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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Max B" hosted by DJButterrockCharley Wingate (born May 21, 1978), better known by his stage name Max B (short for Max Biggaveli), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Harlem, New York. He is best known for his solo Public Domain and Million Dollar Baby series of ⁠mixtapes⁠.⁠[4]⁠⁠[5]⁠ He coined the term "wavy" as a slang in popular lexicon, originating the wave movement in hip-hop. Released from federal prison on November 9, 2025 after serving sixteen years, he returned to music and scored his first career number-one single with "⁠Ever Since U Left Me (I Went Deaf)⁠" with ⁠French Montana⁠, which reached number one on ⁠Billboard⁠ Rhythmic Airplay and Mediabase Rhythmic Radio in 2026. He also appeared on "⁠Minks in Miami⁠" with ⁠Rick Ross⁠ and French Montana, which reached number one on Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, giving him two number-one records on two different Billboard charts in 2026.

He made his mixtape debut in 2006, and signed a recording deal with fellow Harlem-based rapper ⁠Jim Jones⁠' label/group ⁠ByrdGang⁠. Following a streak of financial and ethical grievances, Max B parted ways with Jones in 2008. The two became embroiled in a bitter ⁠feud⁠ which pitted Jones and his associates on one side, and Max B and his affiliates on the other. Max B is closely associated with producer ⁠Dame Grease⁠, and fellow rapper ⁠French Montana⁠ where the two collaborated on the ⁠Coke Wave⁠ mixtape series.⁠[6]⁠

In mid-2009, he was sentenced to 75 years in prison on conspiracy charges pertaining to armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and ⁠felony murder⁠.⁠[7]⁠⁠[8]⁠ He secured a 3-album deal with ⁠Amalgam Digital⁠ which published his debut album ⁠Vigilante Season⁠ in 2011. On September 16, 2016, it was announced that Max B took a 20-year plea bargain for aggravated manslaughter.⁠[9]⁠ He was released from prison on November 9, 2025.⁠[10]⁠⁠[11]⁠

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Ludacris" hosted by DJButterrock

hristopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (/ˈluːdəkrɪs/), is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed the record label Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). After its single, "What's Your Fantasy" (featuring Shawnna), became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality" (featuring Pharrell).

Ludacris' subsequent albums—Word of Mouf (2001), Chicken-n-Beer (2003) and The Red Light District (2004)—were each met with continued success, receiving multi-platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His fifth and sixth albums, Release Therapy (2006) and Theater of the Mind (2008), explored more serious subject matter than its predecessors. His seventh album, Battle of the Sexes (2010), featured a return to the more lighthearted tone of his earlier albums. Throughout his career, Ludacris has scored two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist: "Stand Up" (featuring Shawnna) and "Money Maker" (featuring Pharrell), as well as three singles which did so as a guest performer: Usher's "Yeah!" in 2004, Fergie's "Glamorous" in 2007, and Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" in 2009. The following year, he guest appeared on Justin Bieber's single "Baby", which remains one of the highest-certified singles of all time in the United States.[2]

Ludacris was one of the first Dirty South rappers to achieve mainstream success in the early 2000s. He is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Award and an MTV Video Music Award. Outside of music, he has portrayed the character Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious film series—first appearing in its second film, 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). His other notable acting roles include Crash (2004), Gamer (2009), and New Year's Eve (2011). In 2021, he created and starred in the children's animated series Karma's World for Netflix. Ludacris is also a private pilot.[3]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Three 6 Mafia" hosted by DJButterrock Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip-hop group, they went on to enjoy mainstream success.[1] The group's 1995 debut album Mystic Stylez became an influential cult classic.[2] They have released music on independent labels such as Prophet Entertainment and their own Hypnotize Minds label, as well as Relativity, Loud, and Columbia Records.

Two of their albums are RIAA-certified platinum: When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (2000) and Most Known Unknown (2005), with the latter featuring their hit single "Stay Fly". In 2006, the group won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards for their song "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" from the film Hustle & Flow. The group's latest studio album, Last 2 Walk, was released in 2008. Three 6 Mafia's worldwide album sales stand at 5.5 million as of 2016.[3]

History
1988–1990: Origins
Three 6 Mafia's founding members became musicians at young ages. In 1988, DJ Paul, at age 11, was taking piano lessons, and his half-brother,[4] Lord Infamous, age 15, was a singer practicing bass and electric guitar. The two would compose songs together, with Paul playing piano and drums while Infamous played bass, guitar and sang.

