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]
I Knew That You Were Cheatin
Keith Sweat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were cheatin'
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
You were cheatin'
I tossed and turned on many a nights in my sleep
Yes, I did, baby
Wonderin' if you were with somebody else
I knew it was all, all a lie
I knew you knew you were with somebody else
How could you do me that way, girl
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby (I knew it, baby, I knew it, baby)
You were cheatin' (I knew you were cheatin' on me, girl, yes, I did, ooh...woo...hoo...)
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby (Why, why, tell me why)
You were cheatin' (Ooh, yeah, girl)
[Did you have to hurt me] What did I do wrong, tell me, girl
To make you wanna give your love away, girl
I wanna know, I got to know, baby
Didn't I give you everything you ever wanted, girl
Wasn't it enough, girl, or was it too much, girl
Oh, I got to know, girl, yeah...hea...yeah...yeah...
I love you, yes, I do, my baby
Baby, do I have to get on my knees and prove it to you, girl
Girl, I knew it, nobody told me
You were wrong
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
[Who told you, boy] (Don't ask me how I knew it) [Who told you, boy] (I just knew it)
You were cheatin' [You would have never known] (I knew you were cheatin' on me, baby)
[You would have never known if somebody didn't tell you] (Yes, I did, girl)
(All you had to do was tell me) I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
(All you had to do was tell me) [I tried to tell you, boy, but you wouldn't listen]
(You didn't have to leave me, girl)
You were cheatin' (Girl, all you had to do was tell me you didn't want me, baby)
(No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no)
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
(I can't take it no more, baby, I can't take this no more, baby)
You were cheatin' (I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew, I knew it all the time)
(Tears is startin'to flow down my eyes)
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
(I can't take it no more, baby, I can't take it no more, babe)
You were cheatin' (Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, ooh...hoo...ooh...hoo...)
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
You were cheatin'
What can I say
The lyrics to Keith Sweat's song "I Knew That You Were Cheatin'" are a lament from a man who knows that his lover is being unfaithful to him. The singer reveals that while his partner denies being with someone else, he knows the truth and can't ignore the signs. He admits to having sleepless nights wondering if she's with someone else, and despite his love for her, he is hurt by the betrayal. The chorus, "I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby," is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's conviction that his partner is being unfaithful.
In the second verse, the singer questions what he did wrong to make his partner want to cheat. He wonders if he gave her everything she ever wanted, or if he gave her too much. He expresses his love for her and asks if he has to get on his knees to prove it. The final verse sees the singer pleading with his partner, asking her why she didn't tell him if she no longer wanted him, and admitting that he can't take the pain and hurt anymore.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the pain of infidelity and the difficulties of navigating a relationship when trust has been broken.
Line by Line Meaning
I knew that you were cheatin' on me, baby
I had a gut feeling that you were cheating on me
You were cheatin'
You actually were cheating on me and I knew it
I tossed and turned on many a nights in my sleep
I couldn't sleep because I was worried and anxious about you being unfaithful
Wonderin' if you were with somebody else
I was constantly thinking about whether you were with another person
Those late night times with your girlfriends
I know you had late night outings with friends, but I suspect it was actually with someone else
I knew it was all, all a lie
I realized that everything you were saying was a lie, and that you were disloyal to me
I knew you knew you were with somebody else
I was aware that you also knew you were with someone else, but you kept it a secret from me
How could you do me that way, girl
I was hurt and couldn't believe you would treat me like that
What did I do wrong, tell me, girl
I'm asking you to explain why you cheated on me
To make you wanna give your love away, girl
I don't understand why you would give your love to someone else and cheat on me
Didn't I give you everything you ever wanted, girl
I thought I had given you everything you needed and wanted in our relationship
Wasn't it enough, girl, or was it too much, girl
I'm questioning whether I gave you too much or not enough, and whether that's why you cheated
I love you, yes, I do, my baby
I still love you even though you hurt me so deeply
Baby, do I have to get on my knees and prove it to you, girl
I'm willing to do anything to prove my love for you, even beg on my knees
Girl, I knew it, nobody told me
I didn't need anyone to tell me because I already knew that you were cheating
You were wrong
What you did was wrong and hurtful
Who told you, boy (Don't ask me how I knew it) Who told you, boy (I just knew it)
I didn't need someone to tell me about your cheating, I just had a gut feeling
You would have never known (Yes, I did, girl) (All you had to do was tell me)
I knew about your cheating, but I wish you had just told me yourself instead of hiding it from me
I tried to tell you, boy, but you wouldn't listen
I may have tried to bring up my suspicions to you before, but you wouldn't believe me
You didn't have to leave me, girl
Your cheating hurt me, but I wish you would have stayed and worked it out with me
Girl, all you had to do was tell me you didn't want me, baby
I wish you would have been honest with me about not wanting to be in the relationship instead of cheating
I can't take it no more, baby, I can't take this no more, baby
I can't handle the pain of your cheating anymore
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew, I knew it all the time
I had a strong feeling and was fully aware that you were cheating on me all along
(Tears is startin'to flow down my eyes)
I'm crying because of the hurt and pain you've caused me
Contributed by Charlie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Micahisgod
There are roughly 2.8 Billion women on this planet and 3.3 Billion men... That number alone should easily help you get over a cheating and dishonest relationship. Hold no bitterness against them. Remember, not everyone is as strong as they pretend to be. Treasure the beautiful moments in the relationship and move on.
This is the best advice I can give you.
-Love Life. Take care. Be happy
JAMES HUNTER
He have always been on his shit
peggie taylor
I can listen to this over and over and over. Every since day one this been my favorite song on this album!!!!
Irish O connell
Merry go round how deep is your love I knew that you were cheating in the rain all tunes I enjoy by keith
Rodrick Sippio
Me too....idone played it 7 times
Yolanda Bard
I have been a Keith Sweat fan since I was 18 and I am 46 now. His first single "Make it last forever " hooked me and been his fan since. Love you Keith!!!
Angie West
Keith Sweat, BBD, Johnny Gill was my first concert!
Fla Boy386
Bumping
Call me SIRE
yeah I've been a huge fan of Dude's music since the first release lol I was a freshman in college and I had many haters lol just because my name was Keith and well lol you know the rest ....
Edd
I remember having (6) 12" subs in my 74' Delta 88 and beating this allday! All Keith Sweat music had deep bass. GOOD OLE' DAYS FOR SURE!