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Derrick Dunn

Slow Jam Saturday : Kenya Gruv Case, “Top of the World”

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”.

While the label would release and give a video to “Unconditional Love” from maturing R&B group Hi-Five, the album cut “Top of the World” performed by Kenya Gruv would prove to be just as popular. Co-written and produced with the late great D’Wayne Wiggins, “Top of the World” is a romantic song that centers on the physical closeness between partners. 

Kenya Gruv sings about his longing to take his lady to the highest point of the world so they can spend time alone. He repeatedly uses “Top of the World ” to give her the sensation of reaching the ultimate peak of happiness and fulfilment.

Kenya’s lyrics create an urgent tone about his wish to spend time with them because he wants to meet up “real, real soon”. The phrase “I got all night” demonstrates both the urgency of the singer’s desire and his commitment to spend all his time and energy with his lady.  The lyrics “We can go upstairs and f*ck a lil while / Baby it’s just you and I” might sound crude, yet they reveal the singer’s intent to build a profound physical and emotional bond.

Kenya acknowledges the women’s beauty while saying they look like someone he fantasized about for many years. This wordplay demonstrates that Kenya has been contemplating this connection for some time and holds strong feelings of attraction for the listener.

To my knowledge, Kenya Gruv never released an album and would find more success as a behind-the-scenes artist. However, “Top of the World” remains a timeless piece of desire and passion that should be included by anyone who intends to participate in safe physical relationships with emotionally connected partners.

Final Grade: A

“Top of the World” is available on all streaming platforms.

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Slow Jam Saturday : Chauncey Black, “Everyday Is Your Birthday”

This week’s Slow Jam Saturday pick takes us back to 2008 to show some love to Chauncey Hannibal, a member of Blackstreet, and his solo track “Everyday Is Your Birthday.” Chauncey’s vocals were featured prominently on the group’s first four albums until he began his solo career in 2005. He initially signed with Flipmode Entertainment, and “Everyday Is Your Birthday” was the first single from his project titled “Church Boy,” although the actual album was never released.

Second Listen Sunday: Brooke Valentine, “Chain Letter”

As my loyal readers know, one of my passions during my Air Force enlistment was being a DJ. Since I was stationed in the UK, it was sometimes hard to keep up with the music scene, as there was no satellite radio, the club scene rarely showcased new music, and I missed out on shows like 106 & Park. Often, I would buy new CDs based solely on their covers and find a way to incorporate the music into my sets, particularly if the artist caught my attention. One such artist was Brooke Valentine, who is this week’s pick for Second Listen Sunday.

Second Listen Sunday : Akon, Konvicted

Since my wife’s favorite solo artist, Ne-Yo, is currently on tour, I decided to show some love to Akon this week for Second Listen Sunday by focusing on his second album, “Konvicted.” I first discovered Akon in the fall of 2004 when I made my DJ debut while stationed in the UK. During my warm-up set, I played “Locked Up,” and one of the bouncers came over, handed me a pound, and said it was about time someone played that song.

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