If there were ever a trivia question asking about my favorite music time period, the answer would be the nineties R&B. During the 1990s, a high volume of R&B music was hitting shelves, making it challenging to stay up-to-date.
Six years after breaking television records with their miniseries biopic, it’s still perplexing that legendary R&B super group New Edition didn’t strike while the iron was hot and release a new album. Seeing a prime opportunity, NE group members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ron DeVoe decided to drop a new project for their spin-off group Bell Biv DeVoe, Three Stripes, in the winter of 2017.
Frankie J experienced his first taste of stardom as a member of the Kumbia Kings before embarking on a solo career with his debut album What’s A Man to Do in 2003. He followed that project up with a self-titled Spanish language album and then delivered another English language album, The One, in 2005.
One of the most extraordinary things about being a music head is seeing one of your favorite artists succeed. I wanted to highlight a recent single by one of my favorite singers Eric Roberson and his new song “Things Meant for Me.” Erro reunites with frequent collaborator Brett “Bdubb” Bakker for the track, validating the two’ musical kinship.
Sean LeVert had already experienced great success in the group LeVert with his older brother Gerald and childhood friend Marc Gordon before turning thirty. Following the release of the group’s sixth album For Real Tho’ in 1993, Sean struck out on his own with his solo debut in June of 1995.
2009 was a strong time in R&B as a crop of male R&B under thirty had all dropped projects. Popular opinion would tell us that before his “incident” in February 2009, Chris Brown should have gone to another level with his project Graffiti.
One of the highlights of Summer 2023 for me was attending Essence Fest for the first time. Jill Scott was a featured performer, and for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to show some love to one of my favorite tracks in her catalog, “Easy Conversation.”
It’s no secret that Usher became a global icon in 2004 when he released his fourth album, Confessions. However, as the good folks over at YouKnowIGotSoul.com, world-class remixer DJ Soulchild, and, of course, my big but Edward Bowser will tell you, there are a few other singers that dropped albums as well.
The late George Michael successfully transitioned from a boy band to a successful soul artist with his debut solo album Faith in 1987. Michael had already scored four successful singles when the fourth single, “One More Try,” hit the airwaves.
R&B quartet 112 was at a crossroads when their fifth album, Pleasure & Pain, hit records stores in the spring of 2005. A year prior, they officially departed longtime label Bad Boy Records for Def Soul, and the group’s fourth album, Hot & Wet, had underperformed two years earlier.
There’s no question that Canadian singer Tamia is unsung. While she has six Grammys nominations and numerous other awards, mainstream success has yet to be in the cards. I was a month into my first overseas assignment in England when she released her third album, More.
As a music enthusiast, I will never forget June 25, 2009. That day, a fellow passenger on the shuttle bus informed me of Michael Jackson’s passing. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I revisited Jackson’s tenth and final studio album, Invincible. It’s common knowledge that Jackson faced legal issues in 1993, which affected his career.
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