UB Spotlight: Bobby Brown + Keith Sweat Talk R&B, Longevity and Catalogs

UB being the longest running R&B site online, officially since 1998. We of course have featured both artists over the years and spoken to them various times.

We put together a tip-sheet of sorts, for those that be in the comments uneducatedly typing; So it’s clear who these two really are, and what they’ve accomplished in this music industry.

We’ve also included excerpts from Bobby and Keith from UB Interviews; Bobby talks about R&B, longevity, his catalog, misconceptions, his favorite artists now and more.

While Keith Sweat discuses his catalog and longevity as well, plus he tells us his favorite songs he’s recorded, songs he wished were released and he remembers the late great Gerald LeVert with us.

He’s been called the “King of Stage” and “The King of R&B” among other illustrious monikers. However, by any title, singer, songwriter, producer, actor and performer Bobby Brown is a certified superstar! Since his solo debut in 1985, Bobby has earned himself a legion of fans internationally, selling millions of recordings globally in the process.

Bobby‘s career, on the other hand, has been anything but laid back. The impetus for life as an entertainer for the Roxbury, Massachusetts native was obviously established at the tender age of three, when Bobby’s mom pushed him on stage during the intermission of a James Brown concert in Boston.

However, it was a little more than a decade later in 1981, when Bobby formed a vocal group with four other Roxbury buddies called New Edition, that he actually began his trek toward superstardom. The kid group took second place in a local talent show and got the attention of producer Maurice Starr, who developed the act and supplied them with their first hit, “Candy Girl,” on the independent Streetwise label.

After signing to MCA in 1983, the group proceeded on a hit streak that included gold and platinum albums and the singles “Cool It Now,” “Count Me Out,” and “Mr. Telephone Man.” In 1986 Bobby embarked on a solo career with the album King Of Stage, which gave him his first #1 R&B single with “Girlfriend.” But it was the 1988 LP Don’t Be Cruel that forever altered Bobby‘s life. The LP went to #1 on the Billboard charts and generated four Top 5 singles, “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Roni,” “My Prerogative” and “Every Little Step,” which earned Brown a 1989 Best R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Award. The album pulled down a Soul Train Music award for R&B/Urban Contemporary Album of the Year, Male in 1989 and American Music Awards for Favorite Soul Album & Favorite Male Pop Vocalist in 1990, among a trophy case of other honors.

Don’t Be Cruel‘s phenomenal success (a collection of remixed versions of the singles, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Dance …Ya Know It!” reached #9 on the Billboard pop chart) jettisoned Bobby Brown whose rep as a dynamic stage performer precedes him into a whirlwind headlining world tour, a well received cameo in the 1990 movie “Ghostbusters II” and a hit single, “On Our Own,” from the soundtrack album.

His follow-up recording was, 1992’s Bobby, which continued the his success streak with the hit singles “Humpin’ Around,” “Good Enough” and “Something In Common”, a duet with his ex-wife, the late Whitney Houston. Bobby also contributed to Ja Rule’s single, “Thug Lovin” in 2002 which won Bobby a Source Award for R&B/Rap Collaboration of the Year for 2003.

Bobby Brown returned to music in 2012 with “The Masterpiece.” Bobby was also developing a new reality television show, in which he would will appear with his wife Alicia Etheredge. This will follow-up on his appearances in “Gone Country,”“Celebrity Fit Club” and “Being Bobby Brown”.

The New Edition Story aired over three consecutive nights from Tuesday-Thursday, January 24-26, 2017. The mini-series attracted 29 million total viewers P2+ during premiere week. On BET alone, the miniseries grossed 15.7 million viewers 18-49 and 28.4 million total viewers P2+ in its full premiere week..

In 2018, picking up where the critically acclaimed miniseries “The New Edition Story” left off, Woody McClain reprise his role as Bobby in “The Bobby Brown Story,” and painted a picture of the young R&B legend’s struggles with stardom as a solo artist.

Bobby currently runs The Bobbi Kristina Serenity House(“BKSH”), a nonprofit he founded with his wife Alicia Etheredge-Brown, to support victims of domestic violence.

Bobby has simply confirmed what core fans already knew, that Bobby Brown is the real thing, a true artist with a career’s worth to give.

Time and time again, Keith Sweat has proven that he is one of today’s premier purveyors of sensuous R&B. After six #1 R&B albums, 15 top ten hits and 15 albums with of sales of over 13.5 million.

An endlessly soulful new-jack swing icon and true R&B superstar. Keith Sweat is a Harlem-born singer/songwriter known for his distinctive “begging” vocal style, co-produced 1984/1985 singles by GQ and Roberta Gilliam and issued independent singles of his own (“Lucky Seven” and “My Mind Is Made Up”), but he didn’t release his debut until November 1987.

