Ciara

With a style that perfectly bridges hip-hop's boisterous side to R&B's organic fluidity, Ciara instantly became, and remains, the First Lady of Crunk&B.

Ciara Princess Harris, born in 1985 in Austin, Texas, was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and given her nickname by none other than local Dirty South deity Lil Jon.

The tastemaking producer laced her 2004 debut single, “Goodies,” with elastic 808s and sparse, synthesized instrumentation, but it was the singer’s hushed coo and reedy falsetto that rang out.