THE SHOW QUEENS OF RNB 2015 ARTISTS: TGT
Syleena Johnson
Joining Faith will be vocal supremo Syleena Johnson, star of R&B Divas whose hits include “Tonight I’m Gonna Let Go” “I Am Your Woman” and “Hypnotic” a much loved classic R&B club anthem.
Syleena is set to release a brand new album titled “Chapter 6 – Couples Therapy” in October 2014 which will feature production from R.Kelly and also Pierre “The Maven” Medor. This album is said to chronicle the journey of the ins and outs of a relationship and everything in between.
Die hard Syleena fans are sitting on the edge of their online shopping carts in excitement and are more than ready to hear some more material from a woman
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Teedra Moses
Teedra Moses, already familiar with performing to live audiences here in the UK and whose critically acclaimed self- penned album ‘Complex Simplicity’ is still a firm favourite of any R&B & Soul music fan, is ready to give her UK fans some more music. The “Be Your Girl” and “No More Tears” singer will perform a selection of her hits as well as tracks from her sophomore release “Cognac and Conversations”, which is due out this Summer.
Teedra has written songs for Macy Gray, Christina Milian, Mary J. Blige and a whole host of other well known artists and has plenty of noteworthy material
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THE SHOW ROADSHOW ARTISTS: TGT
TGT
Longtime friends and veteran R&B singers Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank formed a trio, dubbed TGT, in 2007. They worked together on a remix of Tank’s “Please Don’t Go,” and appeared on Slim Thug’s “Let Me Grind,” but they didn’t make their alliance official until 2012, when they signed with the renowned Atlantic Records. Promising to provide pure and mature R&B, their first proper release was the ballad “Sex Never Felt Better,” which dropped in February 2013. They released their first album, Three Kings, in August later that year.
The album topped the billboard R&B charts and gained critical acclaim. Offering classic bedroom music, TGT’s debut album, 3 Kings, is primarily geared toward their female listeners, providing a steamy soundtrack of pure sensuality. But the trio isn’t in the business of sugarcoating their music like many of R&B’s young contemporary artists. On the 17-track album, TGT reminds us that not only are they on their grown man status, but they’ve practically perfected the art of sex music. Long before girls were screaming the names of Chris Brown and Trey Songz, women were throwing their panties at Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank during the heights of their solo careers in the ‘90s and early 2000’s.
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THE SHOW PART 3 ARTISTS
Blackstreet 2
Members: Teddy Riley, Dave Hollister, Lenny Harold, Sherman “J-Stylz” Tinsdale & Tony Tyler
UK Hits: No Diggity, Don’t Leave Me, Fix & Take Me There
Worldwide Hits: Before I let You Go, No Diggity, Joy, Don’t Leave Me, Fix & Take Me There
One of the top R&B vocal groups of the 90’s, Blackstreet, was founded by singer, producer, and New Jack Swing pioneer Teddy Riley following the breakup of his seminal trio Guy. Riley had taken a few years to concentrate on his booming production career, which saw him working with the likes of Wreckx-N-Effect, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, and SWV, among many others. His itch to get back in the performing arena resulted in the formation of Blackstreet in 1991, which initially included singers Chauncey “Black” Hannibal, Levi Little, and Joe Stonestreet in addition to Riley. Dave Hollister replaced Stonestreet prior to the recording of the group’s self-titled debut album due to personal reasons. The name Blackstreet is a portmanteau of the nicknames of Chauncey Hannibal (Chauncey Black) and Joseph Stonestreet (Street).
Their debut album, Blackstreet, was released in 1993 and was a platinum selling success despite not receiving much crossover exposure. It climbed into the top ten of the R&B charts on the strength of “Before I Let You Go,” as well as “Booti Call” and “Joy”. Dave Hollister and Levi Little subsequently left the group to pursue solo careers, and in came Mark Middleton and Eric Williams as their replacements. The two new editions helped to set the stage for what was Blackstreet’s pop breakthrough with the 1996 follow up Another Level. More specifically, it was the inescapable smash hit “No Diggity” featuring special guest Dr. Dre that put them on the map. “No Diggity” reigned for four weeks at the top of the pop charts and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, whilst also pushing sales of Another Level past the four million mark. The follow-up single, “Don’t Leave Me,” also charted well in the top 40, and the group later made a guest appearance on Jay-Z’s “The City Is Mine” and teamed up with Mya and Mase for the hit “Take Me There” from the Rugrats soundtrack.
