Highlighting 10 Local Jacksonville Artists

June is Black Music Appreciation Month, an annual celebration of African-American music in America.

To help celebrate, here are 10 artists from Jacksonville that helped make American music what it is today.

95 South

This classic hip hop act started out as a Miami bass group with members Article "AB" Bartley, Carlos "Daddy Black" Spencer, and Jay "Ski" McGowan. Their name is a reference to Interstate 95 which runs through Jacksonville. Today, 95 South is a duo with members Daddy Black and Mike "Mike Mike" Phillips. Their 1993 hit "Whoot There It Is" has become a universal classic.

69 Boyz

Another Miami bass group hailing from Jacksonville, this duo is comprised of Van "Thrill Da Playa" Bryant and Barry "Fast" Wright from Orlando. With the help of producers C.C. Lemonhead and Jay Ski (of 95 South), the duo made classic old-school hip hop songs like "Tootsee Roll."

Quad City DJ's

Associated with both 95 South and 69 Boyz, members Jay Ski, C.C. Lemonhead, and JeLana LaFleur recorded the 1996 hit "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)." The song remixes 1974's "Theme from Together Brothers" by another essential Black musician Barry White.

The Chill Deal Boyz

This group and their best-known song "Rock the House" featured members who would go on to form 95 South including Jay Ski and Mike-Mike Phillips.

Glenn Jones

Jones started out as a gospel singer, recording with the Florida-based group The Modulations. His pivot to R&B in the '80s brought him success thanks to smooth tracks like "We've Only Just Begun" and "Show Me" which peaked at No. 3 on the R&B charts.

Ray Charles

While the iconic singer-songwriter was born in Georgia, he grew up in Greenville, just two hours west of Jacksonville. With hits like "Georgia On My Mind," "Hit the Road Jack," "I Got a Woman," and countless others, Charles played a large role in pioneering soul music. He also contributed to the popularity of blending genres with his hit album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music.

Lil Duval

Roland Powell's stage name is an homage to his birthplace, Duval County, Florida. Duval released his first solo single "Wat Dat Mouf Do?" in the spring of 2014. In 2018, his song "Smile Bitch (Living My Best Life)" featuring Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy landed him a spot on the Hot 100 chart.

SpotEmGottem

This 19-year-old rapper from Jacksonville gained success with his 2020 single "Beat Box" which hit No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart. He's released two mixtapes called Final Destination in 2020 and Most Wanted in May 2021.

Cool Running DJs

This dj group is compromised of members Bigga Rankin, DJ Jay Bone, DJ Tephlon, DJ Winn, Kingpin, and Moneycure Da DJ. The group is known for spotlighting reggae music.

YK Osiris

Born in Jacksonville, Osiris started making music at a young age. He first gained popularity when is songs "I'm Next (Freestyle)" and "Valentine" were remixed by rapper Lil Uzi Vert. He signed to Def Jam Recordings in 2019 and released the single "Worth It" which got him to the Hot 100 chart.

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