Best of 2006: R&B Artist of the Year

Joy Denalane

Unless you spend hours on the Internets and the MySpace looking for music like yours truly, you would never hear of Joy Denalane. But truth be told, this German R&B singer has all the chops to hang with any of the American artists out there today. Her new CD, entitled Born and Raised, also has guest spots from Lupe Fiasco, Raekwon and Governor, and was released in August 2006. Check out our album preview here. Although she's become a singing sensation in her native Germany, she's yet to do anything in the US, although she recorded her most recent album entirely in Philly. Hopefully the buzz she's gotten on the Internet will persuade the powers that be to send her this way.

Also, an honorable mention goes out to Jennifer Hudson who apparently is singing laps around Beyonce in Dreamgirls. Homegirl might be a lock to take the crown in '07.