Welcome back to Slow Jam Saturday. We are continuing to pay homage to this month’s artist Jon B. This week, we are looking at what many consider Jon’s best album, Cool Relax. For his second album, Jon had more creative control and it shows in the music. “Don’t Say,” “They Don’t Know,” “I Do (Whatcha Say Boo),” and “Are U Still Down” (featuring 2Pac) were the singles from the album. Any one of these would have been a fine choice to highlight Jon’s talent, however, I had to go with an album track.
Initially, I wanted to go with “I Ain’t Going Out.” The reason being, I could relate to the lyrics of the song, particularly when it comes to the newness of a relationship. We all know when you find the right one that your friends then take a back seat. However, I decided on track #13, the sultry slow jam, “Can We Get Down.”
The song’s production is smooth as an aged cognac, and the lyrics can set a mood without ever crossing into the crass territory. We have all been in a situation where you want to be intimate with someone you may be living with. Sometimes, it is hard to find the exact words to say in your youth, and with “Can We Get Down,” Jon provides the lyrics for you. “What do I have to do/what do I have to say/to get you to come over girl/and let me have my way tonight.” For me, the song’s strength is that while Jon wants sex, he knows that it’s not a guarantee just because you are coming over.
Of the 93 songs in my Jon B. iTunes playlist, “Can We Get Down” has the most plays at twenty-eight. Now, if I could hear live just once, I can cross it off the songs to hear live.
Final Grade: A
Cool Relax is available on all streaming platforms.
For my DMV readers, I highly encourage you to check out Jon B. later this month when he performs at The Birchmere. Tickets are available for purchase at The Venue’s Box Office and Ticketmaster.com
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.”