7. R&B (Rhythm & Blues) Rhythm and Blues ( also known as R&B R’n’B or RnB) the name for a wide ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 40’s and early 50’s. this term was used originally by record companies to refer to the recordings marketed mainly to urban African Americans when “urbane”, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat was becoming extremely popular. ARTISTS INCLUDE: