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Jac Ross

Singer/songwriter Jac Ross is a musical polyglot whose stout voice and natural everyman persona resonate through recordings rooted in traditional R&B, jazz, and country. Allied with superproducer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Ross broke through in 2020 with "It's OK to Be Black," a gospel-infused anthem licensed for the NBA's Black Lives Matter ad campaign. The Florida native had around a dozen additional singles to his name by the time he and Teddy Swims were featured on X Ambassadors' rousing 2023 single "Happy People," and he has since authored some unequivocally country singles such as "Queen," "American Dream," and "Another Man's Tears," issued during 2024 and 2025. The son of a preacher, Jeremiah "Jac" Ross was born and raised in the small town of Live Oak, Florida. Raised in a household that supported his budding musical talent, Ross passed on an opportunity to play collegiate basketball in order to pursue music. He gave himself seven years to break through and persevered despite misfortune that included the eviction of his family after he paid for surgery for his daughter, who was born with a paralyzed arm. Ross caught a major break when his songwriting collaborator Mezo Riccio spotted Rodney Jerkins at a shopping mall. His curiosity piqued by Ross' self-released single "Gotta Be Mine," Jerkins invited Ross to his home, where the singer performed Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and an original song titled "Freedom." Ross subsequently signed with Jerkins' Darkchild label -- with additional support from major-label Island -- and he hit the ground running in January 2020 with "It's OK to Be Black," an anthem far more emphatic than its title indicates. The song proved to be ideally suited for the National Basketball Association's ad campaign in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. A handful of additional singles throughout the remainder of the year included the raw gospel belter "Saved," an update of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (popularized by Nina Simone), and "It's OK to Be Black 2.0," featuring D Smoke and Buddy.After he released a big band rendition of the standard "It Had to Be You" and the yearning ballad "Never Say," Ross was no longer affiliated with Island, though he remained on Darkchild Records with Jerkins still a close collaborator. In 2022, Ross and hip-hop legend D-Nice teamed up for "So into You," and then Ross delivered a spare cover of "Angel of Mine," a late-'90s hit for both Eternal and Monica. The singer released more material in 2023 than in the two previous years combined. He found a new audience with a featured role on X Ambassadors' "Happy People," after which he issued the a cappella "I'll Always Love You" and the It's Christmas Time EP, among a few additional stray cuts. Ross leaned more into country during the next two years with singles such as "Queen, "You Can't Hide," "American Dream," and "Another Man's Tears."
© Andy Kellman /TiVo

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Discography

40 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller

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