A Bowl of Fantastic: Friday Flashback: New Jack Edition

This week, I thought it might be good to focus on an unsung hero of the New Jack era. Typically, when people think of 90's R&B, images of Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, Levert or En Vogue come to mind. All are great in their own right. You might also think of Teddy Riley as he was the architect for many of the big hits of the decade (the man had three groups: Guy, Blackstreet and Wreckx-N-Effect) not to mention he is the father of New Jack Swing. You might also think of a certain media everyman who, at the time, went by the name of Sean "Puffy" Combs, who was still making his mark on the industry under the tutelage of Andre Harrell in the early 90's.

But as Teddy and Puffy rose to superstardom, there was another star waiting in the wings for his chance to shine. Kenny Greene. Yea, not many people know his name but his impact on 90's R&B music can't be denied. Kenny penned hits for many popular acts of the decade (Will Smith, Soul 4 Real and 98 Degrees) including a couple of choice tracks from Mary J Blige's debut classic "What's the 411?" (This was also a breakthrough for Puffy as he was producer). Kenny was also the frontman for one of the most underrated groups of the time: Intro.

Intro is my favorite 90's R&B groups. Artistically speaking they were probably one of the best R&B groups of the era. Intro never had that big crossover hit (only released two albums) and most unfortunate was the fact that Kenny would pass away before he or they could every attain superstar status. His contribution, IMHO, should not be ignored. Kenny Greene was an enigma. While he sang and wrote in the voice of the confident lover man and possessing the ability to emote strong desire and bravado that made women swoon, he had a secret. Kenny was bi-sexual. In the extremely masculine world of 'sex me' type lead singers, Kenny kept that secret as he feared it would destroy his career before it would truly start. In the end, his dual lifestyle led to him contracting HIV and ultimately dying from complications due to AIDS. His story is as complex as the arrangements he would create… more on his social impact here

As I look through his catalogue, the thing that really sets him apart from the other groups was the arrangements and construction of his music. Much of the first Intro album is a wonderful synergy of production and songwriting not to mention incredible vocals. Even when he reaches back into the crates to remake Stevie's classic "Ribbon in the Sky", he puts a unique spin on the track to make it truly an Intro hit. This is my tribute to one gone too soon ...

Here is the remix of "Ribbon in the Sky" not the video...