A singer, MC, self-taught keyboardist, and prolific songwriter, Angie Stone's first claim to fame was her membership in the Sequence, a pioneering hip-hop trio who arrived with "Funk You Up" (1979), the second release on Sugar Hill Records and the first rap single by an all-female group. Following a brief period with the post-new jack swing R&B act Vertical Hold, Stone began a fruitful and lasting solo career as one of neo-soul's leading lights, known for providing sharp insight into romantic relationships with her smoky yet upfront voice.