In 1987, key events in urban music were taking shape. Jody Watley had struck out on her own from Shalamar and was enjoying heavy success with singles like “Looking For A New Love,” and “Some Kind Of Lover.” Def Jam Records executive Andre Harrell decided to leave the predominantly hip-hop label, and create a slicker, more refined Black music label named Uptown Records. L.A. & Babyface produced the hit “Rock Steady” for the Whispers, which triumphantly peaked at #7 on the Billboard Pop chart. R&B group Levert’s “Casanova” peaked at Pop #5, and artists such as Al B. Sure, Keith Sweat, Guy, Bobby Brown and New Edition were all getting ready to enter (and dominate) the charts by the middle of the following year.
In pop music, Prince’s Sign O’ The Times campaign was on a winning streak, Michael Jackson was back with his Bad album, and George Michael’s Faith LP was wooing urban and suburban fans alike. The Full Force-produced Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam were getting noticed with their hit “Head To Toe,” and Miami-flavored dance acts like Expose (“Point Of No Return”), Pretty Poison (“Catch Me I’m Falling”), and Company B (“Fascinated”) were making folks want to just get out and dance. Additionally, even some of Janet Jackson’s Control singles were being re-mixed in a noticeably urban/dance fashion — especially the Jam & Lewis remixes of “Nasty,” and Shep Pettibone remix of “The Pleasure Principle.”
Other significant events to take place in “urban-related” media from the mid-1980s included:
- Def Jam Records is founded in 1984
- The Cosby Show: a) debuts on NBC and saves the network; b) becomes the #1 show on T.V. for five straight seasons during the 1980s; and c) revives the family sitcom format. ABC fires back with the decidedly more “suburban” Growing Pains
- LL Cool J’s ‘Radio’ is released and changes the face of hip-hop at that time
- Def Jam’s “Krush Groove” is released to theatres
- Whitney Houston emerges as a major pop icon in 1985
- Janet (Miss Jackson If You’re Nasty) Jackson takes ‘Control’ in 1986 — wins Grammys in 1987
- Run DMC’s update of “Walk this Way” peaks at Billboard (Pop) #4 in 1986
- “The Show” by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew becomes the fourth rap single to reach gold status (500k sold), featuring production by a young Teddy Riley
- Licensed To Ill’ by the Beastie Boys becomes first rap album to top the Billboard albums chart in 1987; the Beasties also become the first rap group ever to perform on American Bandstand
- Club MTV debuts, featuring dance music and a Black host (from the UK) named Downtown Julie Brown
- Def Jam artists embark on successful World Tour headlined by LL Cool J & Whodini
- LL Cool J reaches #1 on Billboard’s Black Singles Chart (now called R&B) in 1987
- Eric B & Rakim’s ‘Paid In Full’ album challenges MCs to step up their mic skills
- In 1987, NBC begins airing “A Different World”, a sitcom taking place at a historically Black college
- In November 1987, Keith Sweat releases the Make It Last Forever album which makes it arguably the first album of the New Jack Swing era and an important one
- In December 1987, Johnny Kemp releases the Secrets of Flying album, featuring the Teddy Riley produced hit “Just Got Paid,” which hits hard in 1988
Songs like “Rumors” by the Timex Social Club, and “Tender Love” by the Force M.D.’s, were crossing over to “mainstream” audiences, wetting suburban appetites for even more urban music, setting the stage for 1988 — when it really all began.
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