Keith Sweat was born in Harlem, New York City, to Juanita Thompson, a hairdresser, and Charles Sweat, a factory worker. After Charles Sweat's passing in 1973, Juanita raised their five kids by herself. He worked as a night stock boy at Macy's Department Store, and then a mail room clerk at Paine Webber, a brokerage firm. In just four years he worked his way up to a lucrative brokerage assistant job on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.[2] Sweat also worked as a supervisor for the New York Mercantile Exchange.[1]
Sweat started his musical career as a member of a Harlem band called Jamilah in 1975.[3] With the help of Jamilah, Sweat was able to hone his craft as a lead singer by performing regionally throughout the tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The group was started by bassist Larry Peoples, guitarist Michael Samuels, and drummer Walter Bradley.[citation needed]
After leaving the group in 1984 to begin a solo career, he sang at nightclubs throughout New York City and landed a chance to record for the independent label, Stadium Records. Sweat recorded only two tunes for Stadium, "Lucky Seven", and "My Mind Is Made Up", which was their third and fourth ever release, but on Stadium's first release, he is credited as co-writer and co-producer of "You Are the One for Me", the last recording ever made by the group GQ. One of GQ's original members is his uncle, Keith "Sabu" Crier.
Later in 1987, Keith Sweat was discovered by Vincent Davis and offered a recording contract with his label, Vintertainment Records, which was founded in 1983 on the foundations of early Hip-Hop and otherwise best known for releasing Joeski Love's "Pee Wee's Dance" in 1985. Vintertainment was distributed by Elektra Records from 1985 until it ceased operations in 1990. On November 24, 1987, Sweat released his debut solo studio album Make It Last Forever, which sold three million copies. The biggest hit from this album was the song that inaugurated the new jack swing era "I Want Her"[5] (No. 1 R&B & No. 5 Pop), which was nominated for the 1989 Soul Train Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of the Year award, while the title track from the album hit No. 2 on the R&B charts. Sweat reached the charts again with his second album I'll Give All My Love to You (1990) which hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. He released his third album, Keep It Comin' in 1991, which debuted in the Top 20 of the album chart. He produced soul singer Omar Chandler.
In 1992, Sweat discovered the group Silk, and helped craft their debut album, Lose Control, which hit No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart.[6]
The album's single "Freak Me" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1993. In 1993, Sweat discovered the Atlanta-based female R&B group Kut Klose. Sweat also produced the group's debut album Surrender, which produced their biggest hit single "I Like", peaking to No. 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Sweat released his fourth album Get Up on It in the summer of 1994, and his self-titled fifth album in 1996. Both albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. The single co/produced and written by Eric McCaine "Twisted" featuring R&B group Kut Klose hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Nobody" hit No. 3, which made them Sweat's biggest hits to date. "Just A Touch" was a cover of the 1979 song "Just a Touch of Love" by Slave. He produced R&B group Dru Hill in 1996.
In the fall of 1997, Sweat discovered the group Ol' Skool and helped with their self-titled debut. He was on their biggest single, "Am I Dreaming", which featured the R&B group Xscape. Sweat also formed the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill, and released their self-titled debut album Levert.Sweat.Gill in 1997.[7] That album featured "My Body", which became a hit single. The album was certified double platinum and reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Sweat's sixth album, Still in the Game was released in 1998, hitting No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop albums chart. It featured the singles "Come and Get With Me" (which featured Snoop Dogg) (No. 12 Hot 100) and "I'm Not Ready" (No. 16 Hot 100). Sweat's success on the charts started to diminish in 2000, when he released the album Didn't See Me Coming. None of the singles from the album reached the top forty.
On August 13, 2002, Keith Sweat released his eighth album, Rebirth. The single "One on One" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 44 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.His 2008 album Just Me included the single, "Love U Better (featuring Keyshia Cole)". Sweat is currently signed to Kedar Records and released his tenth studio album entitled Ridin' Solo on June 22, 2010. The lead single taken from the album is "Test Drive" and featured label-mate Joe. Since 2007, Sweat has been the host of a nationally syndicated radio program based upon the Quiet storm format. The Keith Sweat Hotel (known as The Quiet Storm with Keith Sweat on WBLS in New York City) is syndicated through Premiere Radio Networks.[8]
Sweat is also the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called The Sweat Hotel, which I s produced and distributed to urban adult contemporary and classic soul radio stations across the U.S. by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc.[9]
Funky Dope Lovin'
Keith Sweat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, funky dope love
I flex funky, funky dope love
Yeah, funky dope love
I flex funky, funky dope love
Yeah, funky dope love
I flex funky, funky dope love
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
Can I be alone wit ya baby for a minute
Gotta get my flex on?
