Baby Makin' Music

Last updated
Baby Makin' Music
Isley Brothers album Baby makin' music.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 9, 2006
Genre R&B
Length40:45
Label
Producer
The Isley Brothers chronology
Body Kiss
(2003)
Baby Makin' Music
(2006)
I'll Be Home for Christmas
(2007)

Baby Makin' Music is the thirtieth studio album by the American Ohio musical soul group, the Isley Brothers (with bandleader Ronald Isley credited as the lead feature). It was released under the short-lived Def Soul Classics imprint on May 9, 2006.

Contents

Their first for the Def Jam-affiliated label, the album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, while debuting at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Album sales were helped by the R&B chart success of the first single, "Just Came Here to Chill", and the R. Kelly duet, "Blast Off", which is the only collaboration with Kelly on this album, after he produced their last album, Body Kiss (2003).

Other producers on Baby Makin' Music include Gordon Chambers, Jermaine Dupri, Tim & Bob and Manuel Seal.

Following the album's release, the Isley Brothers ended up on a temporary hiatus following lead singer Ronald Isley's conviction on tax evasion charges, having served three years in federal prison before being released in 2010 and releasing a solo album. [1] [2]

Background

In October 2003, five months following the release of their predecessor, Body Kiss , which achieved commercial success, [3] and almost a month ahead of the release of Ronald Isley and Burt Bacharach's collaborative album, Here I Am, the group's label, DreamWorks Records, previously a music label subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures, was acquired by Universal Music Group and then folded into Interscope Geffen A&M Records. [4] As a result, the Isley Brothers became free agents for only five months until in May 2004, former Universal Music CEO Doug Morris convinced the group to comeback to UMG. Accepting his offer, Ronald Isley signed a new contract with Universal, rather than face being dropped from the label and losing money. Instead of signing with DreamWorks' succeeding label, Geffen Records, Morris helped to sign the Isley Brothers to Geffen's UMG sister label, Def Soul, the R&B division of Def Jam Recordings. [5] Around that time, Def Jam was already under new leadership of former Arista Records chairman L.A. Reid, following the departure of Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles and its co-founder Russell Simmons. [6]

Singles and release

The album's lead single, "You Helped Me Write This Song", was released in October 2005, after it leaked on pirate radio last June.[ citation needed ]Baby Makin' Music was expected to be released on December 20, 2005, but was later delayed to May 9, 2006, on which it was finally released.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]

The album received three and a half out of five stars on AllMusic.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."You're My Star" Tim & Bob 4:35
2."Blast Off" (featuring R. Kelly) Robert Kelly Kelly4:04
3."Just Came Here to Chill"
  • Taylor
  • Chambers
4:13
4."Gotta Be with You"
4:34
5."Pretty Woman"
  • Kelley
  • Robinson
Tim & Bob4:31
6."Forever Mackin'"
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Austin
4:22
7."Show Me" Manuel Seal Seal4:22
8."Give It to You"SealSeal4:27
9."Beautiful"
  • Dupri
  • Seal
  • Austin
3:27
10."Heaven Hooked Us Up"
  • Lewis
  • Taylor
4:31
11."You Help Me Write This Song"
  • Lewis
  • Taylor
4:02

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

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References

  1. "Out of jail, Ron Isley picks up where he left off". Deseret News. 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  2. Billboard Staff (2006-09-05). "Isley Sentenced To Prison For Tax Evasion". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  3. "50 Cent Makes Way For The Isley Brothers". MTV. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  4. "CNN.com - Dreamworks near music deal - Oct. 31, 2003". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  5. Mitchell, Gail (2004-05-12). "Def Soul Signs Isleys". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  6. Fritz, Ben (2004-02-10). "Reid's replacing Cohen at Def Jam". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  7. Kellman, Andy. "The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (2006) album review credits & releases | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  8. "The Isley Brothers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  9. "The Isley Brothers Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  10. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  11. "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.