Faith Renée Evans is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. She first performed as a backing vocalist for R&B singers Al B. Sure! and Christopher Williams, and by the age of 20, she signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records as the label's first female artist in 1994. Following her uncredited appearance on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "One More Chance", she released her debut studio album, Faith (1995) to critical acclaim and moderate commercial reception. Evans then guest performed alongside 112 on Puff Daddy's 1997 single "I'll Be Missing You," which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and became the first hip hop song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Her second and third albums, Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001) peaked at numbers six and 14 on the Billboard 200, respectively, and saw further critical praise.
Faith is the debut studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on August 29, 1995, in the United States. A collaboration with the label's main producers The Hitmen, including members Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Chucky Thompson, as well as Mark Ledford, Herb Middleton, and Jean-Claude Olivier, among others.
"Think of You" is a song by American musician Usher. It was co-written by Usher alongside LaFace Records labelmate Donell Jones and Bad Boy singer Faith Evans for his self-titled debut album (1994). The song samples a groove from the instrumental track "Tidal Wave" (1975) by American jazz musician Ronnie Laws, also featuring vocals from rapper Biz Markie's "Just Rhymin' With Biz" (1987). Lyrically, "Think of You" finds the protagonist going through a breakup and dealing with conflicting feelings about his ex.
Carl Edward "Chucky" Thompson Jr. was an American hip hop and R&B record producer.
My Life is the second album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released on November 29, 1994, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. Many of the topics on My Life deal with clinical depression, Blige's battling with both drugs and alcohol, as well as being in an abusive relationship. Unlike her debut, What's the 411? (1992), Blige contributed lyrics to fourteen of the album's tracks, making it her most introspective and personal album at the time. Similar to her debut album, My Life features extensive production from Sean "Puffy" Combs for his newly founded label, Bad Boy Entertainment, which was at the time backed by Arista Records.
"Again" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Ivan Barias, Carvin Haggins, and Evans for her fourth studio album The First Lady (2005), while production was helmed by Barias and Haggins under their production moniker Carvin & Ivan. It contains a sample from "Genuine" by American 1970s soul group the Whatnauts. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Jerry Harris and Venus Dodson are also credited as songwriters. "Again" addresses Evans's 2004 arrest for drug possession.
"Be Happy" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Arlene DeValle, and Jean-Claude Olivier from duo Poke & Tone for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Olivier. "Be Happy" contains an instrumental sample of the song "You're So Good to Me" (1979) by musician Curtis Mayfield and a re-sung vocal portion of the record "I Want You" (1976) by Marvin Gaye.
"I'm Going Down" is a song written and produced by Norman Whitfield, and performed by American soul and R&B group Rose Royce in 1976. It is from the film Car Wash and is featured on its soundtrack. In 1994, it was covered by American singer Mary J. Blige.
"Never Gonna Let You Go" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written and produced by Damon Thomas and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for her album Keep the Faith (1998). The song spent one week at number 1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"You Used to Love Me" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Faith Evans. Written by Evans and produced by Sean "Diddy" Combs and Chucky Thompson for her debut album, Faith (1995), the song was initially intended to be used on fellow Bad Boy Records signees Total's self-titled first album (1996), but was eventually claimed by Evans after she had found lyrics to Thompson's track which were inspired by another argument the singer had with then-husband The Notorious B.I.G..
"I Love You" is a song by American recording artist Faith Evans. It was written by Anthony Best, Michael Jamison, Bobby Springsteen, and Jennifer Lopez and recorded by Evans for her third studio album Faithfully (2001). Production on the song was overseen by Buckwild, Mario Winans and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Initially written for Lopez's second studio J.Lo (2001), the contemporary R&B ballad samples singer Isaac Hayes' 1976 record "Make a Little Love to Me" and finds Evans, as the protagonist, confessing her love and dignity to a man who has yet to find a heart for her.
"Love Like This" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Evans, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Clarence Emery, and Schon Crawford for her second studio album Keep the Faith (1998), with production helmed by Lawrence and Combs. The song is built around a looped sample from "Chic Cheer" (1978) by American band Chic. Due to the inclusion of the sample, band members Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers are also credited as songwriters. "Love Like This" initially impacted US radios on September 15, 1998 as the album's lead single.
"Mesmerized" is a song by American R&B recording artist Faith Evans from her fourth studio album, The First Lady (2005). Inspired by producer Chucky Thompson's original track, which contains interpolations from Johnnie Taylor's 1968 single "Who's Making Love", written by Homer Banks, Don Davis, Bettye Crutcher, and Raymond Jackson, and George Benson's "Footin' It", crafted by Benson and Donald Sebesky, Evans wrote the song alongside Andre Johnson, Kameelah Williams, Thompson, and husband Todd Russaw; its production was handled by Johnson, Thompson and Russaw. A throwback to 1960s music, the uptempo funk song exhibits style similar to that of Lyn Collins, Aretha Franklin and James Brown, among others.
"Soon as I Get Home" is a song by the American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Evans along with Sean Combs and Chucky Thompson for her debut studio album Faith (1995), while production was helmed by Combs and Thompson. A romantic hip hop soul ballad which chronicles a woman's desire to spend more time with her loved one, it was inspired by Evans' marriage to her then-husband The Notorious B.I.G., which had changed radically after the major commercial success of his debut album Ready to Die (1994).
"You Gets No Love" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Evans along with Toni Coleman, Mechalie Jamison, Kameelah Williams, Chauncey Hawkins, Mechalie Jamison, Andre Wilson, and Michaelangelo Saulsberry for her third studio album Faithfully (2001), while production was helmed by Saulsberry, with Evans co-producing. The song was released as the album's leading single in July 2001 and peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100, also reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Lately I" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Diane Warren and Steven "Stevie J" Jordan for her second studio album Keep the Faith (1998), while production was helmed by David Foster, with Stevie J co-producing and Mike Mason providing additional production. The song was released as the album's fourth and final single in November 1999 and reached number 78 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Can't Believe" is a duet by American recording artists Faith Evans and Carl Thomas. It was written and produced by Sean Combs and Mario Winans for Evans' third studio album Faithfully (2001) and is built around a sample of "Phone Tap" as performed by The Firm and penned by Nas, Anthony Cruz, Chris Taylor, Jermaine Baxter, and Dr. Dre.
"Come Over" is a song by American recording artist Faith Evans. It was written by Evans, Floyd Howard, Sean Combs, and Chucky Thompson for her debut studio album Faith (1995), while production was helmed by Combs and Thompson. Released as the album's fourth and final single in 1996, the song reached number 56 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 9 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
"All Night Long" is a song by American R&B singer Faith Evans featuring guest vocals by Puff Daddy. It was written by Evans, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Schon Crawford, Clarence Emery, Todd Russaw, and Todd Gaither for her second album Keep the Faith (1998), while production was helmed by Lawrence, Combs, and Evans. The song contains a sample from "I Hear Music in the Streets" (1980) by American post-disco group Unlimited Touch. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Bertram Reed and Galen Underwood are also credited as songwriters.
"Alone in This World" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Mechalie Jamison, Michael Carlos Jones, Jack Knight, Herbert Magidson, Mario Winans, and Allie Wrubel for her third studio album Faithfully (2001). Production was helmed by Combs and Winans. The son contains a sample from "Who Shot Ya?" (1995) by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Diddy. Due to the inclusion of the sample, several other writers are credited as songwriters. The song was released as the album's fourth and final single in April 2002 and reached number 73 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Rapper Jay-Z appeared on a remix version of the song.
