| Product Summary | | Label: Bmg/arista/la Face | | UPC: 00730082604321 | | Release Date: 9/16/1997 | | Buy.com Sku: 60064635 | | Item#: MS5KDF | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 25332 | Format:  CD |
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| Song Listing |  |
| Usher proved that he had a strong, soulful voice with his self-titled debut, but he fulfilled his potential on his second record, My Way. What makes Usher distinctive from his urban loverman peers is the fact that he doesn't oversing; he simply delivers his songs soulfully. Unfortunately, he falls prey to uneven material, just like any of his peers, but there are more strong songs on My Way than many contemporary R&B albums from the late '80s. Both Jermaine Dupri and Babyface contribute seamless productions and fine songs; respectively, "You Make Me Wanna..." and "Bedtime" are their best ballad contributions. Even if the ballads are usually seductive and romantic, cuts like the funky "Just Like Me," which features a cameo from Lil' Kim, might make you wish Usher didn't play it cool all of the time, and it would have been nice if the tenth track was something other than a remix of "You Make Me Wanna..." Nevertheless, it's a strong second effort that showcases Usher at his best.
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Usher, Monica, Lil' Kim (vocals); Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal (various instruments, background vocals); Greg Phillinganes (piano); Babyface (keyboards, bass, drum programming, background vocals); Nathan East (bass); Randy Walker (Midi programmer); Jagged Edge, Trey Lorenz, Trina Broussard, Shanice Wilson (background vocals). | | Producers: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Jermaine Dupri, Sprauge "Doogie" Williams. | | Engineers include: Phi Tan, Rob Williams, Manny Marroquin. | | Recorded at Somewhere In College Park, College Park, Georgia; Sony Studios, New York, New York; Brandon's Way Recording, Los Angeles, Califonia; Future Recording Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia. | | "You Make Me Wanna" was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. | | "My Way" was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. | | Personnel: Usher, Monica, Lil' Kim (vocals); Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal (various instruments, background vocals); Greg Phillinganes (piano); Babyface (keyboards, bass, programming, background vocals); Nathan East (bass); Randy Walker (programming); Jagged Edge, Trey Lorenz, Trina Broussard, Shanice Wilson (background vocals). | | Producers: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Jermaine Dupri, Sprague "Doogie" Williams. | | Engineers include: Phil Tan, Rob Williams, Manny Marroquin. | | Recorded at Somewhere In College Park, College Park, Georgia; Sony Studios, New York, New York; Brandon's Way Recording, Los Angeles, Califonia; Future Recording Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia. | | "You Make Me Wanna" was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. | | Personnel: Usher (vocals, background vocals); Lil' Kim (vocals); Greg Phillinganes (piano); Babyface (keyboards, keyboard programming, drum programming, background vocals); Jagged Edge, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, Jr., Monica, Shanice, Trey Lorenz, Trina Broussard (background vocals). | | Audio Mixers: Jermaine Dupri; Jon Gass; Phil Tan; John Hanes . | | Recording information: Brandon's Way Recording, L.A., CA; College Park, MD; Future Recording Studios, Virginia Beach, VA. | | Photographers: Michael Benabib; Butch BelAir. | | Three years after his debut album, 18 year-old Usher returns with a newly mature, seductively smooth voice, and a palpable sense of self confidence. What remains so appealing about Usher's soulful crooning and sexy whisper, however, is a youthful freshness and vibrancy. This unpretentious approach is felt throughout the album in the simple, clean production, especially on songs like the Babyface-produced ballad "Bedtime," which has lovely background vocals by Shanice Wilson. Funkier, more up-tempo songs include the title track, an R&B-tinged song endearingly lacking the slightest hint of humility: "from this day forth you know I'm all about heat/And what I do be the major league/That's why your girlfriend's paging me." |
Musical Guests | | Lil' Kim | | Trey Lorenz | | Monica | | Trina Broussard | | Jagged Edge | | Babyface | | Greg Phillinganes | | Shanice Wilson |
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| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 09/16/1997 | | Original Release Date : 1997 | | Catalog ID : 26043 | | Label : LaFace (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Runtime : 40m : 22s | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00730082604321 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Q (8/02, p.148)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...Cemented the Georgian gospel singer's reputation as the precocious master of R&B slow jams..."Vibe (10/97, p.170)
- "...Usher conveys a luscious sensuality....succeeds with MY WAY by accenting the mystery of sex....[He] leaves a little something to his listeners' imaginations..." The Source (11/97, p.174)
- "...Usher proves that he's aiming to become more than just R&B music's best kept secret..." |
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| | Bio | | | Usher Beyond the 35 million albums he's sold worldwide since the release of his 1993 self-titled debut, the five Grammy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, the countless other accolades (from Billboard, MTV, Soul Train, BET, People's Choice, Vibe and ASCAP), box office records for his worldwide tours and on Broadway (during his 2006 performances as Billy Flynn in the hit musical Chicago), the cumulative 100 million dollar grosses for the films in which he's starred and his recognition as a bona fide global superstar (with gold and platinum albums in over fifteen countries), Usher Raymond has achieved what few other contemporary entertainers have ever accomplished: still under thirty years of age, he has created a network of thriving, successful enterprises that express his leadership in business and as a humanitarian. "It's been quite a journey," he says of the last three years since the release of his mega-platinum Confessions album. "I've been transforming my first passion -- music -- into the areas of business and community contribution and I'm committed to be successful in all that I put time and effort into..." From his all-important New Look Foundation (whose multi-faceted programs focus on empowering and motivating youth) to his own record label (US Records, a joint venture with Clive Davis' J Records), the creation of his own fragrances for men and women, his part-ownership of the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team and involvement with a chain of Atlanta restaurants (known as The Grape), Usher's skills as a forward-thinking young entrepreneur reflect the same approach he has taken as an entertainer: for the Tennessee-born, Atlanta-raised performer, songwriter and producer, working on a sixth album for release in late 2007, it's about longevity and staying power.
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