After their 1990 sophomore album release, The Future, R&B trio Guy began an extended hiatus. Teddy Riley went on to form another group, Blackstreet and then become an in-demand producer. While Aaron Hall would go on to start his solo career with the risqué ballad “Don’t Be Afraid.” Like most R&B fans, I was curious to know what the third member of Guy, Damion “Crazy Legs” Hall, would do.
Hall previously showcased his solo vocal talents on the Forte song “Holding On” from the Zebrahead soundtrack two years prior, and did some Gospel plays here and there. However, not many folks know Hall released a solo project in 1994. For that reason, I wanted to give Hall the Slow Jam Saturday spotlight with his 1994 debut solo single “Satisfy You” feat. Chanté Moore. Bryan Loren handles production on the track and caters well to Hall’s voice.
Music heads know that the song was initially offered to Michael Jackson during the recording sessions for “Dangerous.” The King of Pop passed on the song but let the song’s producer, Bryan Loren, know he would sing backup if Loren kept the song for himself.
Set to a luxuriant instrumental sound, “Satisfy You” exemplifies nineties R&B. Hall opens the song crooning, “Hey girl, my only wish is to satisfy you.” He then takes his vocal register up a tad over the track, allowing the listener to feel Hall’s emotion for his lady. The icing on the cake in the song, though, is the vocal compliments that Moore and Hall’s voices give each other.
“Satisfy You” was the perfect song to introduce Hall as a solo artist, and hearing the song validates that the singer should have had more chances to sing lead on Guy’s tracks. Hall never tries to emulate his older brother but instead shows his own style in a great way.
Final Grade: A
“Satisfy You” isn’t available on any major streaming platforms; however, it is available on YouTube.
Growing up in the nineties, movies aimed at a melanin audience often featured soundtracks that had to be just as flavorful as the films themselves. This week, for Slow Jam Saturday, I want to take a trip back to 1993 and highlight one of the slow jams from the soundtrack of “Menace II Society”.
Last week marked two significant anniversaries for one of the greatest artists of all time, Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson. It’s only fitting that I show him some love for Second Listen Sunday. The first anniversary was on the 21st, commemorating nine years since his passing. The second anniversary was on the 22nd, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.”
One of my most significant decisions late last year was to pledge to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. At the time of this writing, I am in Atlantic City for my fraternity’s Regional Conference, where I will represent my chapter, Beta Alpha Omega. In that regard, I believe the perfect song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday is “The Best Man I Can Be.”