Blackstreet’s third album, Finally, was released in early 1999, featured the single “Girlfriend/Boyfriend”, a collaboration with Janet Jackson, and the last album, Level II, was released in early 2003. There have been some personnel changes to the band and even a name change in the latter years, but this has now settled and consists of the original founding members Teddy Riley and Dave Hollister, and new members, Lenny Harold, Sherman “J-Stylz” Tinsdale and Tony Tyler.
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En Vogue
Members: Cindy Heron, Terry Ellis & Rhonna Bennett
UK Hits: Hold On, My Lovin (You’re Never Gonna Get it), Whatta Man & Don’t Let Go (Love)
Worldwide Hits: Hold On, Giving Him Something He Can Feel, Free your Mind, My Lovin (You’re Never Gonna Get it), Whatta Man, Don’t Let Go (Love) & Whatever
After forming, the group began working with their producers on their debut album. Recording began in August 1989 and wrapped up in December of the same year. “Born to Sing” was released in April 1990. The album charted at #21 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and #3 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. The first single, “Hold On,” was released to radio in late February 1990 and became a crossover pop hit, reaching #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles charts, and #1 on both the R&B singles and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. It later went to #5 in the UK, and became a hit in Europe. The next two singles, “Lies” and “You Don’t Have to Worry,” each went to #1 on the Billboard R&B charts, while the fourth and final single, “Don’t Go,” charted at #3 on the Billboard R&B. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA. “Hold On” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
En Vogue’s second album, “Funky Divas,” was released in the spring of 1992. The album debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Billboard R&B and ultimately doubled the take of its predecessor, going multi-platinum. The album’s first two singles, “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” and “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” both went Top 10 Pop, and peaked at #1 on the R&B charts. The next single, “Free Your Mind” also went Top 10. The final two singles “Give It Up Turn It Loose” and “Love Don’t Love You” both were Top 40 hits. The album went on to sell more than three million copies, and was nominated for five Grammy Awards.
In 1993, En Vogue were featured vocalists on Salt-N-Pepa’s top ten hit “Whatta Man,” from Salt-N-Pepa’s “Very Necessary” album. En Vogue reunited in 1996 to record “Don’t Let Go (Love)” for the soundtrack to the motion picture “Set It Off.” Released in the autumn, it became the group’s biggest hit to date, peaking at #2 on the Hot 100, #1 on the R&B Singles chart, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It would also be the final En Vogue single to feature group member Dawn Robinson.
In response to the large commercial success of “Don’t Let Go (Love),” the group steadfastly went to work on its third album. As the album was nearing completion, Robinson chose to leave the group in April 1997 after difficult contractual negotiations reached a stalemate. Despite Robinson’s abrupt departure, En Vogue resolved to continue on as a trio.
“EV3,” the group’s third album, was released in the spring and debuted at #8 on both the Billboard 200 Albums and the Billboard R&B Albums charts. The first single, the Babyface-penned and produced “Whatever” went on to become a Top 20 pop hit, a Top 10 R&B hit, while also peaking at #5 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The single later went on to be certified gold by the RIAA. The follow up single “Too Gone, Too Long” peaked in the Top 40. The album was certified platinum and nominated for Grammy Award.
In 1998, En Vogue recorded “No Fool No More” for the soundtrack to the motion picture, “Why Do Fools Fall In Love.” The following year, a greatest hits compilation, “The Best of En Vogue,” was released.
“Masterpiece Theatre,” the group’s fourth studio album, was released in May 2000. The album debuted at #67 and #33 on the Billboard 200 Albums and R&B Albums charts respectively. The first (and only) single, “Riddle,” peaked at #92 and #95 on the Hot 100 and R&B charts.
In 2004, En Vogue (now composed of Ellis, Herron and Bennett) released “Soul Flower” on independent label 33rd Street Records. While the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, it managed to peak at #47 on the R&B charts. The albums two singles, “Losin’ My Mind” and “Ooh Boy,” however, failed to chart. Soon after promotion had finished on this album, Maxine Jones returned to En Vogue, turning the group back into a quartet for the first time since 1996.
In 2005, after an eight-year absence, Dawn Robinson rejoined En Vogue. They earned another Grammy nomination for the single “So What the Fuss,” which featured Stevie Wonder and Prince.
The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music Awards, and seven Grammy nominations. According to Billboard Magazine they were the 18th most successful act of the 1990s, and one of the most popular and successful female groups of all time.
