Early life
Hunt was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised by his single mother. His father, Van Hunt, Sr., was a factory worker and part-time painter, who was a friend of Ohio Players drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams. Hunt took up the drums at age 7, and saxophone at the age of 8, later adding bass and keyboards. Guitar was the last instrument he learned to play; he played guitar in a rock band called Royalty. Hunt moved to Texas for a short time before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 to attend Morehouse College, where he studied English, but soon dropped out. In Atlanta, he started producing a few hip-hop demos for Atlanta rappers in order to pay bills. Hunt met up-and-coming record producers and artists like Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri and TLC through his work on demos.
Career
Early career
Hunt wrote and co-produced the song "Hopeless" for singer Dionne Farris, formerly of Arrested Development, and joined her band on guitar and keyboards. "Hopeless" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Love Jones (1997). Hunt co-wrote several songs with Rahsaan Patterson on his album Love in Stereo (1999), and co-wrote with Cree Summer, including the song "Mean Sleep", for her album Street Faërie (1999), produced by Lenny Kravitz. He also collaborated with Joi on the single "Missing You" (2002). Through Dionne Farris, Hunt met A&R person Randy Jackson (who later went on to be a judge on Fox's American Idol). Jackson would become Hunt's manager in 2002.
Capitol Records
Hunt recorded much of the material from his debut album in 2000. Producer Dallas Austin took Hunt's recording to Capitol Records, leading him to sign with the label in 2001. Hunt's first album, Van Hunt, was released in February 2004. The album included the singles "Down Here in Hell (With You)", "Dust", and "Seconds of Pleasure", and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Hunt's second album, On the Jungle Floor, was released in 2006. The album featured the single, "Character," a revisited "Mean Sleep", as a duet with Nikka Costa, and a cover of "No Sense of Crime" by The Stooges. The album was co-produced by Bill Bottrell. Hunt has toured and appeared with Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Boney James, The Roots, Seal, Angie Stone, Coldplay, The Brand New Heavies, the Dave Matthews Band, and Kanye West.
In 2006, Hunt appeared with Nikka Costa on the Sam Moore album, Overnight Sensational, on the song "If I Had No Loot". Hunt was also featured on "Half the Fun", a track on the Count Bass D album, Act Your Waist Size, released on Fat Beats Records.
in 2007, Hunt won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, along with John Legend and Joss Stone, for their cover of the Sly & the Family Stone song, "Family Affair", which appeared on the 2006 tribute album Different Strokes By Different Folks. Hunt described winning the award as "one of the bigger pleasures I've had" to The Athens Blur Magazine in 2009.
Blue Note
Hunt released the 4 track digital EP, The Popular Machine, on August 7, 2007. Hunt announced a full length album, Popular, to be released on Blue Note Records on January 15, 2008. Hunt moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 2007 while the album was nearing completion. Blue Note had taken over Hunt’s recording contract after corporate restructuring at Blue Note and Capitol's parent company, EMI. In December 2007, Blue Note announced that they would not be releasing the album, and that Hunt and the label mutually agreed to part ways. Hunt wrote on his MySpace blog in January 2008, that he couldn't promise that Popular would ever be officially released. Blue Note owns the master recordings and opted not to sell it back to him at an affordable price. Hunt commented that he "didn't think that they had enough money" to promote the album properly. LA Weekly called the album an "appealingly trippy fusion of funk grooves, punk guitar and soul vocals", and "a left-field stunner". Hunt told the Atlanta alternative weekly newspaper Creative Loafing that he was "devastated" when the label decided not to release the album.
Independent
As of June 2008, Hunt was recording a fourth album, which he plans to release himself and market using the Internet. Hunt has blogged about his new approach on his MySpace page. Hunt toured the U.S. in July and August 2008. He released Use In Case Of Emergency, a compilation of demos, remixes and B-sides recorded between 1997 and 2005, through his Web site in May 2009. Hunt has also been working on autobiographical book of short stories titled Tales of Friction. In July 2009, Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he plans to release one more album and tour once more, but doesn't know what his plans are after that. Hunt performed at the National Black Arts Festival's tribute to Curtis Mayfield at Atlanta Symphony Hall on July 16, 2010.
Influences
David Bowie
Serge Gainsbourg
The Isley Brothers
Curtis Mayfield
Thelonious Monk
The Ohio Players
Iggy Pop
Prince
Richard Pryor
Sly Stone
Neil Young
Discography
Albums
Van Hunt (2004), Capitol
On the Jungle Floor (2006), Capitol
Popular (2008) - unreleased studio album
Compilations
Use In Case of Emergency (2009), self-released - collection of outtakes
EPs
Acoustic E.P. (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Napster Sessions (2004), Capitol - digital EP
Connect Set (2006), Capitol - digital EP
The Popular Machine (2007), Blue Note - digital EP
Singles
"Down Here in Hell (With You)" (2004), Capitol
"Dust" (2004), Capitol
"Seconds of Pleasure" (2004), Capitol
"Character" (2006), Capitol
"Being A Girl" (2006), Capitol
Awards and nominations
2005 Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Dust."
