A singer, MC, self-taught keyboardist, and prolific songwriter, Angie Stone's first claim to fame was her membership in the Sequence, an all-female trio that recorded for pioneering hip-hop label Sugar Hill, beginning with the 1979 single "Funk You Up." Several years later, she re-emerged as the lead vocalist for Vertical Hold, where she scored with the smooth urban dance track, "Seems You're Much Too Busy," a Top 40 R&B hit during the summer of 1993 that led to very productive solo career. With the release of her 1999 solo debut, she became one of neo-soul's leading lights, providing sharp insight into romantic relationships with her smoky yet upfront voice. Stone signed to Arista as a solo artist and recorded 1999's Black Diamond, a Top Ten R&B album that was certified gold on the strength of the singles "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" and "Everyday." The album won her a pair of Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. She shifted to J Records for 2001's Mahogany Soul, another gold seller. 2004's Stone Love fared just as well commercially, yet she moved to the revitalized Stax label for her fourth studio album, 2007's The Art of Love & War. It topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured two of her best singles, "Baby" and "Sometimes." Unexpected, a second Stax release, followed two years later. Stone released Rich Girl in 2012. Angie Stone continues to play to packed houses everywhere.