Keith Sweat dominated the urban landscape with his 1987 triple-platinum debut “Make It Last Forever.” The album sold over three million copies, spawning the hits “I Want Her” (#1 R&B, #5 pop), “Something Just Ain’t Right” (#3 R&B), “Make It Last Forever” (#2 R&B) and “Don’t Stop Your Love” (#9 R&B).

It was followed in 1990 by I’ll Give All My Love to You, another million-seller, which featured the hits “Make You Sweat” (#1 R&B, #14 pop), “Merry Go Round” (#2 R&B), “I’ll Give All My Love to You” (#1 R&B, #7 pop) and “Your Love, Pt. 2″ (#4 R&B).

Keith Sweat‘s third album was Keep It Comin’, an R&B chart-topper at the end of 1991, whose title track was another #1 R&B hit.

Keith has maintained a devoted following with his album releases. Next was 1994‘s Get Up on It and the self-titled 1996 album release. Which featured the #1 R&B and #3 pop hit “Nobody” featuring Athena Cage.

Since then he has released the albums Still in the Game (1998), Didn’t See Me Coming (2000), Rebirth (2002), Just Me (an R&B chart-topper in 2008), Ridin’ Solo (2010), ‘Til the Morning (2011), Dress to Impress (2016) and 2018’s Playing for Keeps.

Two albums recorded with Gerald LeVert and Johnny Gill, billed as LSG (and released in 1997 and 2003), were considerably successful, and he also produced a handful of ’90s acts including Silk, Kut Klose, Ol’ Skool and Dru Hill.

For his work, Keith Sweat was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2013 Soul Train Awards.

During the 2000s, he hosted a syndicated radio program called The Sweat Hotel and starred in the Centric channel’s reality program Keith Sweat’s Platinum House, in which he facilitated a turbulent Dru Hill reunion.

Keith also released a relationship book titled “Make It Last Forever: The Do’s and the Don’ts” in 2012. In the book, Keith provides advice on how to keep a relationship fresh and exciting, including tools on everything from how to communicate needs and desires more effectively to tips for mending and reinvigorating partnerships that have gone stale.

Keith Sweat completed his first ever Las Vegas Residency which turned out to be a huge success and featured many of Keith‘s famous friends as surprise guests.

The UB Interviews

UrbanBridgez.com: You clearly have very tough skin due to the fact that people always seem to have something negative to say about you, but yet you rarely respond and you just let them go with it. How do you do that, I think I would be snappin off left and right?
Bobby Brown: Yeah that’s my mother man. My mother always told me, just stay down to earth and don’t let what people say bother you. You know, I just hold my head up despite of everything. I know who I am, so it makes no difference to me what people think.

UrbanBridgez.com: R&B is at such a crossroad right now in regards to the direction it’s been headed in current years, what’s one of your biggest issues in the direction it’s been headed?
Bobby Brown: I think R&B is coming back man, I think it’s needed out there for the masses. Everybody needs to be talking about love and not booty shake here and booty shake there and suck you right here. I mean music just needs to go somewhere else now. I’m glad I’m apart of trying to take it somewhere else.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your opinion on current various successful R&B artists, now recording more pop/dance albums than R&B when it was R&B music that led to their success to begin with?
Bobby Brown: Well R&B ain’t nothing but Pop music anyway. Popular music isn’t anything but R&B music. Hey, to each it’s own. If you want to crossover, crossover. I think everybody wants their music to be heard by the masses. R&B is just the worlds music.

UrbanBridgez.com: When are we going to see you in some new films, you have played some great roles in the past?
Bobby Brown: As of right now, I don’t have any roles coming up. I’ve been looking at some scripts. I’ve been thinking about doing this or that, but as of right now I’m just concentrated on promoting this album and staying on the road doing the touring. And later on down the line I will absolutely be doing more acting.

UrbanBridgez.com: Speaking of artists that are influenced by you and who show you mad love, Bobby V has released his new single “Rock Witcha” a remake of your classic. Have you heard and if so what do you think?
Bobby Brown: I’m suppose to do something with him in the near future. I think it’s George Lopez (Tonight), we’re going to perform together. I appreciate anybody that covers my songs, you know. As long as you don’t butcher it like Britney Spears did.

UrbanBridgez.com: (laughs)
Bobby Brown: (laughs) I mean when something isn’t broke, don’t try to fix it. But I’m looking forward to performing with Bobby. That sounds like I’m saying I’m looking forward to performing with myself (laughs). But he’s a great guy out of Atlanta. I love all of the new kids and all of the music that they’re doing. As long as you stay true to your craft man, I’m with you!

