UB In Memoriam: Visionary Manuel Seal Jr.
Songwriter, Producer, and Multi-Instrumentalist.
Grammy award-winning songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Manuel Seal Jr. passed September 27th at the age of 66.
Just a day after his September 26th birthday.
An outstanding musician/song-writer/producer in the Hip Hop, R&B, and Pop music.
Manuel Seal Jr. was born September 26th, 1960, in Freeport, Illinois.
Raised in Chicago and Freeport.
Manuel mastered the piano by age five and learned multiple instruments including flute, saxophone, and guitar.
Both of his parents had musical backgrounds.
His father sang, played multiple instruments, and was in a band, while his mother sang in the church choir.
His parents got him started on piano lessons at age five, and he was already excelling at it by grade school.
Because his grade school did not offer guitar classes, he chose to learn the flute instead, wanting to master every instrument he could.
When Manuel Seal Jr. reached high school, he had formed a band and traveled to nearby towns in the Midwest to perform.
Manuel was initially discovered by a manager in 1992, while working with Twin Cities own Grammy Award-winning artist Ann Nesby.
His professional entry into the music industry came when he was discovered by Jermaine Dupri in an Atlanta hotel lobby while performing.
That chance meeting, let to a long-lasting creative partnership.
Becoming a cornerstone producer and writer for So So Def Recordings, helping shape its sonic blueprint.
Manuel Seal Jr. signed with BMG Songs and secured a deal with Warner Bros. Records to start his own label, Rain Records.
The roster included singer Lakeisha Wright and male quartet Touch, but the imprint folded before releasing anything. “Warner Bros. had too much going on at the time,” Manuel stated back then. “That’s a chapter I learned a lot from and lost a lot of money with. It costs money to develop artists, and that’s what I learned with my label. You can only deal with [developing] one artist at a time.”
In 1993, So So Def took off like a rocket!
Manuel wrote, produced, and arranged Xscape’s debut album “Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha,” which included the hit song “Understanding.”
The following year, he composed all the music and sang on the lead single for Da Brat’s “Funkdafied.”
Which became the first million-selling album by a female rapper, going platinum.
Also in 1994, he also contributed to TLC’s multi-platinum album “CrazySexyCool.”
In 1995 he co-wrote and co-produced the massive chart hit “Always Be My Baby” for Mariah Carey’s album “Daydream.”
Manuel Seal Jr. shaped Usher’s breakthrough album “My Way,” co-writing major hits like “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Nice & Slow”.
The rest of the 90s would find Seal contributing as a producer and composer to Destiny’s Child‘s “With Me,” Xscape‘s “Traces of My Lipstick,” and he produced for Tamia‘s self-titled debut and Gerald Levert‘s “Love & Consequences.”
In 1999, he lent his talents to Mary J. Blige‘s critically acclaimed album “Mary.”
In 2004, he re-teamed with Usher and Alicia Keys to co-write and produce the global Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit “My Boo.”
His Grammy success includes Mariah Carey‘s iconic 2005 comeback anthem, “We Belong Together.”
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, earning Seal the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2006.
Manuel Seal Jr. earned 13 Grammy Award nominations throughout his career.
He continued producing for top-tier urban and pop artists, including Janet Jackson (20 Y.O.), Lionel Richie (Coming Home), The Isley Brothers (Baby Makin’ Music), Monica (The Makings of Me), and Ashanti (The Declaration).
He also served as the owner and CEO of Seal Music Productions, Inc.
Beyond his studio career, Seal later dedicated much of his time to faith-based community work.
He was actively involved in street ministry, focusing on educating, mentoring, and influencing gang members to help them find purpose and break destructive cycles in their local communities.
Following the news of his passing, longtime creative partner Jermaine Dupri and legendary contemporaries like Bryan-Michael Cox, Che Pope, and Ann Nesby paid online tributes.
UB Sends Our Condolences to The Family, Friends and Fans of Manuel Seal Jr.!
Manuel Seal Jr. DiscographyUsher
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Confessions (2004)
My Way (1997)
Live (1999)
You Don’t Have to Call (2002)Mariah Carey
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Greatest Hits (2001)
Daydream (1995)
#1’S (1998)
Remixes (2003)Xscape
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Traces of my Lipstick (1998)
Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha (1993)
Off The Hook (1995)
My Little Secret (1998)Da Brat
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Funkdafied (1994)
Anuthatantrum (1996)
Anuthafunkdafiedtantrum (1996)
Limelite Luv & Nightclubz DVD (2003)Aretha Franklin
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Rose Is Still a Rose (1998)
Here We Go Again (1998)Mary J. Blige
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Mary (1999)
Ballads (2001)Destiny’s Child
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Destiny’s Child (2001)
With Me, Pt. 1 (1998)
With Me, Pt. 2 (1998)TLC
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Now & Forever: The Hits (2004)
Greatest Hits (2003)Jermaine Dupri
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Instructions (2001)
Jermaine Dupri Presents :
12 Soulful Nights of Christmas (1998)Ruff Endz
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Greatest Hits (2003)
Love Crimes (2000)
No More (2000)Michael Bolton
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Best of Love (1997)Aaron Hall
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Inside of You (1998)Gerald LeVert
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Love & Consequences (1998)El DeBarge
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Heart Mind & Soul (1994)Tyrese
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I Wanna Go There (2002)BeBe Winans
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BeBe Winans (1997)Johnny Gill
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Let’s Get the Mood Right (1996)Shanice
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21…Ways to Grow (1994)Al Jarreau
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All I Got (2002)Sean LeVert
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Other Side (1995)Terry Dexter
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Terry Dexter (1999)Marc Dorsey
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Crave (1999)Da Bush Babees
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Ambushed (1994)Wild Orchid
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Oxygen (1998)Marc Dorsey
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If You Really Wanna Know (1999)Sabelle
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Sabelle (1997)LSG
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Levert.Sweat.Gill (1997)Imajin
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Imajin (1999)Tamia
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Tamia (1998
