Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' was born Kevin Roosevelt Moore in Compton, California. The South Los Angeles neighborhood was also home to many other musical luminaries, including the rap group N.W.A., who released their famed debut album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988, which Mo' calls "a freakin' masterpiece."

He's most proud of the songs "Henry," "Change," and "Marvelous To Me," because they all use optimism to deal with social issues, which is his favorite way to write.

His diverse musical influences came from cruising the streets as a teenager and listening to all sorts of different genres on the radio, which, he says, was the norm in the '60s when music wasn't categorized as tightly. He also credits his mother, Lauvella Cole, who sang in church and had an affinity for jazz records, for instilling him with a love of gospel and blues music.