous, and always experimental alternative music adorned with flashes of r&b excellency and jazzy instrumentals. Three top ten albums have catapulted Solange into the conversation of best artists making music today. Her song, Cranes in the Sky, won best R&B Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Music from Solange carries with it a certain degree of grace and sophistication which is difficult to put into words. Instead it carries with it feelings. Feelings of floating. Feelings of goosebumps up and down your arms. Feelings of familiarity and comfort even if you’re listening for the first time.
Solange has also made a splash in the film industry co-starring in Bring it On: All or Nothing. Moreover, she directed the film which accompanied her amazing album When I Get Home. One song off the album with production by Pharrell and a Playboi Carti feature, Almeda, is an homage to the neighborhood of the same name in Houston. The song’s composition utilizes elements of the music style popularized by the late DJ Screw in Houston called chopped and screwed. In this style, the song’s tempo is slowed down to 60–70 quarter beats per minute and techniques such as record scratches, skipping beats, and stop time are used to create a chopped up version of the song. Additionally, the video, a segment of the larger film, even features the nearby Fort Worth Water Gardens.
Deeply committed to her artistry, Solange has also created and directed a piece of performance art called In Past Pupils and Smiles which used sound and movement at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale de Venezia to convey themes of loss, identity, and protection. She also published a 188 page book of the same name giving a written explanation and behind the scenes look of the creative process that went into the performance’s creation.
Most recently, she composed an original score for this year’s New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala. Solange Knowles’ career has focused on true artistic expression with impressive creativity and consciousness. Listening to her music makes fans like me feel like we’re living in a movie. Her commitment to creativity is inspiring and reminds listeners that there is the opportunity to make any moment in our lives more beautiful.
Lecrae
Criminally underrated, Lecrae has been the poster child for high quality, conscious rapping for decades now. Although he has established himself in Atlanta at this point and for a large part of his career, he was born in Houston.
At times he has been described as a Christian rapper but he insists that his music is just hip hop that reflects his Christian faith. Instead of talking the talk, he walks the walk. Regardless, his third solo album, Rebel, became the first hip hop album to reach Number 1 on the Billboard Gospel chart in 2008. Lecrae also makes his presence felt in society as an activist. In 2013, Lecrae partnered with NBA star Dwyane Wade, filmmaker Art Hooker, and the Obama Administration to create a national multimedia campaign called This is Fatherhood which served to restore healthy fatherhood in America.
Lecrae is the president, co-owner, and co-founder of Reach Records, an independent record label. He also was co-founder and president of ReachLife Ministries before moving on to other endeavors such as investing in and co-owning the audio production software MXD. Furthermore, he is the co-founder of the film production studio 3 Strand Films which exists to depict storylines of redemption.
Lecrae has a crazy journey that led him to his deeply committed faith that started with childhood trauma leading to later drug abuse and gang ties. He turned his life around when he impossibly survived a terrible car crash and devoted his life to God. Now, he’s an accomplished artist, activist, and entrepreneur whose music inspires listeners to heal and and help the world be a better place.
Travis Scott
Scott is one of the biggest names in hip hop for a reason. The guy can make hype party anthems like no other. Anyone who can play one song (Goosebumps) 15 times straight without having everyone leave the concert must be doing something right. Note: Scott now holds the world record for most consecutive performances of a song from that concert in Cleveland. His concerts are an amusement park for the senses.
Sicko Mode’s music video has 1 billion views just on its own. Scott’s last three albums: Rodeo, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, and ASTROWORLD have each absolutely rocked hip hop listeners’ worlds. Major hits are found all throughout his albums. His extensive and expensive features, maximalist production, and patented vocal effects have set a new standard in the modern rap era, making Scott a bonafide superstar. There really is a solid trajectory of growth for Travis Scott through each album. On his latest album, ASTROWORLD, he stepped outside his comfort zone to incorporate production not only from familiar names like Hit-Boy but also John Mayer, Thundercat, and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. There was also a rumor of contributions from Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire lead singer Philip Baileyon on STOP TRYING TO BE GOD.
Thanks to partnerships with McDonald’s and Nike, Travis Scott has solidified himself as a household name across America. Perhaps even more impressively, Scott is paving the way for future artists from Houston such as Don Toliver to progress their careers through his Cactus Jack record label much like Kanye West did for him when he signed him to a publishing deal with GOOD Music in 2012. What’s also great is that Travis Scott is still putting on for his city. ASTROWORLD has tracks named HOUSTONFORNICATION and R.I.P. SCREW, an homage to the late great Houston legend DJ Screw. You can’t say Travis Scott isn’t making his presence felt in the rap game right now at the highest levels.
Don Toliver
After his commercial breakthrough on Travis Scott’s songs CAN’T SAY and WHAT TO DO?, Don Toliver was launched into the national spotlight of superstardom. The latter was on Scott’s JACKBOYS album where he combined his talents with the young talent from his Cactus Jack label (including Toliver) as well as Young Thug and Pop Smoke. This album had the nation’s airwaves in a relentless chokehold, providing the vibes for all of 2020 after it was released at the very end of 2019.
Toliver’s star power was cemented with his debut solo studio album, Heaven or Hell, which had its album artwork designed by acclaimed artist Matt McCormick. Album artwork often gets overlooked, but I find it to be of vital importance since it is the first thing the listener sees. Saturated with ultra catchy hooks and party anthem lyrics, Heaven or Hell, was an instant smashing success. It’s rare that an album has zero tracks you want to skip, but this was one of them. As a Houston native, it was a necessity that he got a chopped and screwed remix for his song No Idea inspired by the mixing style which Houston created. This isn’t uncommon for a Houston hip ho artist, but what is really cool and rare is that he created a separate music video for the remix.
