Detroit, Michigan

A major center of Black musical innovation and the home city of Motown.

Timbaland

Producer and songwriter known for rhythmic innovation across R&B, hip-hop, and pop.

Producer, songwriter, and entrepreneur who co-created Verzuz with Timbaland.

Singer, songwriter, producer, and visual artist whose large-scale performances connect Black musical history with contemporary pop.

Recording artist, producer, and Sugar Hill Records co-founder who helped move rap music onto commercial records.

Singer, songwriter, dancer, and visual performer whose albums and short films expanded the scale of global pop.

Producer, arranger, composer, and executive whose career connected jazz, film, television, R&B, and global pop.

Creator and longtime host of Soul Train, a nationally visible platform for Black music, dance, fashion, and style.

Songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur who founded Motown and developed an influential artist-and-song production system.