At the same time, in North Memphis, Tennessee, Juicy J, at age 13, was learning how to DJ as well as rap. He had initially wanted to be a singer, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s he fell in love with the gangsta rap style, and he, like his future founding group members across town, wanted to make music like popular artists at the time such as N.W.A and Geto Boys.[5]

In 1989, DJ Paul and Lord Infamous formed the duo "Da Serial Killaz".[6] It was at this time they distributed their own mixtapes of popular songs at school, and Lord Infamous had started rapping with his signature triple time flow. Juicy J was also creating his own mixes by this time but was not putting his raps on tapes just yet.

1991–1992: The beginning
By 1991, DJ Paul had already begun to make a name for himself in the local hip-hop scene through DJing at local clubs, such as Club 380 Beale, where he got his first opportunity to perform. His mixtapes, which were gradually evolving to include more and more original content of "Da Serial Killaz", also helped spread word of his talents.[7] At the time, the hip-hop scene in Memphis had not taken a fully fledged form yet, but early works by artists such as DJ Spanish Fly and DJ Squeeky were hinting at what was to come.[8] Meanwhile, Lord Infamous was still rapping and evolving his lyrical style. In North Memphis, Juicy J was slowly building a name for himself as well, now that he was making his own songs and distributing them with his mixtapes, as well as DJing at local clubs with his mentor.

That same year, DJ Paul and Juicy J first crossed paths after Juicy sought out Paul in 1991 for help making beats. The two quickly grew fond of each-other's musical styles and the two subsequently teamed up with Lord Infamous to form the group "The Backyard Posse". DJ Paul and Lord Infamous still continued work as "Da Serial Killaz" by themselves, and in 1992 released the first legitimate original recording to come out of the eventual Three 6 Mafia camp, "Portrait of a Serial Killa". Featuring dark beats by Paul and horrorcore-styled lyrics from Lord Infamous and DJ Paul, this tape is recognized in its raw form as a pioneering work of horrorcore hip-hop. Juicy J in the meantime released his debut hard copy mixtape, Volume 5, that same year, as well as his seminal track in its original form, "Slob on My Knob".

1993–1996: Debut, Mystic Stylez and Chapter 1: The End
The first notable release from members of the group that dropped in 1993 was DJ Paul and Lord Infamous's Come With Me to Hell, which featured original forms of future Three 6 Mafia hits such as "Tear da Club Up" and "Porno Movie". Paul's "DJ Paul Volume 12" mixtape was also released at this time. That same year, while recording music for "The Backyard Posse", Lord Infamous rapped a line referring to his crew as the "Triple Six Mafia". The group later adopted the name, seeing that the name more closely matched the bleak and dark imagery of their music.[6]

Juicy J had yet to release a notable work of his own at this point, but in 1994 that would change with Vol. 9: It's On and Vol. 10: Chronicles of the Juice Manne. Similar to Paul and Infamous's works the previous year, these tapes featured what would turn out to be some of the framework of future hit songs.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of UGK" hosted by DJButterrock

UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987 by Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen and Chad "Pimp C" Butler. Big Mitch later left the group to pursue a football career,[1] and was replaced with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, although Mitch remained a frequent collaborator of the duo.

They released their first major-label album, Too Hard to Swallow, in 1992, followed by several other charting releases on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, including their fifth album, Underground Kingz (2007), which spawned the hit single "International Players Anthem (I Choose You)" (featuring Outkast) and debuted atop the Billboard 200, in August 2007. The duo also appeared on singles for other artists, such as "Big Pimpin'" by Jay-Z and "Sippin' on Some Syrup" by Three 6 Mafia. Pimp C founded UGK Records in late 2005. The duo ended following Pimp C's death on December 4, 2007.

