Joe | |
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Joe performing in 2011 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Joseph Lewis Thomas [1] |
Born | [1] Columbus, Georgia, U.S. | July 5, 1973
Origin | Opelika, Alabama, U.S. |
Genres | R&B |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 1992–present |
Labels |
Joseph Lewis Thomas (born July 5, 1973), 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 (Your Man Won't Do)", "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".
Since his departure from Jive, Joe has released most of his projects independently through ventures with Kedar Massenburg and Plaid Takeover Entertainment. In 2016, his twelfth album My Name Is Joe Thomas became his eleventh album to score a top five-placing on Billboard 's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while lead single "So I Can Have You Back" became his fourth number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart over the span of three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). [2] In 2010, Billboard listed Joe at 48th on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. [3] An ASCAP Award recipient for his song "I Wanna Know", Joe is a seven-time Grammy Award nominee and has been nominated for numerous other awards and accolades, including a BET Award, a NAACP Image Award, and four Soul Train Music Awards.
Joe was born July 5, 1973, in Columbus, Georgia, [1] and was the child of evangelist preachers. [4] He moved to Opelika, Alabama during his formative years and graduated from Opelika High School in 1991. [5]
After his graduation from Opelika High School, Joe continued to sing and write music while working at occasional temporary jobs. [6] In New Jersey, while working at a gospel record store and continuing his music education through a local church, he met producer Vincent Herbert and recorded a three-song demo tape.[ citation needed ] In 1992, he signed to PolyGram Records and released his debut album Everything the next year. Produced by Joe along with Keith Mille, J. Dibbs, and Dave "Jam" Hall, it peaked at number 105 on the US Billboard 200 and number 16 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Everything spawned three singles, including I'm in Luv" and "The One for Me" the former of which became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. The following year, Joe appeared in the group Black Men United, along with then-label mate Brian McKnight, Gerald Levert, Aaron Hall, Tevin Campbell and other male singers for the single "U Will Know" for the soundtrack to the romantic drama film, Jason's Lyric .
In 1996, Joe contributed the song "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)" to the soundtrack to the crime comedy parody film Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996). Released as a single, it reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was later included as the opening track on his second studio album All That I Am (1997) after signing with Jive Records. Marking his commercial breakthrough, the album reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Another hit single from the album "Don't Wanna Be a Player", was also featured on the Booty Call soundtrack. All That I Am eventually went platinum in the US.
A songwriter and producer, Joe became a frequent collaborator on other artist's projects in the mid-1990s. He remixed a duet by Barry White and Tina Turner called "In Your Wildest Dreams" as well as a remix of Turner's single "Something Beautiful Remains" from Turner's album Wildest Dreams (1996) and wrote and produced on albums by R&B groups Ideal, Xscape and Hi-Five. In addition, Joe sang on the remix of Big Punisher's "Still Not a Player", produced by Knobody, which interpolated his own song "Don't Wanna Be a Player" and appeared as a backing vocalist on Brandy's track "Angel in Disguise" from her second album, Never Say Never (1998). In 1999, singer Mariah Carey asked him to sing on her track "Thank God I Found You" which appeared on her album Rainbow (1999). [7] Released as the album's second single, it became Joe's first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Aside from its peak of number two in Canada, the song achieved moderate international charting, reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom and peaking within the top thirty in Australia, Belgium (Wallonia), France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. [8]
In April 2000, Joe released his third album, My Name Is Joe . Produced by Joe and several other record producers such as Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Teddy Riley and Tim & Bob, it received favorable reviews from critics and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, while topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. [9] It charted internationally as well, peaking within the top 10 in Netherlands and Canada. My Name Is Joe produced three singles, including "I Wanna Know", "Treat Her Like a Lady", and "Stutter", the first and last of which reached the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100. The biggest seller of his discography, My Name Is Joe was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and earned platinum and silver certifications from Music Canada, Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In 2001, the album and "I Wanna Know" received Grammy Award nominations in the Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance categories.
The following year, Better Days , Joe's fourth album, was released. Significantly less successful, it reached number 32 on the Billboard 200 but peaked at number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, reaching gold status in the US. The album spawned two singles, "Let's Stay Home Tonight", which reached number 18 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and the Adult R&B Songs chart-topper "What If a Woman". A critical success, Better Days became his second album to receive a Grammy nomination in the Best R&B Album category, while "Let's Stay Home Tonight" was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. In 2002, Joe did another collaboration with Mariah Carey on the remix version of "Through the Rain", the first single from her album Charmbracelet (2002). [10]
Joe recruited a diverse roster of high-profile musicians to work with him on his fifth studio album, including Carvin & Ivan, Dre & Vidal, R. Kelly, and The Underdogs. Released in late 2003, And Then... reached number 26 on the US Billboard 200. While Kelly-penned lead single "More & More" became a top 20 R&B in the US, it was released on double A-side with "Ride Wit U", a collaboration with rap group G-Unit, elsewhere. A moderate success, the single entered Australia's top 40 in July 2004, and peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one if his biggest hits there. [11] A steady seller, And Then... was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Joe's sixth album Ain't Nothin' Like Me , released in April 2007, was produced by Stargate, Tank, Cool & Dre, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Sean Garrett and featured guest appearances by rappers Nas, Fabolous, Papoose, Young Buck and Tony Yayo. It received generally positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and on top of the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, selling about 98,000 copies in its first week, while marking his highest-charting album since My Name Is Joe. While lead single "Where You At" charted in the United Kingdom only, follow-up "If I Was Your Man" reached number three on Billboard's Adult R&B Songs. Ain't Nothin' Like Me marked Joe's final album with Jive Records following a fallout with label surrounding rumors of his dissatisfaction with the promotion of his material. [12] Also in 2007, Joe performed a cover version of "Before He Cheats", a Carrie Underwood hit, as a Pepsi Smash exclusive on Yahoo! Music. [13]
Following his departure from Jive Records, Joe released his seventh album Joe Thomas, New Man independently on record label executive Kedar Massenburg's Kedar Entertainment company in September 2008. Production on the album was helmed by Bryan-Michael Cox, Stereotypes, and D'Mile among others. [14] Upon release, it debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200, selling 56,733 copies in its first week. Lead single "E.R. (Emergency Room)" became the only single to reach the top forty on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [15] Only ten months later, Signature , his second album with Kedar, was released. [16] An album composed of ballads written, produced, and arranged by Joe, it debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. [17] The same year, Joe released the holidays EP Make Sure You're Home for Christmas , which was released exclusively through Target and features two original songs and four cover versions of Christmas standards and carols. A top twenty success on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the standalone EP was worked into a full-length album, entitled Home Is the Essence of Christmas , released the following year. [18]
In 2010, Joe collaborated with label mate Keith Sweat on the song "Test Drive", written for Sweat's album Ridin' Solo . Also in 2010, he released his ninth studio The Good, the Bad, the Sexy . The singer worked with Brandon "B.A.M." Alexander, Gragston, The Ambassadorz, and Gerald Issac on most of the record which debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop albums chart. [19] Following a short hiatus, Joe's next effort, his tenth studio album Doubleback: Evolution of R&B , was released in July 2013, marking his first release on Massenburg's newly formed company Massenburg Media after the dissolution of his Kedar Entertainment. [20] It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B/Hip Hop chart, selling 31,500 copies in its first week. [21] The singer worked with a small group of musicians on the album, including San Francisco-based producer D.O.A., who contributed "I'd Rather Have a Love" and the duet "Love & Sex", featuring singer Fantasia. [22] Rapper Too Short also appears on the album. [23]
In March 2014, Joe signed a distribution deal with BMG Rights Management. [24] His eleventh album, Bridges , marked his first album under Plaid Takeover Entertainment, a venture of regular co-executive producer Gerald Isaac, after severing business ties with Massenburg. [25] After a decade of consecutive top ten entries on the Billboard 200, it debuted and peaked at number 17, with first-week sales of 15,126 copies in the United States. [26] The first single released from the album was "Love & Sex, Pt. 2", a duet with singer Kelly Rowland serving as sequel to his 2013 collaboration with Fantasia. It became a top five hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart. [27] In November of 2015, Joe recorded and released a cover to the critically acclaimed song Hello by artist Adele, [28] which received mostly positive reviews. Joe's twelfth album, My Name Is Joe Thomas , an homage to his third effort My Name Is Joe (2000), was released on November 11, 2016. The album debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with 17,000 copies sold the first week, and spawned the single "So I Can Have You Back", his fourth number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart. [2] In support of the album, Joe co-headlined a European concert tour alongside Ashanti from February to March 2017. [29]
Studio albums
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.
And Then... is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Joe. It was released through Jive Records on December 2, 2003, in the United States. A breakaway from his previous album Better Days (2001), the album saw Joe consulting a wider range of collaborators, including labelmate R. Kelly as well as Frank Romano, Roy "Royalty" Hamilton, L.E.S., Kevin "Shekspere" Briggs, Dre & Vidal, Carvin & Ivan and The Underdogs. Rap group G-Unit and rapper Freeway appear as guest vocalists on the album.
Andre Levins, also known as A+ is an American rapper. As a teenager he released albums in 1996 and in 1999.
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. He signed with the label as a recording act to release his debut studio album, My Heart (1996), which was met with lukewarm commercial reception despite yielding his first Billboard Hot 100 entries with its singles "In the Hood", and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet."
"Honey Love" is a song by American R&B singer R. Kelly and his group Public Announcement from Kelly's debut studio album Born into the 90's (1992). It was released as the album's second single on Jive Records in April 1992.
My Name Is Joe is the third studio album by American R&B singer Joe, released on April 18, 2000, on Jive Records. Production was handled by Joe and several other record producers including Allen "Allstar" Gordon, Teddy Riley and Tim & Bob. Beforehand, Joe released All That I Am (1997), which was his most successful album prior to the release of My Name Is Joe. Upon its release, My Name Is Joe received favorable reviews from critics, with most appreciating the love feel of the album.
"Wanna Get to Know You" is a song recorded by G-Unit. It was released in January 2004 through Interscope Records and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records as the third single from their 2003 debut album, Beg for Mercy.
All That I Am is the second album by American R&B singer Joe. It was by Jive Records on July 29, 1997, in the United States, marking his debut with the label. Widely considered his breakthrough album, All That I Am reached number thirteen on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Tha Hall of Game is the third studio album by American rapper E-40. It was released on October 27, 1996, by Sick Wid It Records and Jive Records. The album features production by Ant Banks, Mike Mosley, Rick Rock, Studio Ton and Tone Capone. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 4 on the Billboard 200. One single, "Things'll Never Change"/"Rapper's Ball", peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. and performed well on several other charts as well. The album was certified gold in 1997 by the RIAA. The album features guest performances by fellow members of The Click: B-Legit, D-Shot and Suga-T, as well as 2Pac, Luniz, Cold 187um, Kokane, Keak da Sneak and Levitti.
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.
"I Wanna Know" is a song by American R&B singer Joe. It was written by Joe, Joylon Skinner and Michele Williams for his third studio album My Name Is Joe (2000), while production was helmed by Joe and Tony Nicholas, featuring additional credit from Timmy Allen. It also appeared on the soundtrack to the film The Wood (1999). Released as a single, it reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was ranked fourth on the Billboard Hot 100's 2000 year-end chart.
Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture The Wood is the soundtrack Rick Famuyiwa's 1999 film The Wood. It was released on July 13, 1999 through Jive Records and consisted of hip hop and R&B music. The album peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200, number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and went Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 25, 1999.
Kimberly Michelle Pate is an American singer and television personality. She is best known for appearing as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta during its first two seasons, later returning to the show during its fifth season. Michelle subsequently signed with Atlantic Records. Her debut studio album, Rebellious Soul, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Her second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? was released on December 9, 2014. The album debuted at number six in the US and spawned three singles "Love 'Em All", "Maybe I Should Call" and "Hard to Do". The album sold 87,000 copies in its first week in sales.
Ridin' Solo is the eleventh studio album by American R&B singer Keith Sweat. It was released on June 22, 2010 by Kedar Entertainment and Fontana Distribution. It debuted at number 13 on the US Billboard 200, also reaching number four on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
"Tyrone" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu during a concert in 1997. It was released as the lead single from her live album Live (1997) on October 27, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. She has performed this for encore during concerts, and many consider it to be her signature song.
Rebellious Soul is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter K. Michelle. The album was released on August 13, 2013, by Atlantic Records. Its songs were mostly co-written and co-composed by Michelle and Bianca Atterberry. Other artists who collaborated on the album include Tank, Priscilla Renea, Meek Mill, and Jack Splash. Musically, Rebellious Soul was inspired by Michelle's love for emotional ballads, and the 1970s and 1980s eras in music. She incorporated different combinations of musical genres, including electronic, R&B, hip hop, soul and gospel, for the album's songs.
Doubleback: Evolution of R&B is the eleventh studio album by American singer Joe. It was released through Massenburg Media on July 2, 2013 in the United States. His debut with the label, following the dissolution of his former record company, the album incorporates classic rhythm and blues influences and features bits and pieces from 1970s' funk and soul. Joe produced half of the album, while Derek "D.O.A." Allen, The Ambassadorz, and production duo Stargate were consulted to contribute additional material.
Eric Aldwin Bellinger Jr. is an American R&B singer and songwriter. He began songwriting in 2010, and has co-written singles including "Lemme See" by Usher, "New Flame" by Chris Brown, "Right Here" by Justin Bieber, "On Chill" by Wale, and "Music Sounds Better with U" by Big Time Rush. His contributions to Brown's album F.A.M.E. (2011) yielded his first Grammy Award.
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.
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.