Slow Jam Saturday : Lil Mo feat. Carl Thomas – Player Not The Game
Songtress Lil Mo hit the scene in 1998 with her debut single “5 Minutes” from the soundtrack to Why Do Fools Fall In Love under the tutelage of icon Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott. While the song was received well by urban audiences wasn’t until Mo’s appearance on Missy Elliott’s record-breaking single “Hot Boyz” that the industry began to take note. Mo would follow that song with two successful Ja Rule collaborations in “Put It On Me” and “I Cry,” which set the stage for her debut album Based on a True Story.
Second Listen Sunday : Bell, Biv, Devoe, Welcome To My Heart
R&B trio Bell, Biv, Devoe just wrapped up a successful tour with their parent group New Edition and I’m sure they are already cooking up some dates for Summer 2023 as BBD.
Slow Jam Saturday : The Spinners, Sadie
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so I wanted to pick a song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday that pays homage to moms.
Second Listen Sunday : Janet Jackson 20 Y.O.
I’m still on a musical high after seeing Janet Jackson in concert last night, so of course, she will get some more love. I decided to revisit her ninth album, 2006’s 20 Y.O., for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
Slow Jam Saturday : Janet Jackson, 70s Love Groove
Tonight will be one for the record books, as I finally see Janet “Ms. Jackson if you’re Nasty” live. Before that, though, I must show some love to one of my favorite Janet slow cuts for Slow Jam Saturday.
Second Listen Sunday: Marvin Gaye, Dream of A Lifetime
Last week we marked the 39th anniversary of the untimely passing of ICON Marvin Gaye. I was approaching age three when Gaye passed, so I don’t remember the worldwide grief music fans felt. However, Gaye’s legacy continues to live on, and for this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I chose to revisit Gaye’s eighteenth and first posthumously released studio album, Dream of a Lifetime.
Slow Jam Saturday: H-Town, Day I Die
R&B trio H-Town hit the scene in 1993 with their massive crossover hit and signature song “Knockin’ Da Boots.” Even though pop pundits might consider the group one-hit wonders, they have six albums and other charting R&B hits.
Second Listen Sunday: Gerald Levert, Groove On
The legendary Gerald Levert was on top of his game in the fall of 1994 when his second album, Groove On, hit stores. His 1991 debut Private Line saw platinum success, and two years later, his sixth album For Real Tho’ with the group LeVert went gold. Not to mention Gerald was also an in-demand producer and writer
Slow Jam Saturday: K-CI & Jo Jo, Never Say Never Again
R&B duo K-Ci & Jo Jo achieved runaway success when they broke away from their parent group Jodeci in the summer of 1997. The third single from the album “All My Life” was the number-one song on the Hot 100 for three weeks, a feat that K-Ci & JoJo had never achieved with Jodeci. K-Ci & Jo Jo showcased their unique sound and style as a duo, resonating with pop audiences.
Second Listen Sunday: Dennis Edwards, Don’t Look Any Further
While The Temptations miniseries is a classic, one of my most significant issues with the film was the lack of attention given to Dennis Edwards, who was the voice of one of the group’s biggest hits in the seventies. That said, I decided to give Mr. Edwards his flowers this week.
Slow Jam Saturday: Ruff Endz, Someone To Love You
R&B duo Ruff Endz burst onto the scene in the summer of 2000 with back-to-back hits in the form of “No More” and “Where Does Love Go.” from their debut album, Love Crimes. The group followed those singles up with the smash hit “Someone To Love You,” which made an appearance on the soundtrack to Chris Rock’s film Down To Earth.
Second Listen Sunday: Marcus Canty, This…Is Marcus Canty
In the year 2023, if you were to count the number of singing competitions that emerged after the success of American Idol in 2002, you might run out of fingers. One constant from all of the shows is that they rarely produce a male R&B singer who becomes a force in the genre.