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SILK
Members: Tim Cameron, Jimmy Gates, Gary ‘Big G’ Glen, Jonathen ‘John-John’ Rasboro & Gary ‘Lil G’ Jenkins
UK Hits: Freak Me, Baby It’s You & Meeting In My Bedroom
Worldwide Hits: Freak Me, Girl U For Me, If You, Baby It’s You & Meeting In My Bedroom
Silk is best known for their hit singles, “Freak Me”, and “Happy Days” from their debut album, Lose Control. Another hit from Lose Control, “Girl U For Me”, helped the album reach double platinum status. They later had success with singles such as “I Can Go Deep”, “Hooked On You”, “Don’t Rush”, “If You” (released February 23, 1999) “Meeting In My Bedroom”, and “We’re Calling You.”
Silk was discovered by the musician Keith Sweat and Andrea Ryans. The group was originally a quintet made up of Tim Cameron,Jimmy Gates, Gary “Big G” Glenn, Johnathen “John John” Rasboro, & Tyga Graham who was replaced by Gary “Lil G” Jenkins before they recorded their debut album. In 2002, Elektra Records dropped Silk and Keith Sweat from the label
In 2003, down to a quartet, Silk released their fifth album Silktime, on their own label Silk Music Group. The album featured the songs “Silktime”, “My Girl”, “Alibi”, “More”, “You (The Baby Song)”, “Check My Story” and a cover version of Blue Magic’s “Sideshow”. That song reunited them with their mentor Keith Sweat.
In 2006, the group returned with their sixth release, a cover album entitled Always And Forever on Shanachie Records. The album featured covers of R&B songs including “Adore” by Prince, “Always and Forever” by Heatwave, and “Secret Garden” by Quincy Jones. “Secret Garden” was the first and only single. Silk reunited with Jenkins at the end of 2007, and began recording a new album
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Tony! Toni! Toné!
Members: Dwayne Wiggins, Timothy Christian Riley & Amar Khalil
UK Hits: Lets Get Down, If I Had No Loot, Oakland Stroke
Worldwide Hits: The Blues, Feel’s Good, It Never Rains in Southern California, If I Had No Loot, Anniversary, Let’s Get Down
The three original members of the smash R&B band Tony! Toni! Tone! grew up in Oakland, California, when that city was a hotbed of funk and soul innovation. As a result, they bring to their own records a dedication to the old-style melodic groove that stands out in the polished, machine-driven, hip-hop era. Playing their own instruments and singing harmonies modeled on their favorite soul artists’ finest singles, the Tonys please both fans and critics and have managed to extend their audience beyond even their impressive R&B following. Though walking the line between continuing in an honored tradition and purveying unabashed nostalgia has been a tricky task, the group came into its own enough to claim the mantle–used as the title of their 1993 album–Sons of Soul.
The groups name originated from their love of shopping sprees at vintage-clothing stores and their humorous take on one of their old school friends who was a ‘Fly’ dresser.
The group signed with Mercury Records, having made a strong impression on label president Ed Eckstine. Five songs from the Tonys’ 1988 debut album Who?–among them “Little Walter,” “Baby Doll” and “For the Love of You”–became hits, and the album went gold. Produced by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, who would later develop and produce the smash vocal quartet En Vogue, the album immediately established the Tonys as contenders on the tough and volatile R&B scene.
Tony! Toni! Tone! produced their follow-up, 1990′s The Revival, themselves. Gerry Brown, who engineered the group’s second and third albums, told Musician that “Eckstine gave the Tonys about $3000 to go into the studio. They came up with ‘Feels Good’ and ‘The Blues.’ That gave Ed an indication that they could get some stuff done.” Eckstine was right. The Revival reached and exceeded platinum status; “Feels Good” made it to the pop Top Ten and the number one R&B position, while “The Blues,” “It Never Rains in Southern California,” and “Whatever You Want” were also R&B Top Ten hits.
In addition to their own albums, Dwayne, Raphel Sadiq (original member), and Riley also contributed the song “Me and You” to the platinum soundtrack of John Singleton’s hit 1991 film Boyz N the Hood, the title song to 1991′s House Party 2, the comedy sequel starring rappers Kid ‘n Play, and “Waiting on You” to Singleton’s second film, Poetic Justice. By 1993, however, the Tonys were concentrating primarily on their new album. They wanted to emphasize the warm, spontaneous feel of their favorite soul albums.
