Singer and songwriter Sonta mixes smooth soul with aggressive hip-hop for a unique combo she calls R&D: rhythm and drill. • The Chicago artist is the youngest of 10 siblings. Growing up, she wrote poetry and later raps as a means of processing her feelings. • Sonta launched a YouTube channel in 2015 and gained millions of views with songs like 2017’s “You Ain’t S**t,” an example of her relatable and emotional style. • Her 2018 debut project, In My Feelings, features Chicago rapper G Herbo on the remix to “You Ain’t S**t.” • Hood Love, Vol. 1, the first installment in a planned trio of EPs following the arc of a relationship, arrived in 2019.