Next to New Edition, one performer who I always make time to see any time they are in my city is Eric Roberson. I’ve lost count of times I’ve witnessed Erro wreck shop on stage. One performance that sticks out was in 2016 at The Birchmere in Alexandria. During a “Do The Same For Me” performance, Eric brought his dad on stage to sing the song with him.
Eric’s fans are aware of his close relationship with his father, and in honor of Father’s Day tomorrow, I wanted to highlight the song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday. The closing track from his 2014 album, The Box, “Do The Same For Me,” features the production talents of Terry Poindexter.
The beat starts with a melodic feel, and Eric croons the lyrics, “I don’t just love who you are /I love who you were and who you’re gonna be/
Hopefully, you’ll see that I’m a simple man/Do all I can/Hope you’ll do the same for me, baby. Eric’s tenor comes through as fine-aged cognac, and any man who has ever been in love will feel the sincerity in his lyrics.
In the second verse, Pop gets his chance to shine. From the moment he sings, “As we go through life,” you hear the wisdom and knowledge of a man guided by the Song of Solomon. Concurrently father and son are singing a track about the unison of marriage.
Eric’s lyrics passionately convey the message of requesting equal respect, love, and support from a partner they have already received. The song also emphasizes the importance of reciprocity, equal treatment, and being there for each other in a healthy relationship. It serves as a reminder to appreciate each other’s efforts and to treat each other with kindness and respect.
While the song came out eight years into my marriage, had Eric released it in 2008, “Do The Same For Me” would have easily been a part of my wedding playlist.
Final Grade: A
“Do The Same For Me” from The Box is available on all streaming platforms.
For a quick background on the song, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muw-zM7hz2k
And if you want to see the magic behind Eric’s process, click here: https://ericrobersonmusic.com/pages/the-process
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.