Hip Hop Untapped sends condolences to all of Angie Stone’s friends and family.
Angie Stone, a legendary singer and songwriter who first made waves as part of the pioneering all-female rap group The Sequence, has passed away at the age of 63, on May 1st 2025. She died in a car accident early Saturday morning (March 1) after performing in Montgomery, Alabama. Her agent, Deborah Champagne, confirmed the tragic news.
Stone started her career in the late 1970s as a member of The Sequence, the first female rap group signed to Sugar Hill Records. The trio, which also included Cheryl Cook and Gwendolyn Chisolm, is best known for their 1979 hit “Funk You Up,” a song that has been sampled by artists like Dr. Dre, En Vogue, and even Katy Perry. The group believed that Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’s chart-topping song “Uptown Funk” bore a strong resemblance to their track, leading them to file a lawsuit.
After her time with The Sequence, Stone spent years working behind the scenes as a songwriter and backup singer for artists like Mary J. Blige, Lenny Kravitz, and D’Angelo. Despite her success in the industry, she felt overlooked as a solo artist. However, by the late 1990s, the music world finally caught up to her sound.
Her solo career took off with the release of her debut album, “Black Diamond” (1999), which went gold. She followed it up with “Mahogany Soul” (2001), another hit album that featured one of her biggest songs, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.” Alongside artists like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Macy Gray, Stone was a key figure in the neo-soul movement, blending old-school soul with contemporary R&B, jazz, and pop influences.
Born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, she discovered her love for music at an early age, singing in church where her father was part of a gospel quartet. In 1979, she and her bandmates managed to sneak backstage at a concert in Columbia, where they auditioned on the spot for Sylvia Robinson, co-founder of Sugar Hill Records. Impressed by their talent, Robinson signed them immediately, launching Stone’s decades-long career in the music industry.
Beyond music, Stone also pursued acting. She appeared in films like “The Hot Chick” (2002), “The Fighting Temptations” (2003), and “Ride Along” (2014). She also had a role in the Broadway production of “Chicago” and made guest appearances on TV shows like “Girlfriends,” for which she also sang the theme song.
Stone’s personal life included a marriage to Rodney Stone, also known as Lil’ Rodney C of the rap group Funky Four Plus One, which ended in divorce. She had two children: her daughter, Diamond, and her son, Michael, whom she shared with R&B singer D’Angelo. She was also a proud grandmother of two.
In addition to her artistry, Stone was open about her struggles with Type 2 diabetes and appeared on the reality show “Celebrity Fit Club” in 2006, where she lost 18 pounds.
Stone released a total of 10 studio albums, with her latest, “Love Language” (2023), featuring her son, who performs under the name Swayvo Twain.
Her impact on music, from hip-hop to soul, is undeniable, and her voice will live on through her songs.
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