UrbanBridgez.com: Speaking of your songs, if you had to choose your top favorite 3-5 that you’ve recorded throughout your career, what would they be?
Bobby Brown: Wow, I wouldn’t be able to (laughs). I really wouldn’t be able to because I love everything that I’ve done. Every album meant something to me at that time in my life. So I wouldn’t be able to choose, I think the next one will explain everything that I’m talking about. I’ve written for this album for the last ten years. I just really think it’s the best work I’ve ever done.

UrbanBridgez.com: Who are some of the current artists right now that you think will have longevity in this business like you have?
Bobby Brown: I think Ne-Yo, he has longevity. Usher, definitely does! Jazmine Sullivan, I love her, I mean I just love her totally! Her voice, the way she writes, we’re actually working together for this album. So something is soon to come with me and Jazmine Sullivan.

UrbanBridgez.com: Looking forward to that! What’s the biggest misconception you think people have about you?
Bobby Brown: Wow, let’s see. They think I’m crazy! Well I say I’m crazy (laughs). But let’s see I don’t think that’s the biggest misconception. I don’t know, hum. They know I like to fight, they know that. But I think the misconception is because when I’m at home, I’m very shy. When I’m outside it’s like I’m showing off. So I don’t know, that’s a good question though. Well that I’m a bad boy and I’m really not a bad boy. I’m only a bad boy on stage! Other than that, I’m a cool kat I get along with everybody, until you get on that last nerve.

UrbanBridgez.com: I’m the same way (laughs)
Bobby Brown: (laughs)

UrbanBridgez.com: From the biggest misconception to the biggest lesson, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in this business?
Bobby Brown: The biggest lesson I’ve learned in this business is stay focused! You gotta stay focused on what you do. And watch your money sh*t (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: Do you ever get offended or angry when blogs put stuff up about Bobbi Kris, I know you don’t care about what they say about you, but now they’re starting to post things about her?
Bobby Brown: I take it extremely offensive when they say things about my children. My children don’t have anything to do with them! I’m an artist and her mother is an artist but that doesn’t give you the right to blog about my daughter. My daughter is a beautiful girl, 17 and she’s growing up. She’s growing up great you know. We’re raising her to be the woman that she is. And the woman that she becomes – the future is thick for her. She’s an incredible talent! I mean to have pipes like her mother and to have legs like me, you can only imagine what she’s gonna be and what she’s gonna become. Y’all wait for the future, then talk about her.

UrbanBridgez.com: Do you have any last words for your millions of fans?
Bobby Brown: I would just like to say, thank you for my past. Look forward to my future and in the present time I’m going to give you all of the entertainment that I can possibly give you!

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s been the biggest obstacle as an artist for you since the late 80’s on trying to stay relevant?
Keith Sweat: I would say the music business changing the way it is. You don’t even know how many fans you have because you can’t tell by the record sales. These days people that don’t sell a lot of records, doesn’t mean you don’t have a fan base or people don’t like your music. It’s just so many other ways for people to get your music other than them buying it these days. So I think that’s one of obstacles because you can’t really determine how good you’re doing in this industry or the market place anymore.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned in this industry?
Keith Sweat: I think I already knew a lot of things before I got in the industry, because I’ve always been on top of my business, you know what I’m saying. I think the biggest lesson I knew then and still know now is make sure your business is straight! Make sure you’re on top of your business game and don’t trust everybody in this game because everybody is not to be trusted! Just because you want to do business on a fair level, that doesn’t mean everybody else is going to do business on a fair level!

UrbanBridgez.com: “Nobody” was one of the biggest R&B singles of that time, take us back to when you and Athena recorded that, did you know what a gem it was?
Keith Sweat: I didn’t know that “Nobody” was going to be as big as it was when I recorded it. It just felt good and when I was singing it to people, they were like wew that’s my joint (laughs)! What’s funny about the record is it wasn’t suppose to be a single, I went to Europe and London and performed the song and I had people crying in concert when I performed it. Then the people in London told the people here in the states, listen if y’all don’t release that “Nobody” record then you’re crazy! People going crazy over that crazy, it’s a phenomenal, people are loosing their mind. So I released it after “Twisted” and it just made the album blow up even more, I just think it set a whole other standard. I was feeling then, I gotta find a record to out do that record because I felt like I had found a record to out do the “Make It Last Forever” album, that’s how I felt then. It’s crazy how my career has taken it’s course and how things have played into my career, it’s been a great ride! For real, for real!

