UB Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Andrea Martin’s ‘The Best of Me’

The Debut Came After Writing Hits for SWV, Monica, En Vogue & More.

UrbanBridgez.com October 13, 2023

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Today is the 25th Anniversary of the late great, Andrea Martin‘s debut album “The Best of Me,” released October 13th, 1998 via Arista Records.

UB‘s very own Ivan Matias, was Andrea‘s former songwriting partner and apart of the project as well. “I want the right people to get my music and to laugh or cry. I hope that it gives them the strength to hold on, or go on,” stated Andrea Martin to Billboard.

Andrea’s West Indian roots are reflected on the album with what she called a “touch” of reggae, evident on her cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You.”

“I think anything different will work,” Andrea stated. “I listened to Bob Marley growing up, but it was never a plan to be that way [on the album], but it fit so perfectly into the bridge [of the songs]. I didn’t want people to think I was an American girl doing R&B. I wanted them to know that I had a West Indian background, which will put a change to what I’m doing.”

The first single, “Let Me Return The Favor,” was a collaborative effort with longtime songwriting partner Ivan Matias, and released commercially in September of 1998.

Other tracks on the album include the singles “The Best Of You,” and “Share The Love,” along with “How Could U Forget,” and the gospel-flavored “Dear Lord.” A Lauryn Hill remix of “The Best Of You” also appeared as a bonus on the album.

Andrea Martin and her twin sister Audrey were born in the East New York section of Brooklyn, to working-class Guyanese parents of West Indian descent.

At age 7, Andrea and her sister talked their mom into letting them buy their first 45 rpm singles – Junior‘s “Mama Used To Say” and New Edition‘s precious double-A sided keeper, “Popcorn Love” b/w “Jealous Girl.” For Andrea, the path was clear: “I never had a high voice,” Andrea stated in 1998. “So I studied more of the male singers, Prince and Michael Jackson and later Terence Trent D’Arby with his raspiness.”

Andrea attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (aka ‘the Fame school’) in Manhattan, where she first met Ivan Matias in the school’s award-winning gospel choir. In 1988, while still in school, Andrea cut a one-off deal with Next Plateau Records (Salt-N-Pepa, Sybil) where she wrote “Dirty Love,” a modest club hit. Over the next couple of years, she continued writing songs, meeting producers, recording demo material and even won a series of consecutive third prizes at Apollo Amateur Night.

Later on, Andrea signed with a major music publishing firm as a songwriter and ran into Ivan, who was organizing his first album for Arista UK. He was looking for material, so the two began collaborating. Andrea also met Ivan‘s attorney Lauren Davis, who believed in her and began presenting Andrea to record labels. One such showcase in 1993 attracted Arista‘s Clive Davis. He subsequently invited Andrea to talk about her career, her songs and her future.

By the time Andrea signed to Arista in 1996, the hits were already rolling, starting with Monica‘s “Before You Walk Out Of My Life” in late-’95. SWV‘s “You’re The One” arrived in the Spring of ’96, along with three more tracks (“On & On,” “Whatcha Need,” “It’s All About U”) on their Platinum “New Beginning” album. These were followed by Toni Braxton‘s second album that summer, “Secrets” with the song “I Love Me Some Him.”

The Money Talks movie soundtrack wasn’t complete until Andrea put the finishing touch on the title track with Lil’ Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A.

The end of 1996 brought an all-important comeback hit for En Vogue, “Don’t Let Go (Love),” the platinum keynote track of the Jada Pinkett/Queen Latifah film, “Set It Off.”

In 1997, Andrea slowed down the pace for other artists and began concentrating on getting her debut album together. While she was completing “The Best of Me“, Andrea also worked on new material for TLC; and coming full circle, Ivan Matias’ U.S. debut via Elektra. Andrea and Ivan also nailed the end-title assignment (with Changing Faces featuring Ivan Matias) for the Eddie Murphy remake of “Doctor Dolittle.”

“You know, you only get one shot on your first album,” explained Andrea Martin of “The Best of Me,” her long-awaited debut on Arista Records. “So I didn’t want to do what everybody else is doing, I wanted to have something distinctive to say. It’s just me giving my opinion of how an album should be made.”

The albums lead single “Let Me Return The Favor” is addressed to Andrea’s partner and songwriting collaborator Ivan Matias. Andrea gave special treatment to the heart-wrenching baby-mother apology of Tracy Chapman‘s “Baby Can I Hold You.”

In keeping with her wish “[not] to do what everybody else was doing,” Andrea avoided the “flavor of the week” writer-producer names and went with a different crowd, “new producers – we wanted a new kind of sound,” Andrea stated for her album biography. “I wanted to take a chance on some new people with great new sounds who need the opportunity to be heard. That’s what my album is about, taking a chance.”

Andrea Martin said her greatest challenge from being in the music industry, was keeping it together as a singer/songwriter.

Talented, creative and real are a few of the words that can be used to describe Andrea Martin.

In a 2012 UB Interview, Ivan Matias told us how him and Andrea became Songwriting partners and broke down some of the dynamics of their relationship and songwriting process.

Andrea & I went to high school together. The “Fame” school of performing arts which birthed many entertainers from Liza Minnelli, Nicki Minaj, Kelis, Azealia Banks to Laurence Fishburne. Robert De Niro, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Vanessa A. Williams. During my 4 years there, we had, Marlon Wayans, Omar Epps, Jennifer Aniston, Chaz Bono, Monifah, Changing Faces, & Donald Faison to name a few. Shortly after H.S. I’d switched labels twice. Arista Records became my third label home by 19. My management was from London & moved me there to record my Arista Album. First Avenue managed me as a recording artist but I managed my own songwriting career.

I got a publishing deal with Warner Chappell between my 1st & 2nd record deal as they saw my economic potential & sought to lock down my publishing early. About a year into working on my project, Andrea had just been signed to her first Publishing deal. Her publisher called me to see if I wanted to collaborate with this new girl he’d signed & was trying to get some song placements on. When I showed up to the meeting & Andrea walked in, we were both shocked. We went into the studio that day & became partners instantly.

We went on to write together for over 10 years. It was easy for us because we’d studied music together & knew each others style very well. Although we weren’t besties in H.S. our musical foundation & roots in Brooklyn bonded us. I was managing myself & kind of fell into the roll of managing both of us as we were partners. Management entailed a “good cop, bad cop” system. Andrea would say yes to everything & I’d have to go in & negotiate the business. She was the emotion & I was the business. Sometimes we switched rolls but both parts were very necessary. There were days when I didn’t want to go to the studio or hated a song we were working on & vice versa. We took turns motivating each other.

We’d originally written “Don’t Let Go” for Aerosmith & we thought we’d be responsible for ruining En Vogue when Elektra President Sylvia Rhone loved it & hired us to record it on the quartet. Sylvia heard something we couldn’t. Andrea ordered me to get into that studio & cut those vocals anyway — while she went to get her nails done (laughs). It was then that we employed the “you like it, we love it” outlook. I remember when we did “You’re The One” (SWV), Andrea hated the song & refused to sing the reference. I had to go to London & kept calling & harassing her until she finally laid that demo down. I loved that raunchy little song! (laughs). I actually had to beg & bribe her to catch another plane from Atlanta the day we wrote “Still In My Heart (Tracie Spencer).” She was having “one of those days” & wanted to go home but only half the song was demoed. She really made me work that day. I was good for giving her hell also.

Like most partners, we’ve had some monumental, classic battles both; creatively & personal. Andrea really wanted to be an artist & although I was a signed artist, it wasn’t my passion. I understood that she couldn’t look like the “bad guy” as an artist so I didn’t mind assuming the part. My lawyer was Lauren Davis, daughter of Clive Davis. I introduced Lauren to Andrea and she got signed to Arista Records. Andrea is one of the most underrated vocalists out. Her style is seasoned & mature which makes it difficult to place her voice in a modern context. Her vocal style isn’t trendy, it’s classic soul & pop like her writing which is why she’s one of the greatest female writers of our generation.