Mtume - Juicy Fruit 1982

Mtume (pronounced em-tu-may) was a funk and soul group that rose to prominence during the early 1980s and had several R&B hits during its career. Its founder, former percussionist James Mtume, previously played and toured with jazz legend Miles Davis in the early 1970s. Other members of the group included Reggie Lucas and Tawatha Agee. Mtume have also gained recognition after having its hit single "Juicy Fruit" extensively sampled by many hip-hop artists, most notably by the Notorious B.I.G. in the 1994 hit song 'Juicy'; the song was also featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The song 'C.O.D. (I'll Deliver)' from their album You, Me, and He was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. During the start of the group's career, they recorded three albums on the independent label Third Street Records: Kawaida (1973); Alkebu-Lan (1975); and Rebirth Cycle (1977). However, not finding pop or R&B chart success, they signed to major label Epic Records in 1978, releasing the albums Kiss This World Goodbye (1978), and In Search of the Rainbow Seekers (1980), which found modest success on the R&B chart. Their 1982 album Juicy Fruit, however, provided Mtume with its biggest hit, when the title song reached number one for eight weeks on the U.S. R&B chart in 1983, and was certified gold by the RIAA, despite shying just off the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 at 45, making the album and the single arguably the group's most famous and recognizable recording work.

Mtume's 1984 album You, Me, and He also proved to be a success with the title song reaching number 2 on the R&B chart. Their final R&B Top Ten hit was 'Breathless' (1986) from their final album Theater of the Mind. Mtume continued recording with Epic Records until the late 1980s. Group member Tawatha Agee subsequently went solo in 1987.

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