2006 Grammy Award win for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Family Affair"
Highlights
Van Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is a movie star
The only role you ever wanted to play
Is the person you are
You made a cameo appearance in the backseat
Of my mother's car
But I didn't know that it was to be
A very small part
Did I mean anything to you
Did I just play the fool
In my heart I guess I always knew
You had more to prove
Did I mean anything to you
How much acting did you do
In my heart I guess I always knew
I'd never be more than one among a few
[Chorus]
Highlights, highlights
A scene from your life
Highlights, highlights
Just a good time
Old lovers turned critics curse at you
On the silver screen
You tell 'em, "I don't give a damn what you say
Long as you're talkin' 'bout me"
All the pretty girls around you cloud your sexuality
We've only been apart for less than a week
But you make leaving me look easy
[Chorus]
Years spent fuckin' your sister for your father's affection
Left you confused and your performance lacks direction
So many unanswered questions
[Chorus]
In Van Hunt's song "Highlights," the singer reflects on his relationship with his partner, who had always dreamed of being a movie star. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is full of ambition and desires to be the person they are meant to be. The first verse talks about a time when the partner made a cameo appearance in the backseat of the singer's mother's car, but it was only for a small part. This small part, however, leaves the singer wondering if he meant anything to his partner or if he was just being played for a fool. The chorus, which includes the repetition of the word "highlights," points to the idea that the person's life is only filled with memorable moments, not necessarily depth.
In the second verse, the lyrics take a more negative turn. The partner is being criticized by old lovers turned critics on the silver screen, but they do not care as long as they are being talked about. The partner is also seen as someone who is clouded by the pretty girls around them, making their sexuality unclear. In the last line of the verse, the singer mentions that they have only been apart for a week, but the partner makes leaving look easy. The last verse mentions the partner's past, which included years of confusion and lack of direction, leading to unanswered questions.
Line by Line Meaning
The only thing you ever wanted to be
Your biggest dream was being a movie star
Is a movie star
You aspired to achieve fame through the movies
The only role you ever wanted to play
The person you are is the only identity you ever wanted to embody
Is the person you are
You are content with being yourself and don't aspire to be someone else
You made a cameo appearance in the backseat
You appeared for a brief moment in the backseat of my mother's car
Of my mother's car
This event happened while we were riding in my mother's car
But I didn't know that it was to be
At the time, I didn't realize how limited your role in my life would be
A very small part
Your impact on my life would be insignificant
It hit me kind of hard
Realizing this was difficult for me
Did I mean anything to you
I'm unsure if I held any significance to you
Did I just play the fool
Did you take advantage of my emotions?
In my heart I guess I always knew
Deep down, I had a feeling this would happen
You had more to prove
You had a need to prove your worth
How much acting did you do
To what extent did you pretend to care about me?
In my heart I guess I always knew
I always suspected that I wasn't your priority
I'd never be more than one among a few
I would never hold an important place in your life
Highlights, highlights
The best moments of your life
A scene from your life
A snapshot of your existence
Just a good time
A moment of enjoyment
Old lovers turned critics curse at you
Your previous partners are now your opponents and insult your work
On the silver screen
In front of the audience
You tell 'em, "I don't give a damn what you say
Your response is that their opinion doesn't matter to you
Long as you're talkin' 'bout me"
As long as your name is involved in the conversation
All the pretty girls around you cloud your sexuality
The attention from beautiful women leads to confusion about your sexuality
We've only been apart for less than a week
Not much time has passed since we parted ways
But you make leaving me look easy
Your ease in leaving makes it seem like our relationship meant nothing to you
Years spent fuckin' your sister for your father's affection
Your attempts to gain your father's attention through intimate relations with your sister caused confusion
Left you confused and your performance lacks direction
Your inner turmoil has affected your abilities and you don't know where you're headed
So many unanswered questions
There are a lot of things that remain unclear
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: VAN HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kimmy watts
I hate to sound Cliche but this album was so underrated lol I haven't listened to this in forever. I used to fuck this up!
tresojos
SO true Kimmy, extremely underrated and extremely good album
Evelyn Price
Van's whole album was awesome; he is a real talent, and people should hear that in his music; Just in his lyrics as well as his music arrangements.🎤🎸🎹🥁❤👍
happyfeetgreenbox
My favorite song that he has ever made. Wow.
SithKnight
This artist deserves the recognition for great Artistry in Lyrical Composition.
Cognac Boyz Podcast
My theme song! I went thru this!
Bryan Doe
Kinda reminds me of Sly Stone's "If You Want Me to Stay"
Julian Wilson
Yep! He also reminds me of Curtis Mayfield on some songs
Evelyn Price
RIGHT
AnonsCrossfader
Bryan Doe you too huh? First thing I thought