With Black History Month coming to an end, let’s take a look at the careers of two of the most talented and successful musicians from the Midwest. These two artists have had some of the biggest influences on music as we know it today. 

Prince and Lizzo are names that by now nearly everyone is familiar with. However, what many mainstream pop music enthusiasts do not realize is that their contributions to social movements, the entertainment industry and society itself expand far beyond their top hit songs and memorable lyrics. 

Traveling back to the 1980’s, Prince became a name known in every household. While he was working on music he was also working on his filmmaking, creating his film “Purple Rain.” With his music career being very successful, Prince held the number one spot for film, single and album all at the same time in 1984. Prince’s outstanding career was so impactful that he even got a hue of purple named in his honor.

Coincidentally, in 2014, Prince created an album called “Plectrumelectrum” where you can find the song “BoyTrouble” which was a collaboration with the one and only Lizzo. 

As many of her fans know, Lizzo is a very talented flutist which started during her early education. This led her to attend college on a music scholarship and become a trained classical musician. Since then, she worked hard to get her name familiar within the music industry, however, this has not been her only contribution to the entertainment industry. 

Lizzo has worked tirelessly to provide a more inclusive and holistic representation of society through her music and performances, specifically with her work within the body positivity movement. To this day, Lizzo has won numerous awards including four Grammys. She was also recognized as Entertainer of the Year by Time Magazine in 2019.

There are far more things both of them have done that have changed the industry as we know it today. As we conclude Black History Month, it is important to recognize that Black artists and creators should always be celebrated and credited for their work and accomplishments.