Pokey

Southern bluesman Pokey Bear, who also performs simply as Pokey, brings an outsized confidence to his R&B-tinged bayou soul. The Baton Rouge party-starter shares an old-school sonic approach and energy with Willie Clayton yet remains a James Brown-inspired soul performer at his core. As one-third of the Louisiana Blues Brothas alongside Tyree Neal and Adrian Bagher—the group delivered Love on the Bayou in 2014—Pokey Bear issued his own solo project, Josephine Son Pokey, that same year. The record contained seductive dance numbers such as "The Gingerbread Man" and "Mr. Hit It and Quit It," plus his unofficial signature cut, "They Call Me Pokey." Mr. It Ain't Fair reached listeners in January 2016. That set spotlighted the regional club favorite "Good Foot" and featured "Shake That Money Maker" alongside Mystikal.