Baduizm is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 11, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, and recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. He set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal. Recording sessions for the album took place from January to October 1996 in New York City, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with Warner Bros. Records, she was asked by veteran producer Quincy Jones to appear on his album Q's Jook Joint (1995), earning her Grammy Award nominations for their collaboration on "You Put a Move on My Heart" and "Slow Jams". Her self-titled debut album was released in 1998 and followed by a series of successful albums with Elektra Records, including A Nu Day (2000) and More (2004). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including "So Into You", "Stranger in My House", and "Imagination", as well as her collaborations "Into You", "Missing You", and "Spend My Life with You".
Joseph Lewis Thomas, known mononymously as Joe, is an American R&B singer. He signed to Polygram Records in 1992, and rose to prominence after releasing his debut album Everything the following year. He followed it with a series of successful albums under Jive Records, including All That I Am (1997), the international bestseller My Name Is Joe (2000) as well as the multi-certified albums Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including the number-one hit "Stutter", the top ten entries "All the Things ", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know" as well as his collaborations "Faded Pictures", "Thank God I Found You" and "Still Not a Player".
Charlene Keys, better known by the stage name Tweet, is an American singer-songwriter.
India Arie Simpson is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, Acoustic Soul, was released in 2001, and she has since released six more studio albums. Arie has sold over five million records in the US and ten million worldwide, and has won four Grammy Awards from 23 nominations, including Best R&B Album.
Dru Hill is an American R&B group, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was founded in Baltimore in 1992 by Tamir "Nokio the N-Tity" Ruffin, and as of 2023, is still active. Dru Hill recorded seven top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B number-one hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise" and "How Deep Is Your Love". Its original members were lead singer Mark "Sisqó" Andrews, Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, Larry "Jazz" Anthony and James "Woody" Green. The group achieved popularity in the mid 1990s.
Brown Sugar is the debut studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, released on July 3, 1995, through EMI. The album was recorded during 1994 and 1995 in sessions at Battery Studios and RPM Studios in New York City and at the Pookie Lab in Sacramento. Its production, instrumentation, arrangements, and songwriting were primarily handled by D'Angelo, who employed both vintage recording equipment and modern electronic devices. The songs feature earnest lyrics about love and romance, set against a fusion of contemporary R&B and traditional soul music with elements of funk, quiet storm, and hip hop music.
Donell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He met record producer Eddie F in the mid-1990s and signed with his record label Untouchables Entertainment, beginning his career as a songwriter for its parent label, LaFace Records. Through the labels, he released his debut studio album, My Heart (1996) to poor commercial reception, although it spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries with the singles "In the Hood" and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet."
Alechia Janeice Campbell known professionally as Leela James, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California.
Soul for Real is an American R&B group from Wyandanch, New York, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia made up of brothers Christopher Sherman Dalyrimple a.k.a. Choc, Andre "Dre" Lamont Dalyrimple a.k.a. KD now, Brian "Bri" Augustus Dalyrimple, and Jason "Jase" Oliver Dalyrimple a.k.a. Jase4Real.
Wilfred "Will" Downing is an American R&B, soul, neo soul, and jazz singer and songwriter. He has released 22 studio albums.
Star is the third studio album from American R&B group 702. It was originally scheduled to be released on November 19, 2002 by Motown, but was later delayed to March 25, 2003. In the United States. The album peaked at number forty-five on the US Billboard 200 and produced the singles “Star” and "I Still Love You".
Joe Thomas, New Man is the seventh album by American recording artist Joe, released on September 23, 2008 in the United States. It marked his debut on longtime collaborator Kedar Massenburg's independent record label Kedar Entertainment, following his split with Jive Records in 2007. Joe reteamed with previous collaborators Bryan-Michael Cox, WyldCard, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to work on the album, while additional production was provided by Jerry "Fatz" Flowers, D'Mile and production team Stereotypes.
Signature is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Joe. It was released by Kedar Entertainment on July 14, 2009 in the United States. Incorporating cuts from his previous album, Joe Thomas, New Man (2008), the album features ballads written, produced, and arranged by Joe. Besides Joe, frequent collaborator Joshua P. Thompson is credits as a producer on the album.
The Game is the fourth studio album by American singer Chico DeBarge. It was released by Motown Records on October 26, 1999 in the United States. The album marked DeBarge's return to Motown Records since 1988 after Kedar Entertainment founder Kedar Massenburg was appointed as head of the label in late 1998. The Game peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 and number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Bridges is the twelfth studio album by American musician Joe. It was released by on June 24, 2014 in the United States. The album marked his debut with co-executive producer Gerald Isaac's Plaid Takeover Entertainment after severing business ties with his longtime manager Kedar Massenburg. As with his previous release, 2013's Doubleback: Evolution of R&B, the album was chiefly produced by Derek "D.O.A." Allen, with additional contribution from Isaac, Philip Jackson, Vic Zapata and production team Element.
"Love & Sex, Pt. 2" is a song by American recording artist Joe, featuring guest vocals from singer Kelly Rowland. Originally recorded by Joe and fellow R&B singer Fantasia Barrino for his tenth album Doubleback: Evolution of R&B (2013), a re-arranged version of the song, featuring a new instrumentation and vocals by Rowland, was included on Joe's follow-up album Bridges (2014). Written by Alvin Garrett, Gerald Isaac, and Derek "D.O.A." Allen, with production helmed by the latter, it was released as the lead single from the Bridges album. It reached the top five on the US Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.
"You & I" is the lead single by American R&B singer Avant featuring American R&B singer Keke Wyatt taken from the seventh studio album Face the Music (2013). The song was released in August 2012 through MO-B Entertainment. The song was written by Kriss "Kajun" Johnson, Myron Avant and Andre Henry. The song marks Avant and Keke's fifth collaboration "My First Love" (2000), "Nothing in This World", "I Can't Wait" (2001) and Your Precious Love (2004).
My Name Is Joe Thomas is the thirteenth studio album by American recording artist Joe. It was released on November 11, 2016 by Plaid Takeover and BMG Rights Management. Joe reteamed with longtime contributors, producer Derrick "D.O.A." Allen and Plaid Takeover head Gerald Isaac, to work on the majority of the album. A tribute to his third studio album My Name Is Joe (2000), Joe considered the project to become his final album by the time of its release.
"I'd Rather Have a Love" is a song by American R&B singer Joe. It was written by Gerald Isaac, Derek "D.O.A." Allen, and Alvin Garrett for his tenth studio album Doubleback: Evolution of R&B (2013), while production was overseen by Allen. Released as the album's lead single, it peaked at number five on the US Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.
