JON B (Wed, 1/27/27)

Jon B is a consummate artist, an accomplished musician and noted songwriter and producer with several gold and platinum records under his belt. His is a richly textured body of music, a testament to one man’s love for all things soul.

Jon’s long-awaited new album, entitled “Comfortable Swagg,” features Jon’s signature style known to his fans around the world, with the first single “Only One”. This album features DJ Quik on the sophisticated, funky-sounding track “Fill Your CUP”. It’s definitely a return to old familiar sounds as well as discovery of new ones…

His beginnings were seasoned with early influences of Duran Duran, INXS, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Babyface, Prince, and Sade; he spent his senior yr of high school writing, producing, and recording 40 incredible songs and began making his rounds to all major record labels. Within a few months, he’d met Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and his wife, Tracy Edmonds, who were interested in signing Jon to their label imprint, Edmonds Record Group (formerly Yab Yum).

The relationship between Jon and Edmonds Record Group immediately bore fruit. His debut album “Bonafide” went platinum and he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for the single, “Someone to Love.” His sophomore effort “Cool Relax” also went platinum and earned him multiple Billboard Music Award nominations, including Top R&B Artist, Top Hot R&B Single for “They Don’t Know/Are U Still Down,” Top Hot R&B Singles Artist, and a Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Male Single. “Are U Still Down” featuring the legendary Tupac Shakur, collaborating with Jon in the studio, before his death in Sept. of 1996. Jon also solidified his production sound with a collaboration with Jay Z and Coko (from SWV) featured on the “Hav Plenty soundtrack”

Continuing to produce his third album “Pleasures U like” featuring some of R&B and Hip Hop’s heavyweights, Faith Evans, Nas, AZ, and Cuban Link, as well as the successful single “Don’t Talk” produced and written by Jon. His appreciation for the music and the culture allowed him to have innovative ideas and express his influence in many genres of musical styles, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Reggae/Dance Hall, and Jazz… following the versatile stylings of his previous albums. ” I am not an artist who can be pinned down to one sound or style”. “You can’t put me in a box that I can’t break myself out of, by just making the style of track that I’m vibing to and writing a great song to it, no limitations…”

Jon later went on to write and produce records for Luther Vandross ( “Grown Thangs”), Toni Braxton ( “In the Late of Night” ), as well as songs for Gina Thompson, Color Me Badd, Az Yet, as well as remixing Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone”.

“Stronger Everyday” Jon’s fourth release was another gem of an album full of amazing tracks and collaborations with Hip Hop legends like Scarface, Old Dirty Bastard, and Bennie Man. Jon scored a top ten video on the U.K. MTV/ TRL Top Ten with the song “Everytime (remix featuring Beenie Man), ” which Jon co-produced with Just Blaze. In 2008, he released “Helpless Romantic,” Keeping the tradition alive of the classic R&B sound that captivates. This album was more self-contained, with few collaborations but atmospheric, romantic songwriting. Helpless Romantic was Jon getting back to the basics of writing, producing, and singing, with the single “Oo so sexy” featuring Paul Wall reaching #11 on the R&R charts.