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.
The group’s label didn’t rush out a second album, though. Instead, they kept the duo on the road and dabbled in other projects. During the fall of 1997, they took part in the R&B supergroup Milestone along with After 7 to contribute vocals to the lush ballad “I Care ‘Bout You” for the soundtrack of the movie Soul Food. And a soundtrack contribution from the duo brings us to this week’s Slow Jam Saturday pick.
Iconic author Terry McMillian saw another one of her books adapted to the big screen in 1998 with How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Legendary production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis oversaw the soundtrack providing Kci & Jo Jo with “Never Say Never Again.”
The song speaks about a change of heart when it comes to love. At the beginning of the track, K-CI talks about not wanting to fall in love and avoiding emotional attachment. However, he meets a woman who changes his perspective and teaches him a valuable lesson about love. He acknowledges that the love he has for this woman has deepened, and she has become a significant part of his life.
The lyrics suggest that the K-CI apologizes for not listening to his mother’s advice about treating women as precious gifts. Ultimately, the song talks about the joys of falling in love and the lessons one learns while experiencing it. Outside of performing the track on Motown Live and appearing on The Jamie Foxx show, the song gained little traction. It’s a shame because it’s one of their strongest songs.
Final Grade: B+
“Never Say Never Again” can be found on the soundtrack to How Stella Got Her Groove Back and All My Life: Their Greatest Hits, both on streaming platforms.
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.