Syleena Johnson

Syleena Johnson is a Grammy-winning R&B singer who, in addition to releasing her own material, has collaborated with artists like Kanye West, Faith Evans, and Musiq Soulchild. She was born in Harvey, Illinois, on September 2, 1976. Her father, Syl Johnson, had released a number of soul records during the 1960s and 1970s, scoring hits with songs like "Is It Because I'm Black" and his cover of Al Green's "Take Me To The River." Johnson followed in her dad's footsteps by making her own music, beginning with the debut album Love Hangover in 1998. Although Long Hangover failed to chart,  2001's Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness fared much better, earning a Top 5 hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart with "I Am Your Woman." Chapter 2: The Voice appeared in 2002 and reached Number 1 on the Adult R&B Songs chart with its second single, "Guess What." Like "I Am Your Woman," the song was written and produced by R. Kelly, who also contributed to 2005's Chapter 3: The Flesh. Around the same time, Johnson launched an ongoing collaboration with Kanye West, beginning with the popular single "All Falls Down." The track reached the Top 10 in both the UK and the US while also receiving a nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" at the 2005 Grammy Awards. Johnson received her second Grammy nomination in 2012 for her performance on the compilation album R&B Divas, which found the singer duetting with Faith Evans. A decade later, she received her third Grammy nomination, this time for her work on Kanye West's Donda. Meanwhile, she continued releasing albums of her own, including the soul covers collection Rebirth of Soul and the 2020 release Woman. She returned to the Top 30 Radio Adult R&B chart in 2024 with "Black Balloons," a song that utilized old footage of her father's 1969 track of the same name.