The album’s first single, “If I Had No Loot,” was an immediate smash, and the ballad “Anniversary” looked to follow in its footsteps. But Bill Forman of Request referred to “Tell Me Mama” as the recording’s “most brilliant track,” calling it “the greatest hit the Jackson 5 never recorded, an instant classic with an airtight groove and the kind of hooks you’ll still be humming long after you’ve lasered the CD into dust.” A GQ reviewer felt that “the musicianly details justify the album’s title,” while an Entertainment Weekly writer declared, “It’s fresh, funky, fierce, and it feels good.” Jonathan Bernstein of Spin was one of the few detractors, criticizing the Tonys for “sequeling previous hits” and for what he called “the oafish ‘Ex-Girlfriend,’ whose smooth refrain suffixes the title’s tune with the words ‘… is a ho.’ Talk about breaking the mood.”
In any event, the Tonys had clearly established themselves as fixtures on the R&B scene. “Conscious of history, the Tonyies have made themselves a band of the here and now,” wrote Christopher John Farley of Time. “We’re not trying to be ‘retro,’” Dwayne insisted in Billboard, “we’re just being the bridge between old R&B and hip-hop. We’re just using the music we grew up listening to, the music we always enjoyed as the basis for what we’re doing now.” Like those enduring records, he noted in the Musician interview, “Our production philosophy is ‘Less is more.’ Put it like that. It’s all about making it fun, man. Having fun and taking chances.”
House of Music was the bands fourth and last album and included tracks such as Lets Get Down and Thinking of You.
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Total
Members: Kima Raynor, Keisha Spivey & Pamela Long
UK Hits: Can’t You See, Kissin’ You & No one Else
Worldwide Hits: Can’t You See, Trippin’, Do You Think About Us, Kissin’ You & No one Else
The “New Jill Flava” trio Total comprised singers Kima, Pam, and Keisha; signed to Sean “Puffy” Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment label, they first attracted attention backing the Notorious B.I.G. on his hits “One More Chance” and “Juicy,” soon after scoring their own hit with the single “Can’t You See” from the soundtrack to the film New Jersey Drive. Total’s self-titled debut LP followed in 1996, launching the hits “No One Else,” “Kissin’ You,” and “Do You Think About Us?”. This album was widely successful and was certified platinum by RIAA selling album
While recording their second album, they appeared on numerous top ten singles, including LL Cool J’s “Loungin’/Who Do U Love?”, Foxy Brown’s “I Can’t”, and Mase’s “What You Want” and Pam sang the chorus to the massive hit “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G.. The group also released another single, the Missy Elliott and Timbaland track “What About Us?” from the Soul Food soundtrack.
Their follow-up album, Kima, Keisha, and Pam, debuted to strong reviews, sales, and was certified gold by the RIAA. The first single, another Missy Elliott collaboration, “Trippin’”, reached the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their next release, “Sitting Home”, which made Top 10 of the Billboard R&B Singles didn’t garner the same attention. While in heavy rotation on video networks like BET, radio chose not to play the song. A remix of the track featured rap artist Shyne. A third single was rumored, yet never surfaced.
Although Total only contributed two albums to this very rich era of R&B music, their street edge and unique tones gave them a notoriety which strongly established them as one of the iconic female groups of the time which included SWV and En Vogue.
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Mint Condition
Members: Stokely Williams, Ricky Kinchen, Homer O’Dell, Larry Waddell & Jeffrey Allen
UK Hits: Pretty Brown Eyes, What Kind of Man Would I Be
Worldwide Hits: Pretty Brown Eyes, You Don’t Have To Hurt No More, What Kind of Man Would I Be
Mint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, the group is well known for its highly diverse musical style (able to play anything from traditional jazz stylings to mainstream R&B and rock-based music to funk grooves and even Latin and Jamaican-based rhythms) and also its captivating live performances.
Discovered and originally signed to Perspective Records by music producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in 1989, their debut album was entitled “Meant To Be Mint” (released in 1991). They had major success with the ballad “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)”. The song stayed on the charts for 34 weeks, hitting the R&B top 5 (#3), and the Pop Top 10 (#6) and was certified gold by the RIAA. The third single “Forever In Your Eyes” was also a successful Top 10 R&B hit (#7 R&B).
Two years later they released their 2nd platinum album, “From The Mint Factory” (1993). They enjoyed success with the single “U Send Me Swingin’” which peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart for four weeks straight in the spring of 1994. The song was also a smash on the Rhythmic Top 40 charts where it reached #14. The bands next two singles “Someone to Love” and “So Fine” were Billboard Top 30 R&B hits hitting the #28, and #29 spots respectively.
