Jeff Redd
Jeff Redd is a singer who performed new jack swing-style R&B music in the 1990s.
Career
A New York native, Redd began singing with the short-lived group, The Sophisticated Gents, at the age of 17 in the mid-1980s.
Redd got a deal with Uptown-MCA Records after Andre Harrell saw him perform as a solo artist. Uptown-MCA produced his 1990 debut album, A Quiet Storm. It included some uptempo new jack swing songs such as, "I Found Lovin" and "Come And Get Your Lovin" and love ballads such as "Love High." The album had two singles chart on the R&B charts. "What Goes Around, Comes Around" reached #53 and "Love High" reached #16 on the charts.
He released a song entitled "You Called And Told Me", from the Strictly Business soundtrack in 1991.
Redd played a large part in getting then-unknown singer Mary J Blige started in the music industry. While working in the assembly line at General Motors, Redd was given a tape from Mary J. Blige's step-father. The tape featured Blige performing Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture." After hearing the tape, Redd helped her get signed to Uptown. Blige then toured with Redd and worked as a background singer for him.
In 1993, Redd recorded a second album, Down Low. However, before the album could see release, EMI closed their entire black music department. As a result, only 1000 copies ever saw release and the album is very hard to find.
Jeff Redd then went on to work as an A&R exec at MCA Records. While at MCA, Redd worked with artists like Regina Belle and K-Ci & JoJo. When MCA closed their doors in 2003, Redd started up his own independent label, Sol Real Records, LLC.
With the label, Redd currently works with artists like Akili, Blaq Rose and Forever. In 2007, Redd released an album entitled Jeff Redd Presents : The Essence Of Soul which features tracks from each of these artists. Jeff Redd has an album in the works to be released in 2008.