'Cause Shorty it's you I can do
Lemme break you off wit ya love baby
Listen here baby
I don't have to try and come so easy baby
So sit back and relax
And let me hold ya down now
See now that you know my way
Girl set it out for me
The fact is my back is strong
Let me show you, let me show you baby
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
Sing it Aaron
Now that you're here
I just wanna nick nack on your love
You would know the deal
Just how funky dope can feel
I just wanna love you too
Drop them clothes, so we get down
Girl you body's mine for the stickin'
Let's do it now, right now
See now that you know my ways
Ooh, set it out for me
You know my back is strong
Let me show you my lovin' baby
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
I flex funky dope lovin'
Don't ya want the funky?
Don't ya want the funk?
Don't ya want the funky dope love, baby?
Don't ya want the funky?
Don't ya want the funk?
Don't ya want the funky dope love, yeah?
Don't ya want the funky?
Don't ya want the funk?
Don't ya want the funky dope love, baby?
Don't ya want the funky?
Don't ya want the funk?
Don't ya want the funky dope love, yeah?
I flex funky dope love
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope love
I flex funky dope lovin'
I flex funky dope love
I flex funky dope lovin'
The lyrics to Keith Sweat's "Funky Dope Lovin'" seem to be primarily about the singer's desire to have physical intimacy with someone they are attracted to. The repeated line "I flex funky dope lovin'" can be read as a boast of their ability to provide pleasurable experiences in bed. The singer encourages their partner to trust them, enjoy the moment, and let them take the lead. The use of the phrases "funky" and "dope" adds a level of playfulness and excitement to the song, emphasizing the fun and pleasure that the singer is hoping to share with their partner.
While the lyrics are mostly straightforward, they are also somewhat ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation. The use of phrases like "nick nack on your love" and "body's mine for the stickin'" are suggestive but not explicit, allowing listeners to use their own imaginations to fill in the details. The song overall seems to be about the excitement, pleasure, and playfulness of physical intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
I flex funky, funky dope love
Keith Sweat boasts that he has some super cool, doper than dope, funky kind of love
Yeah, funky dope love
This love he has, is funky dope
I flex funky dope lovin' and it don't quit
Keith Sweat continues to show off that he's got some funky dope loving that never stops
Can I be alone wit ya baby for a minute
Keith Sweat asks his baby if he can be alone with her for a bit because he wants to show her his love skills
'Cause Shorty it's you I can do
Keith Sweat expresses that it’s only with his baby Shorty that he can show his love skills
Lemme break you off wit ya love baby
Keith Sweat wants to show her how good he is in loving
Listen here baby
Keith Sweat wants his baby to listen to him
I don't have to try and come so easy baby
Keith Sweat says that he doesn't have to try so hard because he naturally knows how to show love which comes to him easily
So sit back and relax
Keith Sweat tells his baby to sit back and relax because he's got her covered
And let me hold ya down now
Keith Sweat assures his baby that he's capable of protecting her now
See now that you know my way
Keith Sweat asks his baby to understand that this is his style and she can expect this kind of love from him
Girl set it out for me
Keith Sweat asks his woman to be honest with him about what she wants, so he can make it happen
The fact is my back is strong
Keith Sweat emphasizes that he's got a strong back which means he's strong and supportive
Let me show you, let me show you baby
Keith Sweat wants to show her his love skills so that she can see for herself
Now that you're here
Aaron Hall thanks his woman for being around him
I just wanna nick nack on your love
Aaron Hall wants to be playfully intimate with her love
You would know the deal
Aaron Hall is showing his confidence that she knows how he works and what they’ll do together
Just how funky dope can feel
Aaron Hall wants to make her feel the funky dope love that he has for her
I just wanna love you too
Aaron Hall wants to return the love that she's showing
Drop them clothes, so we get down
Aaron Hall wants her to remove her clothes so they can get intimate with each other
Girl you body's mine for the stickin'
Aaron Hall tells her that her body belongs to him
Let's do it now, right now
Aaron Hall wants to be intimate with her as soon as possible
You know my back is strong
Aaron Hall wants her to know that he can protect her and has got her covered.
Don't ya want the funky?
Keith Sweat asks if his baby wants the funky dope love that he has for her.
Don't ya want the funk?
Keith Sweat repeats to ask her again, if she wants the funky dope love he has for her.
Don't ya want the funky dope love, baby?
Keith Sweat still asks his baby if she wants the funky dope love he has for her.
I flex funky dope love
Keith Sweat is still putting on display his funky dope love.
I flex funky dope lovin'
Keith Sweat is still putting on display his funky dope love for her.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, T J J S, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM WARD, KEITH D. SWEAT, DEMETRIUS DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind