When I googled “Ginuwine” this morning, the first article that popped up was, “R&B singer Ginuwine accused of being high on Molly during TV performance.” It was at that very moment that I knew… This week’s topic was meant to be. Ginuwine, otherwise known as Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (yes — Lumpkin — he took his wife’s last name), was one of R&B’s top artists in the late ’90s who brought us one of the least subtle denim-obsessed slow jams of all time, “In Those Jeans.” He’s brought us about nine studio albums throughout the years, including a precious Christmas album, and even released a “Greatest Hits” compilation (so you know it’s real). More recently, he’s teamed up with Tyrese, another ’90s bump-n-grind master with hits like “Sweet Lady” and “How You Gonna Act Like That,” and Tank, who has this unbelievably tender cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” to form supergroup TGT (you guessed it! “Tyrese-Ginuwine-Tank”). While TGT’s current success as a trio is questionable, it’s undeniable that each singer has a voice with melting powers of its own in the bedroom.
Alas, I’m here to present to you some of Ginuwine’s best work, in hopes that we can re-visit his less awkward/not-high-on-Molly performance days. Slow jams are totally appropriate for all times of day, so take a listen. You’ll be surprised at how excellent the production is and soon realize just how much we’ve underappreciated the man’s talent. That being said, who wants to join the Ginuwine Groupie league with me?
In Those Jeans
“Girl you wore these jeans and you made a thug wanna cry something terrible.”
Differences
“I analyzed myself / I was buck wild / Never though about settling down / But all the time I knew I was ready / But not with all my friends around.”
So Anxious
“Girl could you quit this stallin’, you know I’m a sexaholic.”
Same Ol’ G
“The only time I drink a 40 is when I wanna drink a 40.”
Hell Yeah (Remix) feat. R. Kelly, Baby & Clipse)
R. Kelly – “I’m so drunk, I’m just droolin’ at the mouth.”
None of Ur Friends Business
“Put your trust in me girl, leave your friends alone (they make it hard for us and shit.)”
Pony
“I’m just a bachelor / I’m looking for a partner / Someone who knows how to ride / Without even falling off.”
As always, comments and feedback welcomed. Ideas for next week? Tweet at me!
Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.
The post Tunesday: Ginuwine Appreciation Week appeared first on The Daily Californian.