Spacey beats and unabashedly altered vocals have become Toliver’s niche, and he certainly seems comfortable there. Perhaps he became too comfortable because his latest album, Life of a Don, was received well but not the same level that that Heaven or Hell was. It remains to be seen if Toliver can live up to the lofty expectations which were set after such a successful debut solo studio album.
Bobby Earth
Bobby Earth is a rising star from Houston whose music doesn’t fit a mold. His sound is entirely his own, making him a true artist. It’s hard to describe his sound other than groovy and just flat out cool in the way it meshes funk, hip hop, r&b, and electronic. Earth’s voice is silky smooth and he collaborates with dope musicians. His song, Mood, was featured on the Season 3 finale of Issa Rae’s wildly popular HBO show Insecure. Those of us that watch the show know this is no small feat as the soundtrack of every Insecure episode receives heavy amounts of attention.
His latest project, Party at the Ivory Tower, is an invitation to the party happening inside Earth’s sometimes introverted artistic world, and what a party it is! He seems to shift away from the extremely smooth downtempo, borderline shoe gaze music of his previous projects and instead opts for higher energy anthems with plenty of grooviness.
Regardless of what style he opts for, Bobby Earth’s music strikes an incredible balance between energizing and relaxing that raises listeners’ vibration and puts them in a better mood. For his latest album’s release, he hosted a dope listening party at the Los Angeles art gallery Wonzimer. It was an inviting atmosphere where he expressed genuine gratitude to his fans who attended and made sure everyone had a good time while promoting the art on display in the gallery. Bobby Earth is a good dude who is deserving of a listen.
Megan Thee Stallion
Everyone remembers when Megan Thee Stallion declared the Summer of 2019 to be Hot Girl Summer. She took the world by storm, emerging from seemingly out of nowhere with solid flows and lyricism. She distinguishes herself from other artists well. For her most recent project, Traumazine, she translated her love of anime into animated visualizers for each of her songs.
Recently, Meg has taken to diversifying her career. She teamed up with Nike last year for the Hot Girl Coach campaign where she encourages women to participate in sports. Additionally, she has launched a mental health awareness campaign where she reminds us “bad bitches have bad days too”. To cap it off, she makes a cameo in the new show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Megan Thee Stallion obviously has a crazy amount of talent. She also has smartly tapped into her Houston Hip Hop roots for her breakthrough album Tina Snow (2018) which was inspired by Houston native Pimp C’s alter-ego Tony Snow. Since then she has been riding a wave of success that it seems has only just begun.
Demola
Demola is a groundbreaking violinist who specializes in covers of Afrobeat and Pop songs. However, his original songs, including Gbedu which features popular Nigerian artist Davido, are really special. He brings infectious energy to his craft which is seen particularly during his live performances where he jets around the stage with the quickness and a beaming grin on his face to complement his always exquisite tuxedo jacket. Demola has a great presence as an artist and recently he played the national anthem at a Houston Astros game to promote the release of his newest album Feelings.
Demola’s music is sophisticated yet makes you want to get up and move. Truly original and uplifting, I never regret listening to Demola and was fortunate enough to see him steal the show at the African Culture Festival in Culver City, California earlier this year. His covers are great to listen to while working because his tunes are familiar and fun but lack words, making it easier to focus. The latest single he released in September, Warm, is superb.
Mike Dean
Your favorite artist’s favorite artist, Mike Dean has been instrumental in the development of southern hip hop’s sound and contemporary music overall since his career began in 1983. He started out as a musician, famously playing keyboards for the icon of Mexican-American music Selena. The multi-instrumentalist composer, engineer and producer has worked with a wide breadth of artists in his career spanning from Houston natives like UGK, Devin the dude, and Beyoncé to artists all over the country like Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Burna Boy, Selena Gomez, Madonna, 070 Shake, The Weeknd, FKA Twigs, Lana Del Rey, 2Pac. I would say that his collaborations are diverse in style but that much is self-evident.
Dean can seemingly do anything with anyone, and his fingerprints are all over modern music. The craziest story I saw about Mike Dean was that he stole some 2Pac songs from Suge Knight after Shakur’s untimely death. These were songs that were cut from his Makaveli album. Dean ended up leaking the tracks and having to go in hiding from Suge Knight. Everyone likes to throw around the term “underrated” these days, but I truly believe that Mike Dean is unjustly under the radar and unrecognized for his contributions to some of the greatest hip hop and pop albums of the modern era. Some albums that wouldn’t be the same without Mike dean’s fingerprint: Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD, Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and UGK’s Too Hard to Swallow.
Bun B
Last but certainly not least, Bun B is at the bottom of this list because he is the foundation of modern Houston music. It was because of his rap partnership, Underground Kingz (UGK), with Pimp C that Houston artists started getting serious radio recognition. For three decades now, Bun B has cruised over beats with impeccable flow and lyricism that can go toe to toe with the best MCs of New York for us to listen to while we cruise in our car. Occasionally, he ditches any and all chill to unleash his battle rap background and demolish beats.
Following the tragic death of his partner Pimp C in 2007, Bun B took a brief hiatus from music. He said it just wasn’t fun anymore. Thankfully he came back to reinvent his career, seemingly inspired to carry on Pimp C’s legacy by collaborating with a wide array of other artists such as on his latest project produced by Bun B’s longtime collaborator and fellow Houston Native Cory Mo entitled Mo Trill. On Mo Trill, listeners will be delighted to hear features with Talib Kweli, Wale, 2 Chainz, CeeLo Green, Big K.R.I.T., Benny the Butcher, Larry June, and Houston natives Devin the Dude and Tobe Nwigwe (remember him from earlier?). Bun B has been holding it down in Houston music since before it was cool and shows no signs of slowing down. His influence extends beyond Houston, beyond Texas, and beyond the South to all of hip hop across the world.
