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From the likes of James Brown and Aretha Franklin to today's black music stars like John Legend and Beyonce, these singers have been linked into many music categories, like R&B or Soul.

Grammy Award-winning writer and singer Ne-Yo, however, refers to all their music by one name - "Black Music."

"[It's] a music that makes you feel something, music that brings a smile to your mouth or a tear to your eye," says Ne-Yo.

Chrisette Michele, a new artist on the scene who has already won a Grammy, says singers must be able to feel the pain and joy of the lyrics in order to really deliver the music.

"How am I going to sing that and feel it? I had to find that inside of myself," says Chrisette Michele. "Everything that you wrote, I had to go down and find it and be honest and pull it out."

Longtime radio host and music historian Bob Slade of 98.7 Kiss FM Radio, who was recently honored at City Hall for Black Music Month, has his own definition for Black Music.

"It is easy to define. As long as it has the beat and the rhythm and people can dance to it, make love to it, and celebrate. Please, come on," says Slade.

But does "Black Music" belong to African-Americans alone or can singers of other races perform it as well?

"Robin Thicke, James Morris is another white act that has soul," says Slade. "My girl Amy Winehouse, if she can keep herself straight, she's R&B, straight up R&B.

Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who co-wrote the hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," say everyone has to be celebrated for their contributions to Black Music.

"How much I love Michael McDonald when he sings one of our songs and what he brings to the table," says Simpson. "We were just at an event with [Daryl] Hall and [John] Oates. Can I deny their soulfulness? I don't think so, and I don't want to."