Music Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

R&B singer Tank has been in the music industry for over two decades. He is currently on the road with R&B legends Guy and Keith Sweat as one of the opening acts for New Edition’s Legacy Tour. Despite Tank’s pen game and impressive catalog, some eighties babies weren’t keen on Tank as part of the tour.

The production teams of McFadden & Whitehead and Gamble & Huff of Philadelphia International Records stand out for me because they have always brought something unique to the table. So for this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I decided to give flowers to the self-titled debut album from McFadden & Whitehead.

If you reside in the DMV area, the My 2000’s Playlist Tour will be a hip-hop event later this month. Acts like T.I., Mase, Fabolous, Mike Jones, Ying Yang Twin, and Ja Rule will perform. The line-up also includes R&B vocalist Ashanti.

R&B talent Kevin Ross continues to bless fans with exemplary music as he prepares to release his upcoming project Midnight Microdose. Last month he dropped the lead single “Look My Way.” That soulful, melodic track blended R&B and hip-hop elements and showcased Ross’s extraordinary vocal range and songwriting ability.