R&B duo Christión burst onto the scene in late 1996 with their debut single “Full of Smoke”, which led to the group earning the honor as the first R&B group signed to Roc-A-Fella records. In fact, most Hip-Hop heads know that Christión’s debut was the only Roc-A-Fella release between Jay-Z’s first two albums. While I enjoyed “Full of Smoke”, it was the group’s second single that made me a fan.
Christión followed up their lead single with a cover of the Rose Royce classic “I Wanna Get Next To You”. Written by musical guru, Norman Whitfield, and first appearing on the Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the song talks about how a narrator pleads his love for a beautiful woman, except that the young woman is unkind, and does not understand his affection for her. As he continually wastes his own money calling her, yet she does not respond, he still wants to “get next” to her regardless.
Kenni Ski and Allen Anthony, who made up the group, brought a delicate nineties vibe while keeping the timeless message of the original. I am sure everyone could relate to the lyrics “Money is low, and I know I can’t take you to the fancy places, but still, I wanna get next to you.”
Unfortunately, Christión couldn’t find a place in the crowded nineties R&B field, but their debut is impressive and the group’s cover of “I Wanna Get Next To You” is one of the best covers from Norman Whitfield’s catalog.
Final Grade: A
Christion’s debut Ghetto Cyrano is available on all streaming platforms.
One of the great things about buying a soundtrack when I was in my DJ prime was discovering a slow jam that I could put on my mix CDs. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to highlight one of the songs: Jagged Edge’s cover of Air Supply’s, “All Out of Love.”
After twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge is currently on the road celebrating the anniversary of their magnum opus sophomore album, “J.E. Heartbreak,” with a tour titled “An Intimate Evening With Jagged Edge.” To kick off our seventh wedding anniversary celebration, my wife and I will be the D.C. date on the tour this coming Wednesday.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to travel back to 1999 and show some love to R&B group Amyth, which was initially signed to LL Cool J Rock the Bells Records. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the group was formed in 1995 while the members were students at Southern University.
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