Just Me
CD - $18.98

BIOGRAPHY

You could say that the title of Keith Sweat’s 1987 four-million-selling debut album, “Make It Last Forever” was prophetic: for, two decades after he emerged on the music scene with the unforgettable ‘new jack’ anthem, “I Want Her,” a No. 1 R&B and Top 5 pop smash, Keith has truly made his career last, through sales of fifteen million albums worldwide, three dozen charted singles and counting. Amazing, in fact, that a look at the charts of 1988 reveals that Keith is virtually the only artist still recording, still performing on a regular basis, a household name who, thanks to his “Sweat Hotel” radio show is heard by countless listeners nationwide on a daily basis.

Indeed, it does take a special kind of artist to survive through ever-changing musical times: the 2008 release of JUST ME, his Atco Records debut - filled with the kind of Sweat-flavored grooves and slow jams that are his trademark – is proof positive that the New York native is staying true to his game. Ask Keith to describe his latest work – much of which he produced, contributing as a writer to virtually every track – and he makes it real clear: “You hear other artists out here who make the mistake of trying to be trendy. They really try to keep up. I know people want to hear Keith Sweat. I’m conscious of the people who have followed me the whole time, since day one. I remember that I have a fan base and I’m very careful to give the people what they expect from me. That’s why I called the album JUST ME because that’s what it is, a record that pleases me and pleases my audience.”

As he has with the dozen-plus albums he’s made (including two best-sellers under the name ‘L.S.G.’ with Johnny Gill and the late Gerald Levert), love and relationships are Keith’s prime musical theme: “I do love songs because people are always gonna be falling in and out of love. My songs always fit that concept,” says Keith. Opening with the exceptional standout ballad “Somebody” (which samples the Blue Magic ‘70s classic “What’s Come Over Me” and features rapper Chris ‘F.L.O.’ Conner), Keith deals with a strayin’ lover, employing an decidedly different vocal approach! “Yeah, I wanted to try something different and give my fans a shock: I’m singing falsetto throughout the song! I felt really good about doing it that way...”

Moving from the ‘surprise’ of “Somebody,” Keith returns to familiar territory with the sensual slow jam “The Floor,” reuniting him with ‘new jack’ pioneering producer Teddy Riley, with whom he first worked on his 1988 debut LP, Keith noting, “it felt really good working with Teddy again.” Another special reunion on JUST ME: “Butterscotch,” which features vocalist Athena Cage, with whom Keith had the 1996 million-selling No. 1 R&B smash. “Nobody.” Of working with Athena (who originally sang with the Sweat-produced female group Kut Klose), Keith says, “Hey, when you find something that works, why not do it again? I love Athena’s voice and the musical chemistry between us really works...”

Other standouts on JUST ME include the future classic, “Love You Better,” a truly memorable duet between Keith and hitmaker Keyshia Cole (“she honored me by singing the song – it was a pleasure recording with her”); the first single, the sexy jam “Suga Suga Suga” (featuring Paisley Bettis); the midtempo vibe-flavored “Girl Of My Dreams”; the bonus cut “Some More” which features Akon; and “Just Wanna Sex You,” a hit-the-spot cut which Keith says is on the album “to remind people of what I’ve done and what I’m about musically.”

For the millions of people who’ve been listening to Keith Sweat over the years, no reminder may be necessary. Ever since the Harlem-born college grad made the transition from Wall Street brokerage assistant to R&B heartthrob in 1988, he’s been a fixture on the music charts, following his first smash, “I Want Her” with “Something Ain’t Right” and the now-classic slow jam “Make It Last Forever” (with Jacci McGhee) and in the process jumpstarting a career that has included three multi-platinum albums, two platinum and two gold albums, two platinum and three gold singles (including 1998’s “Come And Get With Me,” featuring Snoop Dogg).

With six R&B No. 1 hits to his credit, Keith is ranked No. 61 in the list of top R&B artists of all time: Rhino’s 2004 “Best Of Keith Sweat: Make You Sweat” collection (which included the 1996 million-seller “Twisted,” the gold single “Make You Sweat” and chart toppers “I’ll Give All My Love To You” and “Keep It Comin’” along with the LSG smash, “My Body”) achieved gold status, reaching the Top 15 slot on the R&B charts, a milestone for a ‘greatest hits’ compilation for any artist from the ‘new jack’ era.

A consistently popular performer since the early ‘90s, Keith’s live shows are now attracting a whole new generation. He performs most weekends, headlining across the country, drawing from his catalog of hits and he says, “reaching a wider audience. Parents play my stuff and then teens come to see me because they’ve heard my music. It’s cool when an eighteen-year-old comes up to me in a mall and knows who I am! It’s surprising to me that my career has had such a long life span. When you first start out, you hope people will hear the music and you don’t expect to be still around twenty years later. It feels good.”

The release of JUST ME marks a return to the studio for Keith, whose last CD was “Sweat Hotel Live,” issued in 2007. The album, which includes production by The Ambassadorz, Nite & Day and Roy Battle is his first studio set since 2002’s “Rebirth” and of the gap between records, Keith says, “I didn’t have the desire to make a new record until now. I like to pace myself and besides, the music game is so different now.”

Different indeed but with his resourcefulness, Keith has carved another niche for himself - as a radio personality. He hosts his own syndicated radio show "The Keith Sweat Hotel" through Premiere Radio Network which is heard in twenty-one markets, with new cities being added all the time. “It puts me in touch with the people,” he says of the show, which airs from 7pm–midnight daily. “People call in, they talk, they confess...it’s great. Doing the radio show helps me in everything I do: at the weekends I go out and tour, during the week I’m on the air...”

Now, with the release of JUST ME, Keith Sweat returns to making the kind of music that has earned him respect and admiration for his longevity, an artist whose distinctive music is as relevant now as it was back in the day. “Hey, it’s a blessing to have been around for this long and I don’t take it for granted,” he says. And nor do his many fans, happy to hear that Keith’s back doing what he does best, bringing it, as sexy and soulful as ever.