Angela Laverne Brown
December 18, 1961-March 1, 2025
Before she was making neo-soul hits under the name Angie Stone, she was Angie B., 1/3 of the South Carolina rap trio The Sequence. Widely regarded as hip-hop’s first all-female rap group, they were also the first all-women rap group to get a deal, signing to Sugar Hill Records in 1979. Their song “Funk You Up” was a hit, and they wrote hits for their label mates The Sugar Hill Gang: “Apache (Jump On It)” and “8th Wonder.”
In the late 90s she joined the R&B group Vertical Hold before going solo and signing a deal with Arista Records. She saw success with her solo albums Black Diamond and Mahogany Soul and songs like “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and “Wish I Didn't Miss You.”
She also pursued acting, appearing on Broadway in Chicago and various television series and movies.