Mantronix was an influential 1980s hip hop and electro funk music group from New York City. The band was formed by DJ Kurtis Mantronik and rapper MC Tee. The group is primarily remembered for its pioneering blend of old school hip hop, electronic, and club music. They underwent several genre and line-up changes during its seven-year existence between 1984 and 1991, and released five albums beginning with their 1985 debut The Album.
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Secrets is the second studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on June 18, 1996, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards. Secrets has been certified eight-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Worldwide, the album has sold over 15 million copies. In support of the album, Braxton embarked on the Secrets Tour, playing dates in North America and Europe from August 1996 to October 1997.
Amel Eliza Larrieux is an American singer-songwriter, musician and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album, Infinite Possibilities, the following year on Epic Records.
Kurtis el Khaleel, known by the stage name Kurtis Mantronik, is a Jamaican-born hip hop and electronic-music artist, DJ, remixer, and producer. He was the leader, DJ, and keyboardist of the influential 1980s hip hop and electro-funk group Mantronix. He currently lives in South Africa where he has produced and remixed house and techno music tracks by artists such as India, Junior Senior, Kylie Minogue, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Michael Gray, Victoria Beckham, Liberty X, S Club, and Mim. Mantronik was influential in the development of hip hop music: notably, he laid the foundations for Southern hip hop genres such as Miami bass and trap music, and helped popularize the Amen break.
Groove Theory was an American R&B duo, with former member, singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux and songwriter/producer/actor, Bryce Wilson. The group is best known for their 1995 hit "Tell Me", which reached the top five of Billboard's Hot 100 and the US Billboard R&B chart.
"You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from American singer Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets (1996). The mid-tempo song represents a joint collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning producer Babyface and Bryce Wilson. The beat of the song was originally for singer-songwriter Brandy, with Dallas Austin pegged to write a lyric to override; however, Braxton had Babyface write lyrics for the song. It was ultimately issued in the United States as a double A-side with "Let It Flow", the airplay hit from the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale.
Music Madness is the second album by old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix. Music Madness was the final Mantronix album released on the independent Sleeping Bag Records label. The hip hop album features club-oriented production by Kurtis Mantronik and MC Tee's b-boy-based rapping.
In Full Effect is the third album by the hip hop-electro funk group Mantronix, released in 1988. It was the first Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. In Full Effect was the highest charting hip-hop album for Mantronix, reaching #18 on the 1988 Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album peaked at No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. In Full Effect was rapper MC Tee's final Mantronix album.
This Should Move Ya is the fourth album by the American hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix, released in 1990. It was the second Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. This Should Move Ya featured new members Bryce "Luvah" Wilson and Kurtis Mantronik’s cousin D.J. D, who joined founding member Mantronik following the departure of rapper MC Tee.
The Incredible Sound Machine is the fifth and final studio album by old school hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix, and the third Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. The Incredible Sound Machine featured new member, vocalist Jade Trini, who replaced D.J. D. Trini joined rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson, and founding member, DJ Kurtis Mantronik.
Touré Embden, known by the stage name MC Tee, is a Haitian-American emcee and co-founder of the 1980s old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix.
Jade Trini Goring, formerly known by the stage name Jade Trini, is an American singer. Goring was also briefly a member of the electronic/house/old school hip hop group Mantronix, in 1991.
The Best of Mantronix 1985–1999 is a compact disc compilation album by hip hop/electro-funk group, Mantronix. The album was released by Virgin Records on March 15, 1999.
"Got to Have Your Love" is a song by American hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix, featuring vocals from American recording artist Wondress. It was released by Capitol Records in December 1989 as the lead single from Mantronix's fourth studio album, This Should Move Ya (1990). The song is written by band members Bryce Wilson and Kurtis Mantronik along with Johnny D. Rodriguez, and produced by Mantronix. It reached number four in the UK, number seven in Finland and number eight in Ireland. It is recognized as the group's signature song.
Groove Theory is the only studio album by the American R&B duo Groove Theory, released on October 24, 1995, by Epic Records. The album peaked at number sixty-nine on the US Billboard 200 chart. In October 1996, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for surpassing 500,000 copies in the United States.
The Day is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Babyface. It was released by Epic Records on October 22, 1996, in the United States. The album peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, also reaching the top ten on the Dutch Albums Chart. The Day was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and received Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album respectively.
Love, Marriage & Divorce is a collaborative studio album by American singers Toni Braxton and Babyface, released on February 4, 2014, by Motown Records. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and as of July 2, 2014 the album had sold 211,000 copies in the U.S. The album won Best R&B Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Tell Me" is a song by American R&B duo Groove Theory from their debut album, Groove Theory (1995). The track is a cover of Rhythm-N-Bass' 1993 song "Tell Me ", which was also produced by Bryce Wilson. The song contains an interpolation of Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long" which itself interpolates Keni Burke's "Risin' to the Top".
"Hurt You" is a song by American singers Toni Braxton and Babyface. It was written by Braxton and Babyface along with Daryl Simmons and Antonio Dixon for their collaborative studio album Love, Marriage & Divorce (2014), while Babyface helmed production. The song was released on August 17, 2013, as the lead single from the album. It topped the US Adult R&B Songs and was ranked fifth on the chart's year-end listing.