In September 1996 saw the release of “Definition of a Band” which would be the bands most successful period in their career. The album reached the R&B Top 15. The first successful single on this album was the Billboard R&B single “What Kind Of Man Would I Be?” (#2 R&B, #17 Pop). The single crept up to the number 2 spot on the Billboard R&B charts in a matter of weeks and received a Gold certification by the RIAA that December. “What Kind Of Man Would I Be?” was so popular that it stayed on the Billboard R&B Charts for a total of 41 weeks before it finally fell off. “You Don’t Have to Hurt No More” was the second single released from “Definition of a Band” and it was also a Top 10 R&B hit. (#10 R&B, #32 pop). With the success of these two singles along with the positive reviews that the album received allowed “Definition of a Band” to reach Gold status as well. Two years later, “The Collection: 1991-1998,” a greatest hits compilation, was issued.
After Perspective Records/A&M folded, the group signed with Elektra Records in 1999, releasing their fourth full-length album, “Life’s Aquarium” which also debuted in the Top 10 (#7 R&B). Its main single, “If You Love Me”, hit the R&B Top 5 while appearing on the R&B Charts for 31 weeks. The second single “Is This Pain Our Pleasure”, peaked at #42, while also peaking at #34 on the R&B Airplay Charts.
In 2008 they released a new album entitled “E-Life” which debuted at #8 on the Billboard R&B album chart, and spawned two singles, “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” and “Nothing Left To Say.” The second single “Nothing Left To Say” became the band’s first Top 30 R&B single in almost a decade (#27 R&B) and also a Top 5 Billboard Urban Adult Contemporary hit peaking at #3.
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Kut Klose
Members: Athena Cage, Lavonn Battle & Tabitha Duncan
UK Hits: Get Up On It, Surrender & I Like
Worldwide Hits: Get Up On It, Surrender & I Like
Formed in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, by the female trio of Tabitha Duncan, Athena Cage and LaVonn Battle, Kut Klose specialise in a sassy brand of urban R&B pop, primarily mounted on their smooth harmonies. Their debut album, Surrender, was the second to be released on Keith Sweat’s Keia Records label (the first being Silk’s platinum-selling debut), and merged pop sensibilities with hip-hop beats and simplistic but effective lyrics – as Battle puts it: ‘A little hip-hop, a little rhythm and blues, a little soulful and a little youthful.’ Comprising ballads such as ‘I Like’ and ‘Giving You My Love’ alongside the New Jill Swing of ‘Don’t Change’, the opening single was ‘Get Up On It’, a duet with Sweat himself. The album was written and produced by Sweat, Eric McCaine (of Entouch) and the group themselves, and recorded at the Sweat Shop, the state-of-the-art studio built by Sweat in his Atlanta home.
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Changing Faces
Members: Cassandra Lucas & Charisse Rose
UK Hits: G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T., Time After Time
Worldwide Hits: G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T., Stroke You Up, Foolin Around & Time After Time
Changing Faces are a New York based duo consisting of members Cassandra Lucas and Charisse Rose. Lucas and Rose met one another whilst studying at New York’s Music and Art High School. Following their high school graduation, the two went their separate ways, only to cross paths again within a few years, when they were hired as supporting vocalists for R&B singer Sybil. Lucas and Rose remained with Sybil for two years before deciding to team together as Changing Faces. The pair returned to New York, where they worked at a dermatologist’s office in Manhattan during the day while recording demos at night with producer Dinky Bingham. A local record producer heard the duo singing on the street and signed them to Big Beat Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic.
Their first two singles, “Stroke You Up” and “Foolin’ Around”, were written and produced by R. Kelly. Both reached the R&B top ten in late 1994, with “Stroke You Up” peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 as well. The self titled debut album was released in 1994 and went gold on the strength of these two hits.
The girls returned in 1997 with their second album, All Day, All Night. The R. Kelly produced “G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.”, was the first single taken from the album and their biggest hit to date, reaching number one on the R&B chart, and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. “All of My Days”, also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Space Jam. The group also participated in the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy movie Dr. Dolittle with the title track “Do Little Things” featuring Ivan Matias in 1998.
The group’s third album release Visit Me, followed three years later reaching the top ten in the R&B chart.
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THE SHOW PART 2 ARTISTS
FAITH EVANS
Multi-platinum Grammy Award winning recording artist. A New York Times bestselling author. Wife. Mother. Entrepreneur. With so many hats to be worn, it is undeniable that Faith Renée Evans has a little something for everyone. What has been an equally rewarding and trying career, ask her how she’s come this far and she’ll simply reply, “FAITH.”
With a career spanning over a decade in the music industry, Faith Evans has released three Platinum certified albums (Faith, Keep The Faith and Faithfully), the Gold certified, The First Lady, and the holiday staple, A Faithful Christmas. Evans is a five time Grammy nominee and winner for “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” in 1998 for “I’ll Be Missing You,” homage to her late husband and hip hop legend Notorious B.I.G.
After a five year hiatus, the songstress came back in 2010 with her long awaited sixth studio album, Something About Faith. At the time Faith commented, “I have been quite busy in the last 5 years. In addition to welcoming a fourth addition to my brood, I wrote and published my memoir and developed a few television projects. I also transitioned from my last label home to acquiring my own imprint through E1 Music. Although I miss the creative process and reconnecting with my fans, at this stage in my life it’s far more important for me to make wise decisions on things that best affect my children’s future.”
Since then, Faith has gone on to star in the reality television series R&B Divas: Atlanta. The show offers an inside look at how a group of award winning singers balance their music careers and personal lives as they work towards producing an album in memory of Whitney Houston.
“I’ve sacrificed so much over the years, for the sake of artistry, but my diligence has earned me the gift of still being a relevant presence in our music culture, and the wisdom to become the CEO of my career, focusing on building my brand. I really appreciate my Faithful fans, for understanding the long absences between albums & knowing that quality withstands the test of time.” Once again, Faith Evans is taking the entertainment world by storm affirming that there is truly Something About Faith!
DONELL JONES
Born May 22nd, 1973 in Chicago, IL, Donell Jones started singing at the age of 8, wrote his first song at the age of 12 and by the age of 14 he received an electric guitar as a gift from his mother. With his roots in music firmly planted, Jones overcame the Southside streets of Chicago’s gang life to pursue his dream.
While at a music conference in Washington DC in 1993, Jones caught the attention of music producer Eddie F. At the time Jones was a member of a group that had high aspirations for their talent showcase at the conference, however, no one showed up. In a determination to get noticed, Jones and the rest of the group started singing for anyone who listened. Eddie F. seeing great potential in them signed them to Untouchables/LaFace, and recorded a single. However, their dream was never realized as the group disbanded before it was released.
Not willing to give up on the music business, Jones proved his skills as a writer and producer. He wrote one of Usher’s first top ten hits, “Think of You”, and also wrote and produced for several other artists including 702, Silk, Brownstone, Madonna. In 1996, with LaFace’s long awaited approval, Jones released his debut album, My Heart. It included a cover of a Stevie Wonder song, “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” which quickly gained Jones a loyal following. Although it wasn’t until his second album, Where I Wanna Be, released in 1999 and certified platinum, that Jones was recognized as a true force in R&B. With a number one hit that featured TLC’s Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, “U Know What’s Up”, others began to see what LaFace Records already knew.
His third album, “Life Goes On,” was released in 2002 and peaked at number two on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart. After a 4 year break, Jones released his fourth album Journey of a Gemini in 2006 which debuted at number one on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart, the first time he achieved this feat.
Jones released his fifth studio album, Lyrics, on September 28th 2010 on his own label, Candyman Records. His latest offering Forever, released July 9th 2013.
KELLY PRICE
“I’m a writer, first…”
Those are the words Kelly chooses to describe herself, her talent. When you listen, closely, to her songs, it’s evident that she writes and sings from her soul. It’s a place she’s come to know quite well. “Music saved my life,” she says. “Writing has been like therapy; it’s the most incredible gift.”
At this juncture, Kelly Price has learned to loosen the reins on her creativity. Sure, she still reaches for a pen-and-pad and rattles off lyrics into her Dictaphone, but she’s also learning to be more patient, allowing the songs to reveal themselves. Sometimes, the words will come. Other times, she’ll hear the song as a fully-orchestrated composition. Either way, the results of her efforts are illustrated beautifully, truthfully, on her new album entitled, simply, Kelly.
Leading the album out of the gate is the spirited single, “Tired.” Produced by Shep Crawford and inspired by a creative heart-to-heart she shared with fellow musician and past collaborator, R. Kelly, the song sheds light on the social ills that not only cause her distress, but also seem to be plaguing our world community. Even before she starts running down the list of things that consume her thoughts – from guilty feelings and broken dreams to baby mommas and ghetto dramas – you’ll know where she’s heading from the opening verse…”there’s a hole in my heart, my soul is bleeding I need to free my mind, and say what I’m feeling, ‘cause Lord knows…I’m tired.”
MARIO
Natural can be described as innate or instinctive in essence, disposition or temperament. Quite simply, natural can be summed up as God-given or God-inspired because it comes so easily. When 20 year-old Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, actor Mario realized that his talents came to him naturally, his growth and acceptance of these gifts aptly produced his third album, Go. “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m supposed to be at this place in every aspect of my life, from personal to business. This is where I am, this is where I chose to be.”
At age 15, when his 2002 debut album Mario garnered 700,000 copies in sales, sparked by the lead single “Just A Friend (2002),” young Mario set the stage for his 2005 sophomore set aptly titled Turning Point. Worldwide, the album reaped 2 million units in sales as “Let Me Love You” propelled him to the number one spot for nine consecutive weeks. The single holds the honor of being one of the highest selling ringtones to date with 1.6 million downloads and Mario himself was bestowed with accolades including 2005’s Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Award for Top R&B/Hip-Hop Single, a Billboard Music Award for Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year and a slew of nominations from the Grammys, BET Awards, Vibe Awards, MOBO Awards and the Soul Train Music Awards.
The Baltimore, Maryland native witnessed the biggest transition of his young adult career between Turning Point and his new album Go. As a self-described old-soul, the wunderkind reflects on his journey introspectively, “I’ve always been that way, I’m just able to express myself more and I have time by myself instead of everybody always being in my ear. When you have time by yourself, you can see and analyze things for what you think they are.” While his developing perspective continues to evolve, Mario’s attitude and approach remain focused on the goal of longevity and happiness. “As you grow, you learn more about yourself and come upon things that touch people,” adding, “what makes me happy most is that I’ve changed lives. I love to see people touched by my music. I love to see people touched by my growth.”
GINUWINE
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15th, 1976), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American R&B singer and performer. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine has released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B’s top artists during the 1990s heyday of hip-hop soul.
Ginuwine…the Bachelor, his debut studio album was released in 1996 peaking at number 26 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, and eventually being certified double platinum in sales by the RIAA. Tracks such as Ginuwine’s first single “Pony” showcased his silky smooth vocals together with the innovative production style of Timbaland, who was to be his main collaborator throughout the nineties.
100% Ginuwine, his second studio album was released in 1999 peaking at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and another double platinum certification. A further five albums have been released in the intervening years (The Life, The Senior, Back II Da Basics, A Man’s Thoughts, and Elgin) all with a varying degree of success.
More recently, Ginuwine has teamed up with his good friends Tank and Tyresse to form R&B super group TGT. Their debut album is due for release later this year.
DAVE HOLLISTER
One time R&B session vocalist, Dave Hollister first appeared on the soundtrack of Boyz N the Hood, but got his big break as an original member of Teddy Riley’s Blackstreet, performing on their 1994 debut album. He departed shortly thereafter to pursue a solo career, not only as a singer but also as a songwriter and producer. Hollister’s first recorded effort as a solo act, the Erick Sermon/Redman collaboration “Weekend,” was featured on the movie soundtrack The Ride and released as a single in 1998.
In 1999, Hollister released his first album, Ghetto Hymns. The album was successful, going gold, and creating the hit single, “My Favourite Girl” which reached number 10 on the R&B charts.
Hollister’s follow-up album, Chicago ’85… The Movie was released in 2000. The album was an autobiographical work and went gold with “One Woman Man” the album’s biggest single, reaching number 8 on the R&B charts. Also in 2000, Dave Hollister collaborated on “He Say, She Say” with Keith Sweat on “Don’t Have Me” and also was part of the “Romeo Must Die” Soundtrack with “Pump the Brakes”.
For his third effort, Hollister moved to Motown Records where he released the album, Things In the Game Done Changed in 2002. Hollister returned to DreamWorks where he released Real Talk in 2003. Following the album’s release, Hollister moved to Gospo Centric.
More recently, Dave has reunited with his former group Blackstreet and will be performing with them on their upcoming reunion tour.
SISQO
Mark Althavean Andrews, born November 9th, 1978, and known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actor.
This distinctive silver-haired artist established his performing credentials as a founding member of highly successful urban R&B quartet Dru Hill, who enjoyed transatlantic hits in the late 90s with singles such as “How Deep Is Your Love” and “These Are The Times”.
Sisqo was the first member to branch out, releasing Unleash the Dragon in November 1999. Co-produced and co-written almost entirely by Sisqo. Fuelled by the frenetic MTV favourite “Got to Get It,” the album achieved impressive sales from the start, but it was the racy “Thong Song” that propelled the album to number 2 on the Billboard pop charts. Dubbed “the official anthem of Spring Break 2000″ by MTV, the song quickly became the most played video on the network. This was followed by another huge hit, “Incomplete”, which helped Unleash the Dragon reach multi-platinum status.
A year after “Thong Song” first blew up, Sisqó returned with his second platinum album in June 2001, Return of Dragon, and also had lined up a startling number of acting opportunities, reaffirming his superstar status.
The Singer’s third studio album, Last Dragon is due for released in the summer of 2013.
J.HOLIDAY
Nahum Grymes, born November 29th, 1984, better known by his stage name J. Holiday, is an American recording artist and songwriter.
J. Holiday is a preachers’ son, raised in the church by a hardworking mother. Holiday attended a local High School where he acknowledged a talent in singing during a showcase night. By then he was a frequent listener to Boyz II Men, Tupac Shakur and Jodeci records. Although he had the passion to go far down the music path, his mother sent him back to school to complete his education first. Upon graduation, J. Holiday headed straight to the studio where he began recording his demo tapes.
Holiday met up with current manager Corey Green and formed the group 295, named after the D.C. highway. Buzz for 295 was growing but by 2003 the R&B act disbanded. Fortunately for J. Holiday, his vocal prowess and dynamic stage presence was too much of a commodity to pass up. A&R veteran, Anthony “T.A” Tate, of Music Line Group (Ciara, Teairra Marie) quickly set up a meeting with Capitol Records and a deal was made on the spot.
The album Bac of my Lac’, released in 2007, debuting on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at number 5 and selling 105,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It also became a Top 10 R&B/Hip Hop album in the UK and a Top 40 UK album entry peaking at number 32.
The promotional single from this album was “Be With Me” which was at number1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for five weeks in a row. However, the breakthrough single was “Bed”, which made it to number 70 on the Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.
Round 2 released in March 2009 was the follow up effort selling 55,000 units in its first week and debuting at number 4 on the Billboard 200. “It’s Yours” was the first single from the album peaking at 25 on the US R&B chart.
In 2010, J. Holiday left Capitol Records and signed to Island Def Jam releasing his mix tape, M.I.A: The Lost Pages, in 2011. In early 2012, J. Holiday left Def Jam Recordings and released his single “Sign My Name”, from his upcoming third studio album.
J. Holiday has announced the title of his new album “Guilty Conscience” which will be release in 2013.
BOBBY V
ADINA HOWARD
Adina Howard rose to prominence during the New Jack Swing Era of the mid-1990’s and is well known for her unabashed sexual image, vocal talent and provocative songs.
Her debut album Do You Wanna Ride featured the Platinum selling hit single, “Freak Like Me,” was released in 1995 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
A second album, Welcome to Fantasy Island, garnered critical reviews and a moderate hit with the lead single, “(Freak) And U Know It.” That year she collaborated with Jamie Foxx on the Platinum selling slow jam, “T-Shirt & Panties” which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 feature film Woo.
By 2004, Howard released her third album The Second Coming on Rufftown Records featuring the single “Nasty Grind”. Her fourth album, Private Show, was released in 2007 by Arsenal Records along with a promotional single “Picture This”. The album managed to reach number 17 on the iTunes R&B music chart. Following the album’s release, a remixes EP for “My Hips” (appears as “Hips” on her album) was released on iTunes & other digital services in December.
In 2008, she appeared in the short film Poke the Sleeping Bear which won the Grand Jury Award at the 2008 Solstice Film Festival.
September 2009 UK compilation Independent Soul Divas 2 was released on Lola Waxx Records. This compilation album featured “What Do I Do,” a song recorded by Howard in 2008. The song picked up airplay and positive response on UK Radio.
Adina is now preparing for the next chapter of her life, with a new album and new interests. She is constantly touring while recording her new project for her fans.
CHICO DEBARGE
Jonathan Arthur ‘Chico’ DeBarge, born June 23rd, 1966, in Detroit, Michigan, is an American R&B singer and a younger brother of the Motown family act DeBarge. Unlike the rest of the DeBarge siblings, Chico is the only male DeBarge that does not sing in a falsetto range that is a well-known trait in his family, he sings tenor.
Chico was signed to his hometown label, Motown records in the mid 1980’s and released self-titled debut album in 1996. The album included the Top 10 R&B/Top 21Pop hit “Talk to Me”.
Chico released his second album in 1997, Long Time No See. Although the album only peaked at number 87 on Billboard’s album chart, it managed to ride the wave of the neo-Soul phase and generated two successful singles, “Iggin Me” and “No Guarantee,” both of which received significant airplay and helped revive Chico’s career.
