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 Want Her
Keith Sweat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look in my eyes
Seen you last night, saw you standin' there
Couldn't picture the color of your hair
All I wanted to know, were you really there?
I wanna know was it my imagination?
Ooh, you k now it was a sweet sensation
Ooh, it seems so real
(Oh I) You and I together
(Dream) Dream that seemed for real
(Dream) If it's a dream, please don't wake me up
It feels so real all I know is
I want her (I want that baby)
I want her (get it, get it, get it, get it)
I want her (I wanna do it like this, do it like that)
I want her (once I get it ain't no turnin' back)
You turn me on and on
The feelin', girl, is so strong
My heart, girl, is on fire
Ooh, you're my desire
(Oh I) I've got a thing for you
(Dream) Dreams of you (me) and me, baby
She's bad, she's bad, she's bad
All I know is
I want her (I want, I want, I want, I want, I want her)
I want her (don't misunderstand me)
I want her (I wish this dream was for real)
I want her (you, you know the deal)
I want her (yeah, yeah)
I want her (I want that girl so bad)
I want her (I had a dream of her last night)
I want her (yeah, yeah, yeah, ugh)
Uh
Mmh, mmh, mmh
Yup, yup
Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah
And I, ugh
I
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, ooh, baby
(I wanna do it like this, baby) I want her
(I wanna do it like that, sugar)
I want her
(You know I need, girl, you know what I like, girl) I want her
(Like this, baby, I wanna do it like that, sugar)
(You turn me on and on and on and on) I want her
(I wanna do it like this, baby) I want her
(I wanna do it like that, sugar)
The lyrics to Keith Sweat's song "I Want Her" is about the singer's infatuation with a woman he saw from a distance. The song opens with him talking about how he saw her standing somewhere, and all he wanted to know was if she was really there or if it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. He sings about how she is so bad, and he cannot resist her.
In the second verse, the singer talks about a dream he had with this woman in it. The dream felt so real that he wishes it were not just a dream. He wants the woman badly, and he can feel his heart on fire whenever he thinks about her. He finishes the song by repeatedly chanting, "I want her, I want her," emphasizing his desire for her and making it clear that he will not turn back once he gets her.
Line by Line Meaning
She so bad
Although I don't know much about you yet, based on what I see, you are very attractive and desirable.
Look in my eyes
I want to make a connection with you and let you know that I am serious about my attraction to you.
Seen you last night, saw you standin' there
I noticed you last night and I couldn't help but be drawn to you.
Couldn't picture the color of your hair
I was so captivated by your overall appearance that I didn't even pay attention to the details like the color of your hair.
All I wanted to know, were you really there?
I was so mesmerized by my attraction to you that I am wondering if you were just a figment of my imagination.
I wanna know was it my imagination?
I am questioning whether my attraction to you was real or if I just imagined it in my mind.
Ooh, you know it was a sweet sensation
Regardless of whether it was real or not, my attraction to you felt very intense and pleasurable.
Lookin' at you from a distance
Even from afar, I couldn't help but feel drawn to you and your beauty.
Ooh, it seems so real
Despite the possibility of it being a figment of my imagination, the feelings I have for you feel incredibly genuine and real to me.
(Oh I) You and I together
I imagine a future where the two of us are together.
(Dream) Dream that seemed for real
The thoughts of being together with you feel so vivid that it feels like a realistic dream.
(Dream) If it's a dream, please don't wake me up
I don't want to wake up from this dream-like state because the idea of being with you feels so good to me.
It feels so real all I know is
My attraction to you feels incredibly genuine regardless of whether it is real or not.
I want her (I want that baby)
I desire you so much that it almost feels like I need you in my life.
I want her (get it, get it, get it, get it)
I am willing to do what it takes to have you and won't stop until I do.
I want her (I wanna do it like this, do it like that)
I am open to anything that needs to be done in order to make you mine.
I want her (once I get it ain't no turnin' back)
After I have you, there's no turning back because the attraction I feel for you is so strong.
You turn me on and on
Your beauty and overall presence have me continually attracted and interested in you.
The feelin', girl, is so strong
The attraction I have towards you is incredibly powerful and I cannot ignore it or escape it.
My heart, girl, is on fire
The feelings I have for you are so intense that it feels like my heart is on fire with passion for you.
Ooh, you're my desire
You are everything that I desire, and I cannot help but want you more.
(Oh I) I've got a thing for you
You have sparked something within me, and I can't help but feel strongly towards you.
(Dream) Dreams of you (me) and me, baby
The idea of us together feels like a dream come true and something that I am constantly thinking about.
She's bad, she's bad, she's bad
You are incredible in every way and I cannot help but be drawn to you and your beauty.
All I know is
Even with everything in question, the one thing I know is that I am incredibly attracted to you.
I want her (I want, I want, I want, I want, I want her)
My attraction towards you is so strong it almost feels like a need or an obsession.
I want her (don't misunderstand me)
I want to be clear that my attraction to you is genuine and not just a fleeting feeling.
I want her (I wish this dream was for real)
The idea of us together is so strong in my mind that I wish it was a reality.
I want her (you, you know the deal)
You are fully aware of my attraction to you and the fact that I want you in my life.
I want her (yeah, yeah)
My desire for you is unyielding and all-consuming.
I want her (I want that girl so bad)
My desire for you is so strong that I cannot ignore it or escape it.
I want her (I had a dream of her last night)
My thoughts and feelings towards you are so strong that they even appear in my dreams.
I want her (yeah, yeah, yeah, ugh)
My feelings for you are so intense that I cannot help but express them even more through my actions and words.
Uh
An expression of emotion, conveying the intensity of the situation.
Mmh, mmh, mmh
An expression of attraction and desire for the subject.
Yup, yup
An affirmation of the artist's feelings towards the subject.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah
An expression of excitement and attraction towards the subject.
And I, ugh
An expression of frustration or longing for the subject.
I
The singer, expressing his feelings towards the subject of the song.
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, ooh, baby
An expression of desire and attraction towards the subject of the song, and requesting more of it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith D. Sweat, Edward Theodore Riley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steven
Keith is an absolute legend. Still has this energy all these years later.
IntRoVertsRus
If only crowds was like this today.
Halftime Chat
Yep, no camera phones 😅
Jay Jay 106
Not with this technology kids we have today. If they were there they'd just be standing there with their hands
Your Excellency
An era of music gone forever. Today's music is beyond beyond trash
iluvmyboba
Keith Sweat. What an original voice.
Cedric D Burns
THE BAND IS DYNAMITE 🧨
nerds also come in chocolate
Its the keyboard player for me. The cameraman was smart in featuring him. He sure was into it and showing out also.
Cameron Fairchild FBA
Perfection. Can't be done better.
Lysha B
I looooovveee me some Keith Sweat!! Always have, always will! #Legend