b. Chicago, Illinois, USA. One of the few soul singers on Sean "Puffy" Combs' hip-hop dominated Bad Boy label, Thomas has earned critical praise for his adherence to traditional songwriting values. After several years
playing low-key bar gigs around Chicago, Thomas joined Bad Boy in 1997 as their in-house backing vocalist, appearing on releases by rap artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Black Rob, and Combs himself. He also contributed to albums by other rappers including Noreaga and Raekwon. Emotional, Thomas' long-playing debut, was released in 2000. This largely self-written album, recorded with a stellar cast of producers including Mario Winans and Heavy D, eschews samples and beguiles the listener instead with its reliance on melody and classic song structure, a bold move in an era dominated by urban R&B singers singing over mechanical beats. The obvious reference points are the classic 70s soul albums of artists such as Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Teddy Pendergrass, with stand-out tracks including the duet with Kelly Price on "Giving You All My Love" and the organ-driven "Cold, Cold World". Emotional climbed into the US Top 10, buoyed by the radio success of the single "I Wish".
source: VH1.com |
