Most Underrated Black Female Singers

7. Chante’ MooreThough she debuted in the same `90s decade as Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton, San Francisco-born singer/songwriter Chante’ Moore has had to work ten times as hard to cement her creativity and longevity in Soul-Pop music, though never attaining their heights. She doesn’t have anywhere near the number of hit records but then again, she was launched by the late Louil Silas, Jr. as an adults-targeted chanteuse along the lines of Minnie Riperton, Sade and Anita Baker. Her sparkling 1992 debut album, Precious, remains her sole gold-seller thanks to five singles released, the first “Love’s Taken Over,” being the biggest. An even more elaborate sophomore album, A Love Supreme, followed but did not reach Gold. After a critical five-year gap that included the birth of her first child, Chante’ released This Moment Is Mine with a lead single, “Chante’s Got a Man” that has become her signature. Her fourth album, Exposed, found her trying hard to remind audiences that, despite her loftier leanings, she really was a young woman who liked to party with the Jermaine Dupri-produced “Straight Up” and even a collaboration with rapper Da Brat called “Take Care of Me.” However, it was the second single, “Bitter,” that caused an uproar with her use of the word “nigga” repeated multiple times in the song as part of its hook plus tongues wagging that the song seemed aimed at her ex-husband, actor Kadeem Hardison.Underrated Black Female SingersA second marriage to singer Kenny Lattimore found Chante’ also hitching her wagon to his to become a duo act with one album for Clive Davis’ Arista Records and two they did for Gospel label Verity. That partnership dissolved on personal and musical levels followed by two solo albums for Peak and Shanachie that had moments but were elsewhere flawed. To Chante’s credit, she has stayed busy traveling in musical plays and co-starring in the reality TV series “R&B Divas of Los Angeles” but most importantly, launching her own imprint, C7, and releasing two solo albums including the prophetic The Rise of The Phoenix), a Christmas album and several 4-song EPs to date – all while still performing year round around the world, and promoting her independent albums with sexy, viable videos, reinvesting in herself. Chante’ Moore is a true survivor worthy of a higher profile and respect.