Background
Originally from Port Arthur, Texas, UGK members Pimp and Bun were from the same town as Janis Joplin and Robert Rauschenberg. Though the town of 60,000 has a significant African American population, it was not known for its rap scene. They called themselves "Underground Kingz" because their country rap style was so full of "slang and twang" they thought it was inaccessible for outsiders. UGK blended "deep bluesy textures, triumphant church organs, thick funk and meaty soul".[2]

Bun's rap style was described as a "speeding-train delivery" with lyrics that "feel sanded-down and coated by heavy lacquer". Born Bernard Freeman, his childhood nickname "Bunny" was shortened to Bun.[2]

Pimp, or Chad Butler, is the son of a trumpet player and has had an interest in music since childhood: "I come from a classical background, I came up singing Italian sonnets, Negro spirituals, and shit of that nature." Even before studying musical notation in school he learned to play many instruments by ear including piano, trumpet, drums and flugelhorn. His vocal style is of a "high-voiced, unstable and provocateur, as likely to slap your face as to sing you a love song". Influenced by Run-DMC, he started synthesizing beats to rap over after receiving a drum machine and keyboard one Christmas. Following the advice of Pimp's stepfather to "put some music in that shit", Pimp decided to move beyond Run-DMC's kick-snare formula also known as boom bap, building on this by replacing the drum sound specifically with the Roland TR-808 and supplementing the cymbals with mainly the hi-hats, which added another important rhythmic layer to the whole thing..[2]

Career and recordings
In 1992, UGK was signed to Jive Records under a five-album contract, releasing their major-label debut album Too Hard to Swallow.[3] While it featured several new recordings, it also featured several songs that had been culled from The Southern Way.[4] However, several songs that had been intended to be included on the album were excised at the last minute, apparently due to their overly explicit content. Five of these songs would surface two months before the release of Too Hard to Swallow, on an EP distributed by Bigtyme Recordz; appropriately enough, the EP was titled Banned. A popular song from the album, "Pocket Full of Stones", was also included on the Menace II Society soundtrack in 1993.

Their second album, Super Tight, was released two years later, on August 30. Unlike their previous album, Super Tight managed to break into the Billboard 200 and ultimately peaked at #95; their third album, Ridin' Dirty, peaked at number 15.[5] Ridin' Dirty would also be UGK's last album for the time being, as they went on a five-year hiatus not long afterward.

The year 2000 became a breakthrough year for the group. UGK made a high-profile guest appearance on Jay-Z's smash hit "Big Pimpin'" and also appeared on Three 6 Mafia's hit "Sippin' on Some Syrup". Both of these collaborations greatly increased their reputation, and helped fuel anticipation for their next project [citation needed]. Jive Records failed to capitalize on this new-found interest in the duo, as their fourth album, 2001's Dirty Money, came and went with little fanfare.

Further problems arose when Pimp C was incarcerated for an aggravated gun assault charge in 2002.[6] Throughout the time of his incarceration, Bun B carried on the UGK name by making numerous guest appearances on songs by other artists, with every appearance either mentioning Pimp C or featuring a "Free Pimp C!" or "Free the Pimp" chant. Many of UGK's peers did the same, and mentioned Pimp C in their own songs with or without Bun B.[7] During this period, Jive Records released a Best of UGK album, as well as a Chopped & Screwed remix album.[8] As a result of Pimp C's incarceration, both members of UGK began solo careers out of necessity.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Outkast" hosted by DJButterrock
Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré).[1] Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop acts of all time,[4][5] the duo achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, helping to popularize Southern hip-hop[1] with their intricate lyricism, memorable melodies, and positive themes,[6] while experimenting with a diverse range of genres such as funk, psychedelia, jazz, and techno.

Patton and Benjamin formed Outkast as high school students. They released their debut studio album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994, which gained popularity after its single "Player's Ball" peaked atop the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. The duo further experimented and honed their sound with their second and third albums ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), both of which were met with critical acclaim. They then achieved mainstream recognition and continued acclaim with their fourth album Stankonia (2000), which was supported by the singles "B.O.B." and "Ms. Jackson", the latter of which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards.

The duo then released the double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003), their only album to debut atop the Billboard 200. It received Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), was supported by the number one singles "The Way You Move" (performed by Big Boi) and "Hey Ya!" (performed by André 3000), and won Album of the Year at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. Outkast starred in the 2006 musical film Idlewild and recorded the film's accompanying soundtrack, which was released as their final album three days before the film's release. The duo split the following year, and both members have pursued solo careers. Outkast temporarily reunited in 2014 to celebrate their debut album's 20th anniversary with performances at more than 40 festivals worldwide, beginning at the Coachella Festival in April 2014.[7]

Along with being one of hip-hop's most influential acts, Outkast is also one of the most successful, having certified sales of 20 million records between six studio albums and a compilation album, as well as having earned six Grammy Awards.[8][9][10][11] In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked them No. 7 on its list of the "20 Greatest Duos of All Time",[12] while publications such as it and Pitchfork have listed their albums among the best in all of hip-hop and of all time. Outkast was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on November 8, 2025.[13][14]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Erykah Badu" hosted by DJButterrock Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971),[2] known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip-hop,[2] Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut studio album Baduizm (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics.