UrbanBridgez.com: You also worked with the late Left-Eye in the 90’s on your hit, “How Do You Like It,” can you share anything about Lisa and or recording that song that stands out?
Keith Sweat: Well Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopez when I worked with her on “How Do You Like It,” she was down with TLC and I was like I wanna do something with TLC (laughs). But she was like a real good friend of mine and I loved her to death. She came into the studio and we created a song together that people loved so yeah I miss her dearly, like I miss Gerald LeVert. Those were both good friends of mine, but life goes on and we have to move on beyond that. But they’re both here with me spiritually definitely! And they left alot of good music here behind them.

UrbanBridgez.com: You and one of my absolute favorites, the late great Gerald LeVert who we lost 10 years ago, seemed to have the best relationship. Can you tell us one of the fondest memories you have with him?
Keith Sweat: One of my fondest memories was my first time meeting him at the Apollo. He embraced me like a brother, like he had known me forever. We had that long lasting relationship every since that point from when we first met. He was one of my favorites, I remember when “Casanova” came out I was like I want to meet them. Then I came out like a year and a half later and I was able to meet one of my favorite artist of all time. So yeah we met at the Apollo and we just became close after that point.

UrbanBridgez.com: You Guys had a great musical chemistry.
Keith Sweat: Thank you!

UrbanBridgez.com: How did the duet with Coko come about for “My Valentine,” she’s one of our favorites?
Keith Sweat: Well you know I wanted to work with people who I was fans of and I am a big fan of SWV, they have great music. Same thing with Johnny, you know I worked with him on the LSG projects. So my whole thing is, I love the music people are putting out right now, but I’m stuck in a certain time zone (laughs). So I just got to do certain things that make me feel good musically! And working with Coko, Johnny and people like T-Pain and Charlie Wilson the people doing R&B, well good R&B! Those are the people that I love to work with!

UrbanBridgez.com: “Come Into My Bedroom,” “Never Had A Lover” and “Wonderful Thang,” are just a few of my favorite songs of yours not released.
Keith Sweat: Thank you!

UrbanBridgez.com: What are 3 of your favorite songs you’ve recorded that were never released as singles?
Keith Sweat: Oh man, you said that I never released? Wow, that’s going into a lot of album cuts (both laugh). It’s kind of hard too because I don’t remember what was released.

UrbanBridgez.com: All them gems you got, that makes sense.
Keith Sweat: Yeah I’ve done 12 albums to date, not to mention other peoples stuff. So it’s kind of hard to remember the songs that could have been singles. On the first album I don’t think Right & A Wrong Way was a single.

UrbanBridgez.com: No and it should have been.
Keith Sweat: Right, I wanted a lot of those released from Make It Last Forever but I think they only put out Something Just Ain’t Right and I Want Her. The rest of them joints was album cuts. Like How Deep Is Your Love, was a album cut. But they still ended up being hits for me.

UrbanBridgez.com: “Make It Last Forever” turns 30 this year, when you went into record that album what were your goals as a new artist?
Keith Sweat: To make it do what it’s doing right now, Make it last forever (laughs). Those were my goals, I was just speaking it into existence. They always say speak what you want into existence. So when I said make it last forever, I kind of hit the head right on the nail. Pretty much because I’ve been doing it every since then.

UrbanBridgez.com: Were you surprised by the immediate success of “I Want Her?”
Keith Sweat: Most definitely, because honestly I wanted it to be another single as the lead. I thought it should have been Don’t Stop Your Love. Now that I look back, hey every song on that album was hits. I’m happy it had the success because it opened the door for every other song that was on that album.

UrbanBridgez.com: From your catalog, what are your top 5 favorite songs you’ve recorded?
Keith Sweat: “Make It Last Forever,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “I’ll Give All My Love To You,” “Nobody,” what else and “Don’t Stop Your Love!”

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s one of your best memories from being back on the road on one of the many big tours you were apart of back in the day?
Keith Sweat: Best memories, girls throwing their bras at me on stage (all laugh)! Hey that’s what happens, they throw their bras at me and I be like, yo this isn’t your real size (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: But why does that have to be the best memory (laughs)?
Keith Sweat: Well it’s not the best, but it’s just fun and makes me laugh. I just had to say that, but to be honest with you. My best memory of being on stage, is when I got my first big record and I was able to do Madison Square Garden. I think that’s my best, because I use to always go there to see other people perform, watch the Knicks play but I never thought I would be performing at the Garden. That wasn’t anything that I even thought about, so when I did I was like man I’m doing Madison Square Garden! I just never thought, that’s when I knew I had hit the big time baby (laughs)!

UrbanBridgez.com: Take me back to this bra thing, what goes through your head when you see a bra fly across the stage (laughs)?
Keith Sweat: That I’m making good music, when I see a bra hit the stage! I’m like my music must be touching a lot of women (laughs)!

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