Slow Jam Saturday : Chauncey Black, “Everyday Is Your Birthday”
This week’s Slow Jam Saturday pick takes us back to 2008 to show some love to Chauncey Hannibal, a member of Blackstreet, and his solo track “Everyday Is Your Birthday.” Chauncey’s vocals were featured prominently on the group’s first four albums until he began his solo career in 2005. He initially signed with Flipmode Entertainment, and “Everyday Is Your Birthday” was the first single from his project titled “Church Boy,” although the actual album was never released.
Second Listen Sunday: Brooke Valentine, “Chain Letter”
As my loyal readers know, one of my passions during my Air Force enlistment was being a DJ. Since I was stationed in the UK, it was sometimes hard to keep up with the music scene, as there was no satellite radio, the club scene rarely showcased new music, and I missed out on shows like 106 & Park. Often, I would buy new CDs based solely on their covers and find a way to incorporate the music into my sets, particularly if the artist caught my attention. One such artist was Brooke Valentine, who is this week’s pick for Second Listen Sunday.
Second Listen Sunday : Akon, Konvicted
Since my wife’s favorite solo artist, Ne-Yo, is currently on tour, I decided to show some love to Akon this week for Second Listen Sunday by focusing on his second album, “Konvicted.” I first discovered Akon in the fall of 2004 when I made my DJ debut while stationed in the UK. During my warm-up set, I played “Locked Up,” and one of the bouncers came over, handed me a pound, and said it was about time someone played that song.
Slow Jam Saturday : Ne-Yo, Queen
Last night, R&B superstar Ne-Yo performed at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA, so I felt it was only fitting to dive into his catalog for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday. Now, two decades into his solo career, Ne-Yo has numerous songs to choose from, but I decided to go with “Queen.”
Second Listen Sunday : Eric Bellinger, “New Light : Acoustics”
I’ve always been a fan of Eric Bellinger. My admiration stems not only from the records he has released under his own name but also from the impressive career he built behind the scenes. Long before casual R&B listeners recognized his face, they were already familiar with his songwriting through tracks he penned for artists like Chris Brown, Usher, Justin Bieber, and Wale.
Second Listen Sunday: Prince and the Revolution’s Parade: Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon
As many of you know, I had the opportunity to visit Paisley Park earlier this week while vacationing in Minnesota. During the tour, our guide shared that an expanded edition of Prince’s album “Parade” is expected to be released to celebrate its 40th anniversary. After spending the day exploring the Twin Cities, it felt like the perfect excuse to revisit one of the most fascinating and underrated albums in Prince’s legendary catalog.
Slow Jam Saturday : Prince, “She Loves Me 4 Me”
One of the reasons I’ve always considered Prince to have the edge over Michael Jackson is his remarkable collection of ballads and slow jams. While Michael delivered unforgettable love songs, Prince seemed to have an endless supply tucked away on his albums. His greatest hits only scratch the surface of what made him such a […]
Second Listen Sunday : Chris Brown, Fortune
As fans eagerly await the start of the R&B tour featuring co-headliners Usher and Chris Brown, I decided to revisit the latter’s fifth album, “Fortune,” which hit record stores on July 3, 2012. To the surprise of many, Brown quickly bounced back from the 2009 incident with his fourth album, “F.A.M.E,” which went triple platinum and featured a highly successful tour of the same name.
Slow Jam Saturday : Tevin Campbell, Alone with You
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I want to spotlight “Alone with You,” one of the standout tracks from Tevin Campbell’s debut album, *T.E.V.I.N.*. I had the opportunity to check off an interviewee from my bucket list this week when I spoke with Mr. Kyle West, who co-wrote and co-produced the song alongside Al B. Sure!
Second Listen Sunday: Christina Milian, “So Amazin”
This week’s Second Listen Sunday pick takes us back to 2006 to revisit “So Amazin’,” the third album from Christina Milian. Arriving in stores on April 19 of that year, the project was produced largely by Cool & Dre, sans one song, and saw the singer earn writing credits on nine of the album’s songs.
Slow Jam Saturday: Rahsaan Patterson, “Can We Wait a Minute”
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I want to showcase love for Rahsaan Patterson and his album track “Can We Wait a Minute” from his self-titled debut album, released in 1997.
Second Listen Sunday: K-CI & JoJo, “X”
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to take a trip back to 2000 and show some love to the R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo and their third album, “X,” which was released in stores on December 5, just in time for a holiday stocking stuffer. Arguably, the group suffered from the sophomore slump with their second album, as only two singles were successful.