Badu's career began after opening a show for D'Angelo in 1994 in Fort Worth, which led to record label executive Kedar Massenburg signing her to Kedar Entertainment.[2] Badu's first album, Baduizm, was released in February 11, 1997.[3] It spawned four singles: "On & On", "Appletree", "Next Lifetime" and "Otherside of the Game". The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4] Badu's first live album, Live, was released in November 1997, and contained her signature song "Tyrone" and was subsequently certified double platinum by the RIAA.[4]

Badu's second studio album, Mama's Gun, was released in 2000.[5] It spawned three singles: "Bag Lady", which became her first top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number 6, "Didn't Cha Know?" and "Cleva". The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.[4] Badu's third album, Worldwide Underground, was released in 2003.[6] It generated three singles: "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)", "Danger" and "Back in the Day (Puff)", with the first becoming her second song to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 9. The album was certified gold by the RIAA.[4] Badu's fourth album, New Amerykah Part One, was released in 2008.[7] It spawned two singles: "Honey" and "Soldier". New Amerykah Part Two was released in 2010 and fared well both critically and commercially. It contained the album's lead single "Window Seat", whose music video sparked controversy.

Badu's voice has been compared to jazz singer Billie Holiday.[8][9][10] Early in her career, Badu was recognizable for her style, which often included wearing very large and colorful headwraps. She was a core member of the Soulquarians. As an actress, she has played a number of supporting roles in movies including Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules and House of D. She also has appeared in the documentaries Before the Music Dies and The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Mariah Carey" hosted by DJButterrock Mariah Carey (/məˈraɪə/ ⓘ mə-RY-ə;[1]: 0:01  born March 27, 1969)[a] is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Songbird Supreme", Carey is known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, signature use of the whistle register, and diva persona. An influential figure in popular culture, she was ranked as the fifth-greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.

Carey rose to fame with her 1990 self-titled debut album and became the only artist to have their first five singles reach number one in the US, from "Vision of Love" to the title track of her second album, Emotions (1991). She achieved international success with the best-selling albums Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995). The remix to "Fantasy", with Ol' Dirty Bastard, introduced her new image and hip-hop-inflected sound, which she later embraced on Butterfly (1997) and Rainbow (1999). With eleven consecutive years of US number-one singles, Carey was named by Billboard as the Artist of the Decade. Following a career decline, she made a comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), her 21st-century bestseller.

Carey's life and career have received widespread media coverage. She has been dubbed the "Queen of Christmas" due to the enduring popularity of her Christmas music, particularly Merry Christmas (1994), one of the best-selling holiday albums. Its lead single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", is the longest-running number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 and the best-selling holiday single by a woman. Outside of music, she co-founded the youth program Camp Mariah in 1994; starred in films such as Glitter (2001), Precious (2009), The Butler (2013), and The Lego Batman Movie (2017); and served as a judge on American Idol (2013). Her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Carey is one of the best-selling music artists in history, with estimated sales of over 220 million records. She has the most Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of a solo artist (19), a female songwriter (18), and a female producer (15), spending a record 101 weeks atop the chart. "One Sweet Day" and "We Belong Together" were ranked by Billboard as the most successful songs of the 1990s and 2000s, respectively. Her accolades include 5 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Global Impact Award, 10 American Music Awards, 19 World Music Awards, 14 Billboard Music Awards, the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. One of the highest-certified artists in the US, Carey has four diamond certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Shalamar" hosted by DJButterrock Shalamar (/ˈʃɑːləmɑːr/, /ˈʃæ-/) is an American R&B and soul music vocal group created by Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius in 1977 and active throughout the 1980s. Shalamar's classic lineup on the SOLAR label consisted of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel. It was originally a disco-driven group created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator and producer Don Cornelius.[1][2] They went on to be an influential dance trio managed by Dick Griffey. Initially signed to Soul Train Records they transferred to Griffey's Solar Records after the Cornelius-Griffey Entertainment company was dissolved.[3] According to British Hit Singles & Albums, they were fashion icons and trendsetters, and helped to introduce "body-popping" to the United Kingdom.[3] Their name was created by Griffey.[4]

