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.
As a longtime music enthusiast, I’ve often wondered how quickly record labels expect lead singers from groups to release solo albums. This question came to mind recently when my iPod played “So You Like What You See” by Samuelle. Listening to the song, I realized he would be a great choice for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
You know the voice. The moment Michael Marshall starts singing the hook in Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It,” anyone who grew up in the nineties knows exactly what time it is. However, nearly a decade before that 1995 hip-hop classic, Marshall was already responsible for another instantly recognizable vocal.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.