Jennifer Johns

A fast-rising songstress representing East Oakland, Jennifer Johns earned her stripes as a member of the Oakland Youth Choir (alongside Goapele and Latoya London) in the mid-1990s. She continued performing and recording as part of an a cappella group called Local Motion, before releasing her first full-length Heavy Electromagnetic Soularpoetic Junglehop in 2004. A startlingly original hodgepodge of styles and influences, the album showcases a true talent who is immune to all musical boundaries, shying away from straight-forward "neo-soul" limitations and bringing her own multi-faceted vibe to the table. Though still relatively under the radar, there is little doubt that she could/should be a major star.