After 7 is an American R&B group founded in 1987 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and their friend Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the older siblings of pop/R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who named the group and helped them get a record deal with Virgin Records in 1988. After 7 released their platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 1989, which spawned three singles "Heat of the Moment", "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop". "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop" were No. 1 R&B hits and top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album Takin' My Time, released in 1992, also went platinum and contained the R&B hit medley "Baby, I'm for Real/Natural High". After 7's Gold-selling 1995 album Reflections was their last album before the group disbanded in 1997. The album included the R&B hit "'Til You Do Me Right. Years later the group resumed touring with Jason Edmonds, son of Melvin Edmonds, replacing his father. Melvin rejoined the group for their successful 2016 comeback album Timeless, which featured 3 adult R&B top 10 hits "Runnin' Out", "I Want You" and "Let Me Know".
"Get Ready" is a Motown song written by Smokey Robinson, which resulted in two hit records for the label: a U.S. No. 29 version by The Temptations in 1966, and a U.S. No. 4 version by Rare Earth in 1970. It is significant for being the last song Robinson wrote and produced for the Temptations, due to a deal Berry Gordy made with Norman Whitfield, that if "Get Ready" did not meet with the expected degree of success, then Whitfield's song, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", would get the next release, which resulted in Whitfield more or less replacing Robinson as the group's producer.
"I Can't Help Myself" is a 1965 song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.
"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan, released in September 1978 by Warner Bros. as her debut solo single from her first album, Chaka (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album, Masterjam, was released in late 1979.
American R&B singer-songwriter R. Kelly has released 18 studio albums, five compilation albums, one soundtrack album, six video albums, one mixtape, two extended play, and 133 singles.
"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and performed by R&B singer Lou Rawls on his 1976 album All Things in Time. The song proved to be Rawls' breakthrough hit, reaching number 1 on both the R&B and Easy Listening charts as well as number 4 on the dance chart and number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was the first and only time that one of Rawls' records reached Billboard's pop Top Ten.
"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. Warwick's recording of the song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.
"Chain Gang" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released as a single on July 26, 1960.
American R&B singer Monica has released 8 studio albums, one extended play, and 48 singles. Since the beginning of her career in 1995, she has sold 5.3 million albums in the United States, In 1999, Billboard included her among the top twenty of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s, and in 2010, the magazine ranked her 24th on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. With a career lasting over 20 years, Monica became the first artist to top the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
"Superwoman" is a song by R&B singer Karyn White, released as the second single from her self-titled debut album in January 1989. It was her second U.S. top ten hit, peaking at number eight, and her second U.S. R&B number-one hit, holding that position for three weeks. It also earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Can't Stop" is a song performed by After 7, issued as the fourth single from the group's eponymous debut album. It is the group's highest-charting single, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. The song became the group's second number-one R&B single, and peaked at No. 25 on the dance chart.
"Dreamin'" is a song written by Lisa Montgomery and Geneva Paschal and originally performed by the family group Guinn in 1986.
"Shower Me with Your Love" is a 1989 single by American band Surface from their second studio album 2nd Wave (1988). The song was one of their most popular to date becoming the group's second number one on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, where it stayed for one week. "Shower Me with Your Love" was also a successful crossover hit peaking at number five on the Hot 100.
"It's No Crime" is a 1989 song written and performed by Babyface. The single was Babyface's first entry on the Hot 100 as a solo artist, peaking at number seven and reaching number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. The single was Babyface's only chart entry on the dance charts, where it peaked at number five.
"Reach Out for Me" is a 1963 a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally recorded by Lou Johnson. In the US, the original version peaked at number seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending December 7, 1963.
Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj has released five studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, 136 singles, and 20 promotional singles. After becoming involved with dancing, music and acting in high school in New York City, she eventually pursued her passion for rapping. Minaj was discovered by American rapper Lil Wayne and signed to Young Money Entertainment—a subdivision of Cash Money Records with distribution through Republic Records—in 2009. Her first solo single, "Your Love", peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, an achievement that made Minaj the first female artist to top the chart as a solo artist since 2002. Minaj's next three singles, "Check It Out", "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life", all peaked within the top 40 on the Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Pink Friday, was released in November 2010, topping the US Billboard 200 and has since been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album's fifth single, "Super Bass", reached the top ten in multiple countries, including the US where it peaked at number three and has since been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 10 million units in the country.
"Gangsta Lean" is a 1993 song by American contemporary R&B/hip hop group DRS, issued as the first single from their debut studio album of the same name. The song spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was the group's only hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 4 in 1993. The Recording Industry Association of America awarded it a platinum certification, selling over 1.1 million copies domestically. Its highest chart peak was on the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it spent three weeks at No. 1.
Prince released several hundred songs both under his own name and under pseudonyms and/or pen names, as well as writing songs which have been recorded by other artists. Estimates of the actual number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. He has released 117 singles, 41 promotional singles, 24 internet singles, and eight internet downloads.
American rapper Lil Wayne has released 286 singles including 19 promotional singles. Lil Wayne attained his first singles chart entry in 1999 as a featured artist on Hot Boys member Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which peaked at number 19 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 and became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. Wayne later released his debut solo studio album Tha Block Is Hot in November 1999. Its title track and lead single, which features B.G. and Juvenile, reached number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lights Out followed in December 2000 and produced the singles "Get Off the Corner", "Everything" and "Shine". "Way of Life", the lead single from Wayne's third studio album 500 Degreez, peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit on the Hot Rap Songs chart. In 2004, Wayne was featured on the single "Soldier" by American girl group Destiny's Child, which became his first top ten hit on the Hot 100 and enjoyed commercial success internationally.
"Take You Out" is a song by American recording artist Luther Vandross. It was written by Warryn Campbell, Harold Lilly, and John Smith and produced by the former for Vandross's self-titled twelfth studio album (2001). Released as the album's lead single, the song topped the US Adult R&B Songs chart and became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Take You Out" was later interpolated by American rapper Jay-Z in his song "Excuse Me Miss", on his album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, released in 2002.
