"Never" is here and now for R&B artist Jaheim
By Gail Mitchell
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Eager for the release of his new album, R&B singer Jaheim said that he feels "like a daddy in the waiting room pacing back and forth. I can't wait for my baby to come out."
"The Makings of a Man" (December 18) is his first project for Atlantic Records, sister label of Jaheim's previous home, Warner Bros. The segue was smooth for him, he said -- "like going from momma's house to daddy's house."
"Never," the fast-moving lead single and wedding-anthem-in-the-making, is No. 32 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart after just seven weeks.
"Never" is one of several first-time collaborations for the multiplatinum singer. Joining longtime Jaheim collaborator KayGee (Naughty by Nature) are producer/artists R. Kelly, Babyface, Keyshia Cole, Ivan Barias and Carvin Haggins of Karma Productions (Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott) and Jasper Cameron (Nelly, Christina Aguilera).
"This is what's so different about 'Makings' and my previous albums," Jaheim said. "I'm not saying we didn't have hit records before. We were doing our own thing and blessed to do that."
Manager James "Pookie" Gist added: "In the past, Jaheim has always had nice ballads on his albums. But we never got the opportunity to actually get to one of those records, make it a single and put a visual behind it. What we're trying to do this time is step him out of the ghetto vibe."
Signed to Warner Bros. division Divine Mill in the late '90s, Jaheim (his last name is Hoagland) drew comparisons to soulful crooners Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross with his hot-buttered-rum vocals. That, paired with his rapper image/dress, spawned the genre nickname "thug R&B" and three albums chronicling inner-city life.
The first was 2001's "Ghetto Love," featuring the singles "Could It Be" and "Just in Case." That was followed in 2002 by "Still Ghetto" (with the hits "Fabulous" and "Put That Woman First") and 2006's "Ghetto Classics" (including the singles "Everytime I Think About Her" and "Chosen One"). Combined, they have sold more than 3.5 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Pookie was quick to point out that the album holds no left-field surprises and that he and Jaheim don't mind the continual comparisons to Vandross and Pendergrass. In fact, the new album includes a song, "Really Love," dedicated to Vandross, who was Jaheim's major musical influence. (It was done with the late singer's former producer, Nat Adderley Jr.) Another track features original music from the vaults of legendary Philadelphia songwriter/producers Gamble & Huff.
Before the release of "Never," Jaheim performed on the Atlantic soundtrack to the recent Tyler Perry film, "Why Did I Get Married?," starring Janet Jackson and Jill Scott. Plans are afoot for Jaheim to move into film as an actor. Though negotiations have stalled because of the screenwriters' strike, Jaheim is due to star in a music business-oriented film through Paramount based on a true story.
In the meantime, with four albums under his belt, Jaheim is intent on fulfilling his own musical prophecy: "Anything can happen but, God willing, I see myself doing this for the next 30 years."
Reuters/Billboard
