Tag: SWV

It’s About Time: The 25th Anniversary

25 years ago, three friends from The Bronx and Brooklyn came together to form as a singing group and then released their debut album. The three girls names are Cheryl, Leanne, and Tamara also known as Coko, Lelee and Taj, better known as SWV or Sisters With Voices. On October 27th, 1992, the group released their album “It’s About Time.” A 15 track album that’s filled with new jack swing, raw hip hop and R&B tracks. Every song from start to finish is a banger. Songs about relationships, love, and two playful but rapping tracks that perfectly gave the world a glimpse of what these around-the-way girls were all about. SWV was the first girl group in the 90’s to come out with the around-the-way girl image and still able to achieve mainstream success, while others had an image that was more colorful and baggy or the typical high heels and dresses and makeup, SWV kept it hood. Coko’s extremely long fingernails, to 5411 Reeboks and Doc Marten boots to oversized baseball jerseys and jeans, they had an image that regular girls back in the hood of the NYC had. I wasn’t even born when this classic was released but it’s an album that I’m super familiar with and love so much. It’s my favorite album from SWV. This album also had the most hits released. As I sit up at 3 in the morning, looking at and holding the album in my hand, I see the girls on the cover just chillin’ in their element. The SWV logo in a lime green diamond with the letters SWV in dark pink on the top right side on the corner. This means that this is the original 1992 release. This release doesn’t have the “Human Nature” remix version of “Right Here”, instead it’s the Vibe Mix but an instrumental. The April 1993 release has the logo on the opposite side on the cover and has the “Human Nature” remix. It’s 3:14am and for the past almost half an hour, I had “Anything” on a loop. It’s the perfect opening for an album like this. Something soulful, smooth, and gets you ready for the upbeat tracks that follow after. The next song “I’m So Into You” is one of the singles released from the album and then followed by “Right Here.” “Right Here” is SWV’s debut single. The song that put them on in the first place. The song with the video our parents saw back in the summer of 1992. They were bopping and pointing and dancing all over the place. Taj’s rap is unforgettable. Love hearing her rap. Then it’s their signature hit “Weak.” This is the SWV song that everybody knows. Even our little cousins heard it and they don’t know nothing about no SWV. LOL! This is the song you hear girls singing in talent shows all the time. “You’re Always On My Mind” was another smooth joint and “Downtown” was on another level. “You’re Always On My Mind”‘was the phone call to your lover and you told them how much you thought about them but “Downtown” was the invite over to theirs or your place to what we call nowadays a little “Netflix and chill.” The lyrics were very clear about what they meant by “downtown.” Real grown folk music at the moment. “Coming Home” took it back upbeat after you come back “uptown”, “Give It to Me” was also another upbeat banger. This is the new jack swing/hip hop part of the album. “Blak Pudd’n” is my second favorite after “Anything.” The track basically could’ve been a remix to “Downtown” but with a beat. The rapping of course is dope and it hits hard with the beat. Taj holds her own as a MC. The title track itself is just as beautiful as “Anything” to me. The song gives me that classic girl group vibe and Coko reminds me of Stephanie Mills on this song. The harmonies, the hook, the chorus, everything about it makes it such a perfect song. “Think You’re Gonna Like It” is the heaviest new jack joint on the album and “That’s What I Need” is a mix of both new jack and soul. The album ends off with “SWV (In The House)”, my third favorite, an a Capella version of “Weak” and then the Vibe Mix of “Right Here.” Definitely a no wrong doer album. A classic. Very nostalgic for me. Another joint I grew up listening to without my mom’s permission but she played this in that Sony 5 disc changer radio that I loved so much as a kid. The good old days. SWV will be celebrated for their reaching 25 years in the game at the Soul Train Awards in November. It’s the perfect time. It’s about time.

Release Some Tension: The 20th Anniversary

After two successful albums, SWV returns right away with a third album that was completely different. Their 1992 debut album “It’s About Time” showcased them as the “around the way” girls with the golden voices bopping their heads and dancing in baggy clothes with long nails from The Bronx and Brooklyn. Their sound was new jack swing and heavy New York hip hop boombap with a combination of their soothing and beautiful voices on a love song with a little bit of rapping and playfulness that represented how strong their bond was as sisters who have finally made it out the hood. Four years later, their 1996 sophomore album “New Beginning” was a more softer side of the group. Way more ballads and left their home girl looks for the more feminine look in high heels and fur coats and then a year later, right after, on August 13th, 1997, the group released their third album “Release Some Tension.” This album was more of a combination of the two previous albums before because there are both hip hop vibes and love ballads at the same time. The only difference is that this album had way more collaborations and features than the other two. All of the guest appearances were hip hop. Diddy, Foxy Brown, Redman, Lil’ Cease, Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim, E-40 and Snoop Dogg all appeared on the album. All of the singles released were a hit and definitely a banger, the entire album is a masterpiece to me personally. “Can We” originally appears on the soundtrack to the “Booty Call” movie starring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Tamala Jones and Vivica Fox. “Someone” features a small rap from Diddy and is sampled from Biggie’s “10 Crack Commandments.” “Lose My Cool” is a very cool song featuring Redman. It’s funny because he sings along towards the end of the song which gave it a more “homey” feel to the track and of course Redman is being himself and could do no wrong and the final single “Rain” balances the album’s singles out with a slow ballad. The music video guest stars Tyrese. Besides the singles, the title track song and “When U Cry” are my top favorites on the album. It’s a classic that’s under appreciated to me. It holds a special place to me when it comes to girl group albums because I grew up on it so I know the album very well. It’s an album I grew up hearing all the time. 20 years later, I still appreciate this album like I did as a kid. Very nostalgic, takes me back to when I was 3. Happy to be here to see this joint turn 20 and to see Coko, Lelee and Taj still doing their thing. They’re a legendary girl group, a top 5 girl group for me personally.