On this day in music history: May 28, 1988 - “Just Got Paid” by Johnny Kemp hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 2 weeks, topping the Club Play chart for 1 week on April 18th, also peaking at #10 on the Hot 100 on August 13th. Written by Johnny Kemp, Teddy Riley, and Gene Griffin, it is the biggest hit for the Bahamian born R&B singer. Kemp will come to work with producer Teddy Riley after he meets fellow R&B vocalist Keith Sweat who is working with Riley on his debut album. “Just Got Paid” is originally intended for Sweat’s album “Make It Last Forever” but is passed on to Kemp after Sweat passes on recording it himself. Kemp will finish writing the lyrics, then quickly record a scratch vocal which will end up being used on the released recording. Issued as the first single from Kemp’s debut album “Secrets Of Flying”, it will quickly become a huge hit on R&B radio and in the clubs before crossing over to top 40 pop radio. The single will also receive a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song in 1989. “Just Got Paid” will be certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

On this day in music history: April 15, 1989 - “Every Little Step” by Bobby Brown hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 1 week, and will also peak at #3 on the Hot 100 on June 10th. Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, it is the fourth R&B chart topper for the Boston, MA born R&B singer. The uptempo new jack swing flavored “Step” is originally intended for Babyface’s “Tender Lover” album which is being recorded at the same time as Brown’s second solo album, but is given to Brown at the last minute to fill out his album. Issued as the fourth single from “Don’t Be Cruel”, it is another major smash. When the song is released, MCA will included remixed and edited versions of the song. The B-side will include rap verses in the breakdown (rumored to have been written by Smooth B of the rap duo Nice & Smooth, but not credited) that will become an airplay favorite as well is being used in the video. “Every Little Step” will be certified Gold in the US by the RIAA, and win Bobby Brown a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male in 1990.

On this day in music history: October 27, 1990 - “So You Like What You See” by Samuelle hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 2 weeks. Written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster (Club Nouveau, En Vogue), it will be the debut solo single and biggest hit for the former vocalist from the group Club Nouveau. The song is a last minute addition to Samuelle Prater’s debut album “Living In Black Paradise”, and had originally been intended for MC Lyte (first titled “Dr. Love”) for inclusion on a compilation album titled “FM2” that Foster/McElroy had been producing. Prater was only to have sung the word “delight” throughout the song. But when the producers liked how Prater sang the hook, they re-wrote the lyrics for Samuelle and re-titled the song. “So You Like What You See” will also become a big hit on the Dance chart via 12” remixes produced by Teddy Riley. 

On this day in music history: August 26, 1989 - “It’s No Crime” by Babyface hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 2 weeks, peaking at #7 on the Hot 100 on October 28th, and also peaking at #5 on the Club Play chart on August 26th. Written by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Antonio “L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, it is the first single from Babyface’s second solo album “Tender Lover”. It is the first R&B chart topper and first Top 10 pop hit for the Indianapolis, IN born singer, songwriter, and producer. The track features Babyface playing most of the instruments on the track as well as his former Deele bandmates Kayo on bass and synth bass, De’Rock on percussion, and L.A. Reid on drums and programming. Face will begin writing the song around a keyboard preset he discovers on a synthesizer he’s playing. That industrial sounding beat will even carry over into the songs’ music video which is filmed on the grounds of a foundry. “It’s No Crime” will be the 11th R&B chart topper (32 in his overall career to date) Babyface has as a writer and or as a producer in just two years.

On this day in music history: July 22, 1989 - “Turned Away” by Chuckii Booker hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 1 week. Written by Chuckii Booker and Donnell Spencer, Jr., it will be the biggest hit for the former childhood keyboard prodigy, who is mentored in his early years by his godfather, musician Barry White. Booker will get his big break when he plays keyboards on saxophonist Gerald Albright’s albums “Just Between Us” and “Bermuda Nights”. Albright’s manager will hear demos that Booker has recorded during 1988, and will help him get signed to Atlantic Records. Upon hearing “Turned Away”, it will be selected for single release by then Atlantic Records A&R exec Sylvia Rhone, unbeknownst to Booker who is initially skeptical about its commercial potential. The success of his solo debut album will land him a coveted spot as the musical director of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour” in 1990, also later working with artists such as Troop, Vanessa Williams, Mary J. Blige, New Edition, TLC, and Keyshia Cole. 

On this day in music history: May 28, 1988 - “Just Got Paid” by Johnny Kemp hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 2 weeks, topping the Club Play chart for 1 week on April 18th,  also peaking at #10 on the Hot 100 on August 13th. Written by Johnny Kemp, Teddy Riley, and Gene Griffin, it is the biggest hit for the Bahamian born R&B singer. Kemp will come to work with producer Teddy Riley after he meets fellow R&B vocalist Keith Sweat who is working with Riley on his debut album. “Just Got Paid” is originally intended for Sweat’s album “Make It Last Forever” but is passed on to Kemp after Sweat passes on recording it himself. Kemp will finish writing the lyrics, then quickly record a scratch vocal which will end up being used on the released recording. 

On this day in music history: January 14, 1989 - “My Prerogative” by Bobby Brown hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1 week, also topping the R&B singles chart for 2 weeks on October 15, 1988. Written and produced by Bobby Brown, Teddy Riley and Gene Griffin, it is the second single released from Brown’s multi-platinum second album “Don’t Be Cruel”. The New Jack Swing flavored track is written as response to the media and fans gossiping about the singer’s split from his former group New Edition, as well as his personal life and controversial behavior on and off stage. The million selling single will be Brown’s biggest hit.

On this day in music history: October 27, 1990 - “So You Like What You See” by Samuelle hits #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for 2 weeks. Written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster (Club Nouveau, En Vogue), it will be the debut solo single and biggest hit for the former vocalist from the group Club Nouveau. The song is a last minute addition to Samuelle Prater’s debut album “Living In Black Paradise”, and had originally been intended for MC Lyte (first titled “Dr. Love”) for inclusion on a compilation album titled “FM2” that Foster/McElroy had been producing. Prater was only to have sung the word “delight” throughout the song. But when the producers liked how Prater sang the hook, they re-wrote the lyrics for Samuelle and re-titled the song. “So You Like” will also become a big hit on the Dance chart via 12” remixes produced by Teddy Riley.