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]
Ridin Solo
Keith Sweat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drive away with my heart on the floor.
Cause ain't nobody ridin' shotgun next me (oh yeah)
Took me awhile to try to figure it out...
Now I know just what it's all about...
I need someone to fill the space right next to me (oh yes I do)
Cause I been ridin' solo... Now I need a woman to take a little ride with
Cause I been ridin' solo... Tired of ridin' by myself... I need a girl yeah
I'm sitting here with my head in my hands...
Wishing, hoping for love and romance yeah...
If you think your lonely now is on the radio... Listen girl
Took me awhile to try to figure it out...
Now I know just what it's all about...
I need someone to fill the space right next to me (Ohhh)
Cause I been ridin' solo... Now I need a woman to take a little ride with
Me.
Cause I been ridin' solo... Tired of ridin' by myself...
Help me...
Holla back if you need a girl... (if you wanna)
If you want a full-time in ya' world...
Cause if you like me then I know your tired of ridin' solo (I need a girl)
And it's killing me... Being all alone
Cause a man really needs someone to call his owwwnnn,
Ooh baby baby ohhh
Cause I been ridin' solo... Now I need a woman to take a little ride with
Me.
Cause I been ridin' solo... Tired of ridin' by myself...
Holla back if you need a girl... (if you wanna)
If you want a full-time in ya' world...
Cause if you like me then I know your tired of ridin' solo
In Keith Sweat's song "Ridin Solo," he sings about feeling lonely and wanting someone to be with him. The song starts with him dropping his coat on the seat and driving away with his heart on the floor. He then confesses that he has been riding solo for a while now but needs someone to fill the space right next to him. Despite being tired of being alone, Keith had his head in his hands, hoping for love and romance. He urges the listener to holla back if they need someone because he is looking for a girl to ride with him.
The lyrics of this song are pretty straightforward and self-explanatory. Keith is expressing his desire for love and companionship after being alone for a while. He hopes that someone out there is also looking to settle down and not ride solo anymore.
In conclusion, "Ridin Solo" is a song about loneliness and the need for love and companionship. While it may seem simple at first, Keith Sweat's smooth vocals and heartfelt lyrics make it an emotional and relatable song.
Line by Line Meaning
Drop my coat on the seat close the door.
I get in the car and throw my coat on the seat as I close the door.
Drive away with my heart on the floor.
I start driving with my heart feeling heavy as if it has fallen on the floor.
Cause ain't nobody ridin' shotgun next me (oh yeah)
There's no one sitting next to me which is making me feel alone and empty.
Took me awhile to try to figure it out...
It took me some time to understand what I really need in life.
Now I know just what it's all about...
Now I have realized that I need someone to share my life with.
I need someone to fill the space right next to me (oh yes I do)
I want someone to be by my side and fill the loneliness I feel along the way.
Cause I been ridin' solo... Now I need a woman to take a little ride with Me.
I have been alone for a while and now I am looking for a woman to share my life with.
Tired of ridin' by myself... I need a girl yeah
I am tired of being alone, and I need a girl to be with me now.
I'm sitting here with my head in my hands...
As I think about my loneliness, I feel helpless and frustrated.
Wishing, hoping for love and romance yeah...
I am longing for emotional and physical intimacy with someone special.
If you think your lonely now is on the radio... Listen girl
I know you feel lonely too, listen to this song and understand what I am going through.
Help me...
I am asking for help in finding someone who will be with me.
Holla back if you need a girl... (if you wanna)
If you are looking for someone too, let me know by responding.
If you want a full-time in ya' world...
If you are ready for a committed relationship, I am also ready to be with you.
Cause if you like me then I know your tired of ridin' solo (I need a girl)
If you feel the same way as I do and are also tired of being alone, then you might be the one I'm looking for.
And it's killing me... Being all alone
The loneliness is killing me and it is really hard to bear.
Cause a man really needs someone to call his owwwnnn,
Every man needs a special someone to call his own and share life with.
Ooh baby baby ohhh
Oh, baby, I really need someone to be with me.
Contributed by Jonathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ethel Shelvin
Love this song, but of course I love everything Keith Sweat makes. Even have his movie. Keep up the good work Mr. Keith Sweat 😍👏👏👏👏👏
Manuele Pimenta
Bolada... repito várias vezes..
Darrel Mason
Awesome! Very proud of him.
Keith done his thing on this album.
Latasha Davenport
Love this song. Ridin solo💗
Jô Lima
perfeitaaa👏
Pauline Mitchell
I LOVE YOU and YOUR MUSIC KEITH DOUGLASS SWEAT FOREVER and ALWAYS. MAY GOD CONTINUE to BLESS US and KEEP US in PERFECT PEACE in JESUS CHRIST NAME AMEN
Andrew Flood
AWESOME SONG !!!
Ron II
My Boy Keith Sweat is back on the scene!!! About time some good quality R&B come back around!!!
Andre Rosenthall
No matter what ppls say Keith got it gonna go. U go boy!!!!!!!!!!
Dorvell Stewart
Four words: Keith's, still, got, it!