Black Men United
Encyclopedia
Black Men United was a collaboration of many African American
male R&B, hip hop
and soul music
artists. The sole song "U Will Know", written by a young D'Angelo
, was released in 1994. It was featured in the movie Jason's Lyric
and on the movie's soundtrack
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
male R&B, hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
artists. The sole song "U Will Know", written by a young D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
, was released in 1994. It was featured in the movie Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric
Jason's Lyric is a 1994 romantic drama film, written by Bobby Smith, Jr., and directed by Doug McHenry. The film marks the directorial debut of McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson...
and on the movie's soundtrack
Jason's Lyric (soundtrack)
Jason's Lyric is the original soundtrack to the 1994 film Jason's Lyric. Released in the fall of 1994, it topped the Top R&B Albums chart and was a Top 20 Billboard 200 ranking album...
.
Artists involved
Many artists contributed to this effort. They include:- Aaron Hall
- After 7After 7After 7 is an R&B group founded in 1988 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the siblings of popular pop and R&B singer-songwriter-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds"...
- Al B. Sure!Al B. Sure!Albert Jason Brown III is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He grew up in Leonia, New Jersey and Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s under the stage name Al B...
- Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
- Brian McKnightBrian McKnightBrian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
- Christopher WilliamsChristopher Williams (singer)Christopher Williams is an American R&B singer and actor.-Music career:...
- D'AngeloD'AngeloMichael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
(songwriter) - Damion HallDamion HallDamion Hall, also known as Damion "Crazy Legs" Hall is an African-American R&B singer. He is a member of the new jack swing group Guy and is the brother of Guy member, Aaron Hall. He has released one solo album, Straight to the Point in 1994, which spawned one single, "Satisfy You", featuring...
- El DeBargeEl DeBargeEldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
- Gerald LeVertGerald LevertGerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert...
- H-TownH-Town (band)H-Town is an American R&B/hip hop vocal group. It was originally founded by twin brothers Keven “Dino” Conner, Solomon “Shazam” Conner, and their longtime friend Darryl “G.I.” Jackson in 1992.-Formation:...
- IntroIntro (band)Intro is an American R&B trio from Brooklyn, New York. Intro released two albums and had a string of US hits in the 1990s. Their biggest, "Come Inside", featured Sabrina Morrison on vocals. Intro's, Kenny Greene, died from complications of AIDS in 2001...
- JoeJoe (singer)Joseph Lewis Thomas , usually credited simply as Joe, is an American R&B singer and record producer.-Early life:Joe is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia and later moved to Opelika, Alabama. The son of two preachers, Joe spent much time in church singing, playing guitar, and even directing the choir...
- Keith SweatKeith SweatKeith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
- Lenny KravitzLenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
(guitar) - Lil' Joe
- D.R.S.Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- PortraitPortrait (group)Portrait are an American R&B vocal quartet, consisting of members Michael Angelo Saulsberry, Irving Washington III, Eric Kirkland and Philip Johnson.-Career:...
- R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
- SilkSilk (group)Silk is an American R&B group, formed in 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia.-Career:Silk are best known for their hit singles, "Happy Days", "Freak Me" from their debut album, Lose Control. Another hit from Lose Control, "Girl U For Me", helped the album reach double platinum status...
- Sovory
- Stokley WilliamsStokley WilliamsDavid Stokley Williams is an American singer and percussionist, best known as the lead singer of the band Mint Condition....
lead singer of Mint ConditionMint ConditionMint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen... - Tevin CampbellTevin CampbellTevin Jermod Campbell is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actor. He scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s.-Music career:...
- Tony! Toni! Toné!Tony! Toni! Toné!Tony! Toni! Toné! is an American Soul/R&B group from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy...
(Raphael SaadiqRaphael SaadiqRaphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
on guitar) - UsherUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
Performance on the charts
Billboard Music Charts (North America) - single| Year | Song | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "U Will Know" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | 5 |
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 28 | ||
| 1995 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | 11 | |
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 41 |