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"
Vega
Van Hunt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vega
The pleasure of your company
That's what I need, that's what I need
Vega
Only you can comfort me
I need a vessel to sail all my fantasies
How good can a good girl really be?
I'm the captain of this relationship
Girl, I wanna cruise
With you
Girl, I wanna cruise
Cruise with you
This next verse is full of similes and metaphors
Vega
Old hats on gold caps
Like slacks on ass go together
Like soul claps on toe taps
What good is a good girl in my wet dreams?
I need a vessel to sail all my fantasies
How good can a good girl really be?
I'm the captain of this relationship
Girl, I wanna cruise
With you
Girl, I wanna cruise
Cruise with you
Nothing is forever
Our relationship
Is alpha and omega, all there is, all there really is
What good is a good girl in my wet dreams?
I need a vessel to sail all my fantasies
How good can a good girl really be?
I'm the captain of this relationship
Girl, I wanna cruise
With you
Girl, I wanna cruise
Cruise with you
Stripes on the face of a stripper pole vet
Caught up on the shapes of her arms and legs
Pale ringing in the dark
Old on the days gone by
"Vega" is a song by Van Hunt that explores the desire for carnal pleasure and comfort. The song begins with the line "The fun rises, Vega," which refers to the star Vega and the idea of experiencing a good time. He then mentions the pleasure of Vega's company and how only she can provide the comfort he needs. He describes his desire for a partner who can fulfill all his fantasies as he sings, "What good is a good girl in my wet dreams? I need a vessel to sail all my fantasies."
In the second verse, Hunt uses similes and metaphors to describe how he feels about Vega. He says that they are like "old hats on gold caps" and how they go together like "slacks on ass." He also compares their connection to the synchronized claps and taps of soul music. He continues to express his desire for her, singing, "I'm the captain of this relationship, girl, I wanna cruise with you."
The final verse of the song reflects on the idea that nothing is forever and that their relationship is all-encompassing, with alpha and omega representing the beginning and the end. Hunt ends the song repeating his desire to go on a "cruise" with Vega, using the metaphor of traveling together to illustrate his lust and desire for her.
Line by Line Meaning
The fun rises
The excitement and enjoyment increases
Vega
Referring to the star Vega, symbolizing brightness and joy
The pleasure of your company
The happiness that comes with being with someone special
That's what I need, that's what I need
Expressing the desire for companionship and love
Only you can comfort me
Stating that the person being spoken to is the only one who can provide emotional support
What good is a good girl in my wet dreams?
Rhetorical question highlighting the desire for a real person rather than just a fantasy
I need a vessel to sail all my fantasies
Looking for a person to act as a partner and fulfill all desires
How good can a good girl really be?
Questioning the true value of someone who is 'good' and examining their potential
I'm the captain of this relationship
Asserting dominance and control over the relationship
Girl, I wanna cruise
Expressing a desire to relax and enjoy life together
With you
With the person being addressed
Cruise with you
Repeating the longing for a stress-free journey with the person being spoken to
Vega
Re-emphasizing the positive and joyful emotions associated with the star
Old hats on gold caps
Aesthetic imagery invoking the idea of classic beauty and elegance
Like slacks on ass go together
Using a risque comparison to suggest that certain things just match well together
Like soul claps on toe taps
Continuing the use of similes and metaphors to convey a sense of harmony and connection
Nothing is forever
Acknowledging the fact that all good things must come to an end
Our relationship
Referring to the connection between the singer and the person they're addressing
Is alpha and omega, all there is, all there really is
The relationship is everything, the beginning and the end
Stripes on the face of a stripper pole vet
Using an unconventional comparison to highlight the way someone's appearance can draw attention
Caught up on the shapes of her arms and legs
Focusing on physical attributes rather than personality or character
Pale ringing in the dark
Descriptive language to evoke a sense of haunting melancholy
Old on the days gone by
Reflecting on the past and the passage of time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HUNT VAN C
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@music4thesoul-bymastalee6375
Yessir! Dopeness
@greagandev
WooHoo! It's about time!
@Catwalkification
:(