Black History Leaders: Music: Beyonce, Drake, Nikki Minaj and Prince

Drake, Nicki Minaj, Prince, and Beyoncé changed what music means.

He made a name for himself as an actor, portraying wheelchair-bound Jimmy Brooks Degrassi: The Next Generation, but when Aubrey Graham went by his middle name, Drake, he rocketed to stardom with a sound unlike any before him.

From her humble beginnings in Jamaica to her childhood in Queens, New York, to her spotlight alongside high-profile personalities on the American Idol judge's panel, hip hop star Nicki Minaj came to conquer the music scene. She succeeded.

So much has been left unsaid about the passing of legendary music innovator Prince Rogers Nelson. Prince, a prolific musician from Minneapolis, started a musical revolution with the hits "1999," "Little Red Corvette," "When Doves Cry," "Purple Rain," "Batdance," and more, challenging even the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, for chart supremacy during the 1980s.

She might not be a superhero, but judging by all the things she's done, you'd be hard-pressed not to think she is. She's amazing, fierce, and always striving to be the best. All the single ladies know that Beyoncé is one of the world's hottest musicians, if not the hottest.

Explore the lives of those who made us stand up and take notice. This graphic novel series has been featured in Rolling Stone magazine.