Goapele

A captivating songstress out of Oakland, Goapele started singing as a child, and while in high school was a member of the highly-regarded Oakland Youth Choir as well as a smaller crew called Vocal Motion. She attended Boston's prestigious Berklee School of Music and in 2002 released her debut solo album, Even Closer. Her warm, soulful voice and positive, original lyricism earned rave reviews, and the following year she returned with a remix EP called Closer. In addition to her solo work, Goapele has also collaborated with a number of Bay Area rappers, including E-40, Hieroglyphics and Triple Threat. Her second full-length, Change It All, was released through Sony at the tail end of 2005.