Kenneth Edmonds was born on April 10, 1958, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. Barbara was a pharmaceutical plant manager. Edmonds, who is the fifth of six brothers (including future After 7 band members Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, the latter of whom went on to have a modestly successful solo career), attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions.
When he was in eighth grade, Edmonds's father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise her sons alone. At this stage, Edmonds became determined to have a career in music.
Edmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his cute face while he was still a teen.
He also played in the groups Manchild (which had a 1976 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons), as he was a guitarist for the band. Then, as a keyboardist in the light-funk and R&B group The Deele (which also included drummer Antonio "L.A." Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership).
One of his first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune "Slow-Jam" for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. The tune was on Midnight Star's double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Floor album, and while it never hit the charts, the song is still played on quiet storm shows. Babyface remained in The Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group.
In the late 1980s, he contributed to the creation of new jack swing, writing and producing music for the likes of Bobby Brown, Karyn White, Pebbles, Paula Abdul and Sheena Easton.
In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Three of the label's early artists TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton were successful, the former becoming one of the best selling female groups in music history.
Braxton's eponymous 1993 debut album went on to sell over eight million copies, and earned her the 1994 Grammy Award Best New Artist. TLC's first two albums on LaFace—1992's Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip and 1994's CrazySexyCool—combined to sell more than 15 million copies in the U.S. CrazySexyCool won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B album.
Babyface helped form the popular late-90s R&B group Az Yet.
Edmonds works with many successful performers in contemporary music. “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” produced for Whitney Houston, was his first #1 Top 40 hit in the US.
He also wrote and produced Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You," both of which established records for the longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing vocals on Madonna's 1994 Bedtime Stories, which featured the 7-week #1 hit "Take a Bow," and shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack.
He also wrote and produced the #1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" for Whitney Houston as well as the rest of the critically acclaimed 10 million selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.
Additionally, Edmonds has produced and written music for many artists including Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Al Green, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Pebbles, Tevin Campbell, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, Céline Dion, Honeyz, Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Chanté Moore, En Vogue, Kenny G, Kristinia DeBarge, Lil Wayne, Japanese singer Ken Hirai, P!nk, Marc Nelson, TLC, and Phil Collins among others.
He received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year in 1995–1997.
In 1994, he appeared and performed on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 entitled "Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (Part 2)".
In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then wife Tracey Edmonds expanded into the business of motion pictures, setting up Edmonds Entertainment Group and producing films such as Soul Food (1997), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and also the soundtrack for the film The Prince of Egypt, which included contributions from numerous artists, including Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
They are the current executive producers of the hit BET reality series College Hill. Edmonds also worked with David Foster to compose "The Power of the Dream," the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, performed by superstar Céline Dion. Linda Thompson provided the lyrics.
Babyface also participated as a duet partner on the Fox reality show Celebrity Duets.
Babyface was in the studio for about two years with Ashanti to produce her album The Declaration.
His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. It was released on September 18, 2007. It was the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.
He worked on the Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III, on the Kanye West-produced "Comfortable." He also worked with R&B singer Monica for her sixth studio album Still Standing.
He has written and produced over 26 #1 R&B (many of which hit the pop charts at either #1 or the top ten) hits throughout his career.
The Little Drummer Boy
Babyface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
When we come
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
on my drum?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum
The lyrics to "Little Drummer Boy" by Babyface describe the story of the biblical nativity scene where the wise men come to see the newborn king and bring gifts to lay before him. The singer is a poor boy who also comes to see the king, but he has nothing to offer that's fit for a king, so he asks if he can play his drum for the baby instead. Mary nods in approval, and as he plays, the ox and lamb keep time. The singer gives it his all, playing his best for the newborn king. In the end, the baby smiles at him, showing his appreciation.
The song's message is about the true spirit of giving. It's not about the value or amount of the gift, but the effort and the love that goes into it. The singer sees that he is not rich, but he is willing to give what he does have- his drumming ability- as a way to honor and celebrate the baby. It's a beautiful message about humility, selflessness, and generosity. It's also a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the simplest gifts can have the most profound impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum
I was told to come and see the newborn King, so I came with my drum
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
We want to see and honor the newborn King by presenting our gifts
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
We bring our best and most precious gifts to offer to the King
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
We offer these gifts as a sign of our respect and admiration for the King
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
The sound of our drums reflects our joyful and reverent spirit
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
We offer these gifts and our music to show our honor and reverence for the King
When we come
We come to see and worship the newborn King with our gifts and music
Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum
The newborn King is a little baby, but he is also a great and important King
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I am a humble and poor boy, and I have nothing valuable to offer to the King
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
I have no material gifts to offer, but I still want to do something for the King
That's fit to give our King pa-rum pum pum pum
I want to offer something that is suitable and worthy to give to the King
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum on my drum?
Can I instead play my drum for the King as a humble tribute?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
Mary approves of my offer to play my drum for the King
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
Even the animals in the stable were moved by the beat of my drum
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum to express my devotion and adoration to the King
I played my best for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played with all my heart and skill to show my best for the King
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The sound of my drum continues to reflect my joyful and reverent spirit
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
The King smiled at me, acknowledging and accepting my humble tribute
Me and my drum
I leave with nothing material to offer, but I leave with the memory of the King's smile and the sound of my drum echoing in my heart.
Lyrics © INTERNATIONAL KORWIN CORP, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Simeone, Henry V Onorati, Katherine Kennicot Davis, Lorenzo Definti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind