Album Review :Stokley, Sankofa
Mint Condition frontman Stokely, returns to the scene with his sophomore solo album, Sankofa. Prior to the COVID pandemic, Stokley released the singles “She”, a ballad that recalled the classic Mint Condition sound, and the up-tempo bop, “Vibrant” feat. Snoop Dogg. Thankfully, the pandemic did not slow Stokley down and he released two more promotional singles earlier this year.
Second Listen Sunday : Babyface, The Day
Babyface was already a legendary hitmaker when his fourth album, The Day, arrived in stores in the fall of 1996. For the album’s first single, “This Is for the Lover in You,” a cover of the Shalamar classic, Babyface linked up with LL Cool J and the former members of Shalamar: Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel.
Slow Jam Saturday: Jagged Edge, Goodbye
Released as the second single from the group’s third album Jagged Little Thrill, “Goodbye” was written by group members Brandon and Brian Casey along with frequent collaborators Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox. In addition Dupri and Cox produced the song as well.
Second Listen Sunday: Kevon Edmonds 24/7
Kevon Edmonds, 1/3 of legendary R&B trio After 7, was already a household name when he released his solo debut 24/7 in the fall of 1999. I was a senior in high school and living in El Paso, Texas when Kevon broke through with his solo single “24/7”
Slow Jam Saturday: Sam Salter, Once My Sh..
R&B fans suffered a significant loss on August 27th when news arrived that singer Sam Salter passed away. Salter broke through in 1997 with his lead single “After 12, Before 6,” which lead to his debut album It’s On Tonight via La Face Records.
Second Listen Sunday : Jon B, Pleasures U Like with guest Edward Bowser of Soul In Stereo
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to revisit Jon B.’s criminally underrated third album, Pleasures U Like. Joining me in discussing the album is Keith Sweat super fan and Marvel Guru, Edward Bowser from Soul In Stereo
Slow Jam Saturday : Toni Braxton, In The Late Of Night
For this month’s final Slow Jam Saturday selection, we continue highlighting the songwriting talents of Jon B. R&B songstress Toni Braxton was already a force when she released her second album Secrets in the summer of 1996.
Slow Jam Saturday : After 7,Damn Thing Called Love
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday selection, we continue highlighting the songwriting of Jon B. Two months after the release of his debut Bonafide, Jon displayed his writing and production skills on After 7’s third album, Reflections. Arriving in record stores on July 18th, 1995, Reflections featured four songs from Jon.
Album Review : After 7, Unfinished Business
R&B trio After 7 returns to the scene with a new album titled Unfinished Business via the SoNo recording group. New member Danny McClain joins founding members Kevon Edmonds and Keith Mitchell for the group’s fifth project.
Second Listen Sunday Review : Alexander O’Neal, Alexander O’Neal
Minneapolis-based soul singer Alexander O’Neal burst onto the scene in 1985 with a self-titled debut that would make him a household name. However, as die-hard music fans know, O’Neal was supposed to make his debut earlier.
Slow Jam Saturday : Jon B., Can We Get Down
Welcome back to Slow Jam Saturday. We are continuing to pay homage to this month’s artist Jon B. This week, we are looking at what many consider Jon’s best album, Cool Relax.
Slow Jam Saturday : Jon B., Isn’t It Scary
Welcome to the first edition of a possible new weekly series I like to call Slow Jam Saturday. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I prefer ballads and slow jams to any up-tempo material. Therefore, my new series will highlight my favorite slow jams and ballads from my favorite artists.