My New Jack Swing Era: The Era of the late 80s

As you guys know from reading my blog, I love soul music from the 50s-90s. But finally I can discuss an era that I know about which is the "New Jack Swing Era". This era I actually were born in. To my knowledge the "New Jack Swing Era" was developed by Teddy Riley, of the groups Guy & Blackstreet. "New Jack Swing is R&B vocals sung over a hip-hop and dance-pop. Basically this type of sound made you want to dance. 


Now, I was introduced to this type of sound by my mother and father. During this time, there was 4 albums that they played a lot. The albums included Keith Sweat's "Make It Last Forever", Guy's "Guy", Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel", and Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814". These album were a must play between 1987 to 1992. And until my father's death these albums had to be played every time we went on a trip. Most these albums are very sentimental because it showed me another fun side of my father and mother as child you didn't often see. Now, since my father has passed on listening to these albums bring back happy memories with him and other family members.


In 1988, I was a 2 year old baby and my mother & father decided to move to Richmond VA from the hard life of Brooklyn, NY to start a new life. Now I don't remember a lot about the move to VA, but I remember "Make It Last Forever", "Guy", "Don't Be Cruel", and "Rhythm Nation" was always played. One memory that I can recall from the VA era was one weekend my parents decided to take a trip back to NY for a visit and my mother decided that we all should wear matching white sweat suits. (To this day I am glad my mother doesn't have a picture of that because I bet we looked like clowns..lol) During that 6 hour ride to NY, I can remember those 4 albums being played. Now at 2 or 3 years could you imagine my and my parents  in white matching sweat suits rocking to these songs in the car, CLASSIC!


But it wasn't until we move to South Carolina, when my mother began college that these albums became part of my life. I am going to give a song about each of these 4 albums and at the end I will explain which album I liked the best.

Keith Sweat's "Make It Last Forever"  is the album that put "New Jack Swing" into the mainstream. This Teddy Riley produced album is a classic. With songs like "I Want Her", "Something Just Ain't Right", "In the Rain", and the classic duet "Make It Last Forever", you can't say this album didn't bring the New Jack Swing Era to relevancy. This album is very dear to me because my father, my uncle, and cousin all enjoyed this album to death. Now,  I know they all are in heaven blasting this album riding down the road. I remember when my uncle Alvin and cousin Andre use to come to our house in South Carolina, my father was pop in the tape and they would all sing to it. Three old men singing Keith Sweat, now everybody that is a fan of Keith Sweat knows he is begging type of singer, so to hear them was always funny.(Actually brings tears to my eyes writing about it). But these songs really classified this album as a classic:
                                                           

Something Just Aint Right

Tell Me It's Me You Want

Don't Stop Your Love

Make It Last Forever

Remake In The Rain

NEXT

This is the album that made me fall in love with Janet Jackson. Now with these four albums, this album my mother and I related to more than my dad. This album was more of a social issue album. In this album, Janet was talking about issues that were going on in our communities such as education, illiteracy, and social injustice. Songs like "Rhythm Nation", State of World, and my personal favorite "The Knowledge" defined this album. Now this album, my mother insisted to be played a lot because the songs had a message and you can dance to it and me and her love to dance. Today, I am so happy that this album was played because this is the album that made me want to go to college. One classic memory I can remember from this album, is the first time I heard "The Knowledge" at 4 years old I used to always ask my mother to play this song. So by the time I got to South Carolina, I actually started to listen to the lyrics which was a great message. During this time, I was observing my mother going through college and she would always tell that education is important. Then when I finally listen to the lyrics to "The Knowledge" it make me want something better for my life and at the age of 7, I know that I wanted to be like my mother and follow the lyrics of "The Knowledge".  These songs defined this album as a classic. This is album very still current, for example the Trayvon Martin case. 

The Knowledge

State of World

Alright(Which I can find the album version because the last 40 second is awesome)

Living In A World (RIP Travyon Martin)

NEXT

I am thankful for this album not just for the good music, I was introduced to this my favorite artist of all time Mary J. Blige. I remember this album completely this was a straight new jack swing to the end. Guy included the created of this era Teddy Riley, the voice behind the group Aaron Hall, and Damien Hall. This album had to be played which was agreeable with me, my mother and father. Songs like "Teddy's Jam", "Spend The Night", and "Groove Me" made you just want to dance. I remember me as a young child dancing hard on the dance floor to this album. Then ballad's like "Piece of My Love" and my personal favorite "Goodbye Love" are slow jam classics. The reason for "Goodbye Love" being my personal favorite is because an unknown Mary J. Blige sung the background vocals of this song. Even before I knew that was Mary singing background I loved this song, I used to ask my mother who is that girl singing those epic background vocals, when we learned it was Mary J. Blige, we knew we would meant to love her. (Yes me and family are BIG Mary J. Blige fans) But this "Guy" was a classic, that describes the New Jack Swing Era. But these were my favorites on this album

Goodbye Love (Listen to epic background vocals of Mary J. Blige)

I Like

Spend The Night

Groove Me

LASTLY

This album was more of an album that my father and I vibe on more than my mother because it was a more masculine album. Songs like "My Prerogative" make you just wanted sing to a girl and tell her "It's my prerogative, Imma do what I wanna do" like Bobby said at the end of the song. I can remember me and my father use sing this song in the car while my mother would look at us crazy. This album defined Bobby Brown as his own artist after trying to find himself after being in New Edition. Songs like "Every Little Step", "Don't Be Cruel", "Roni", and "Rock Witcha" made this album an instant classic. These were my personal favorites from the album 

Every Little Step (With the Rap)

Take It Slow

My Prerogative

Rock Witcha

As you see this albums are very close to me because it was the era that I was born in. The New Jack Swing Era was the era that really made me play attention music, which is part of the reason why I fell in love with music. Out of all the 4 albums, I must say that Keith Sweat's "Make It Last Forever" is the album that will always be close to me because my late father, my late uncle, and late cousin love this album. And every time I listen to this album, I just laugh and cry about the great memories I have with them. In the beginning it was hard to listen to, but now I can jam to the album because I know those three are in heaven jamming to the album too. Now as I conclude this blog entry these were the albums that represent my "New Jack Swing" era.