After years of being confused about it, I’ve found that clearly, not
everyone is supposed to be or going to be as big as an Usher, a Beyoncé,
and most probably won’t get anywhere near MJ status on a global scale.
But when highly talented individuals, especially good looking male
singers with great pipes, don’t get or don’t get to sustain the
popularity they once had, I always wonder why. Such is the case with the
following 10 fellas, who throughout my pre-teens and adulthood, I’ve
been a fan of. So what are they doing now and what went wrong on the
road to stardom? Shall we find out?
Tevin Campbell
You weren’t a lover of ’90s music if you didn’t have an appreciation
for Tevin Campbell. A young man at the peak of his career, by the time
Campbell was a young adult, he was
really ready to go somewhere
and sit down after working hard from the late ’80s all the way to the
late ’90s. In his time off he kept a very low profile, with the
exception of getting in a little legal trouble I won’t go into…But after
appearing on the BET Awards in 2009 in a tribute to the O’Jays, and
after appearing on
The Mo’Nique Show, many people were calling
for him to make a comeback. While on the show in 2010, he told the host
that he was thinking about it. Since then, no
new music
,
but not only can you catch him on YouTube singing some of his old jams,
but he has also done work in musicals around the world, including the
ever-popular
Hairspray
.
Mark Morrison
The last time we saw Mark Morrison and heard his very unique voice,
we were jamming to the very infectious “Return of the Mack” in 1997. The
album of the same name spawned a number of successful hits abroad in
the UK, but “Return of the Mack” was Morrison’s bread and butter ’round
these parts. However, his career kept taking a backseat to his legal
troubles, which included a conviction for firearm possession around the
time he was finally getting notoriety for his music. It was like that
all the way up until 2009, as he was arrested for everything from
assault to suspicion of kidnapping. But surprise, surprise, he’s hoping
to release new music, including an album called
I Am What I Am,
and has been preparing for that by doing some features. It could really
be the “return of the mack”! But we won’t hold our breath.
Photo by Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Montell Jordan
Go to a throwback ’90s party and you’ll soon notice that there’s no
way to escape “This Is How We Do It.” But Montell Jordan has had more
than just a few hits, because he also had our heads bobbin’ and feet
two-stepping to tracks like “Somethin’ 4 Da Honeyz” and the later hit,
“Get It On Tonite” in 1999. But after releasing a few more albums and
having small bit parts in movies like
The Nutty Professor and
The Fighting Temptations,
Jordan started focusing less on music and more on the Lord. At the end
of 2010, the singer announced that he was going the Mase route, leaving
his career behind to focus on the ministry, becoming a Worship Minister
for a church in Atlanta. Since then, he has put together a gospel album,
but don’t expect anymore “This Is How We Do It” type jams…
Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images for Gospel Music Association
Joe
This guy has been the man for years, he’s just hellas of underrated.
I’ve been a big fan of Joe since “All The Things,” but I also love him
for jams like “Good Girls,” “The Love Scene,” and “Let’s Stay Home
Tonight.” But he probably gained his most success on a track of his own
with “Stutter” featuring Mystikal. But since then, people have been
sleeping on his latest releases when they’re missing out on some
classics! But that’s okay, Joe is still out here trying to make waves in
the very interesting and changing R&B game, most recently releasing
the album,
The Good, The Bad, The Hot in 2011.
Jaheim
The king of all things ghetto at one point and time (when you have a
song called “Lil N***a ‘Aint Mine” the title comes naturally), me and my
sisters loved Jaheim! That voice reminded me of a hood-tastic teddy
bear and he wasn’t too bad on the eyes either. With jams like “Just In
Case,” “Fabulous” and “Put That
Woman
First,” I bumped his albums non-stop. But after dropping some platinum
albums, his notoriety faded a bit. But he’s trying to chug on back,
dropping
Another Round in 2010 and recently starring alongside
the beautiful Regina King in a video for that album’s lead single,
“Finding My Way Back.” Now if he could just leave the zoot suits alone…
Case
I used to love me some Mase. Not because he was gorgeous or anything
like that, but his voice was so different that it was beautiful! He
started gaining fame after “Touch Me, Tease Me” in ’96 and followed that
success up into the early new Millennium with hits like, “Happily Ever
After” with Beyoncé as his love interest in the video, “Faded Pictures,”
and “Missing You.” And don’t forget about his appearance on Ja Rule’s
massive hit, “Livin’ It Up.” But around 2001, musically, things slowed
down and he was involved in a horrific accident. While handling his
cousin’s handgun it accidentally discharged and shot him in the neck,
but was able to miss his spine and vocal chords. With the exception of a
lot of pain, a hole and some bandages, he walked away okay. But by
2009, he was back trying to release the album
The Rose Experience, and his fifth studio album,
Here,
My Love,
which had moderate success. He’s doing his indie label thing and is
touring. Whether you see him around like that or not, he’s back!
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