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Keith Sweat

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Keith Sweat is an American singer, producer and songwriter, born in 1961 in Harlem, New York. His mother worked as a hairdresser and his father in a factory. After his father's death in 1973, his mother raised the five children alone. As a boy he performed in the nearby Apollo Theater. Before releasing a solo album, he worked as a night warehouse worker at Macy's and in the mail room of a stockbroker, and earned a communications degree at the City College of New York. Later he even worked on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Music and breakthrough

His musical career began in 1975 with the Harlem band Jamilah. In 1984 he left the group for a solo career and sang in nightclubs, after which he recorded two songs for the label Stadium Records. His breakthrough came with Make It Last Forever in 1987, with hits such as I Want Her. Later came I'll Give All My Love to You, Make You Sweat, Get Up on It, Twisted and Nobody, among others. He released thirteen solo albums, two of them with the R&B supergroup LSG, and discovered the groups Silk and Kut Klose.

Influence

Sweat was an early name in new jack swing, the style that combined R&B with the hard rhythms of hip hop. According to the source, his sound was influenced by Steve Arrington of Slave and by go-go. His soft, pleading vocals over tight drum-machine rhythms became the model for much R&B of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to I Want Her and notice the drum machine: how do the hard, tight rhythm beats contrast with Sweat's soft, pleading vocals?

Discography

Studio albums

Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsNew jack swing