Career

Shalamar in 1982
The first hit credited to Shalamar was "Uptown Festival" (1977), which was recorded at Ike & Tina Turner's studio Bolic Sound in 1976.[5] It was released on Soul Train Records. Its success inspired Griffey and Don Cornelius to replace session singers with popular Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel, to join original Shalamar lead singer Gary Mumford. Gerald Brown took over the spot vacated by Mumford for the group's second album, Disco Gardens (1978), which featured the hit "Take That to the Bank". After conflicts over lack of payment from Griffey and SOLAR (short for Sound of Los Angeles Records), Brown left the group.[6] Howard Hewett replaced Brown in 1979.[2] The group was joined up with producer Leon Sylvers III in 1979, signed with SOLAR, and scored a US million seller with "The Second Time Around" (1979).[7] The "classic" lineup of Hewett, Watley and Daniel would be the most successful.


Shalamar in 1982
In the UK, the group had a string of hits with songs such as "Take That to the Bank" (1978), "I Owe You One" (1980), and songs from the Platinum-certified[8] Friends (1982) album: "I Can Make You Feel Good" (1982), "A Night to Remember", the BPI Silver-certified[9] "There It Is", and the title track "Friends".[1] The album, which crossed the genres of pop, disco, and soul, was also a big seller in the UK in 1982.[10] The band's record sales in the UK increased when Daniel demonstrated his body-popping dancing skills on BBC Television's music programme, Top of the Pops, which had premiered the moonwalk on television for the first time.[11] Michael Jackson was a fan of Shalamar, particularly Daniel and his dance moves, after watching him on Soul Train.[11] Daniel and Jackson co-choreographed Jackson's "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal" videos from the album Bad (1987).[12]


Shalamar in 1982
The Hewett-Watley-Daniel lineup of Shalamar scored a total of three Gold albums in the U.S.: Big Fun (1979), Three for Love (1980) and Friends (1982).[1][7] In 1983, prior to the release of The Look, Watley and Daniel left Shalamar due to conflicts within the group as well as issues with Dick Griffey and SOLAR.[13] Although The Look wasn't as successful as Friends had been the previous year, it still went Gold in the UK,[14] where it yielded a number of hit singles, including "Disappearing Act", the Grammy-nominated "Dead Giveaway", and "Over and Over", and featured more of a new wave/synth-pop sound than previous albums.

After Micki Free and Delisa Davis replaced Daniel and Watley in the group's lineup,[2] Shalamar reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Dancing in the Sheets", featured on the Footloose soundtrack album, and contributed "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills," written by Hewett, Free, and David "Hawk" Wolinski, to the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, which won the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special; the award was given to all 14 of the soundtrack's songwriters. Both "Dancing in the Sheets" and "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills" were included on Shalamar's eighth album, Heartbreak, released in November 1984.

Hewett departed the group in 1985 to begin a solo career, later returning in 2001 and current member since. Sydney Justin took over as lead vocalist for Circumstantial Evidence (1987),[2] coproduced by Babyface and L.A. Reid, and Wake Up (1990), Shalamar's final pair of albums before they disbanded.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Joyce Sims" hosted by DJButterrock  Joyce Elizabeth Sims-Sandiford (August 6, 1959 – October 13, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter, whose biggest hit single, "Come into My Life", reached the top 10 in both the US Billboard R&B Chart and the UK Singles Chart in 1987.

Early life and education
Sims was born in Rochester, New York,[2] on August 6, 1959.[3] She formally studied music in college, learning a number of instruments. Sims was of the Baptist faith.[4]

Career
In 1986, Sims signed with the now-defunct record label Sleeping Bag Records.[2] Her first hit single was "(You Are My) All and All" in 1986, which was produced by Kurtis Mantronik and reached No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart. It entered the US Dance Chart at #51; peaking at No. 6.

Sims followed up in 1988 with "Come into My Life" also produced by Kurtis Mantronik which peaked at No. 10 on the US Billboard R&B Chart and No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. This became her biggest success, although it was her only top-10 single on the R&B chart. Both "All and All" and her remake of "Love Makes a Woman" with Jimmy Castor were also chart entries.[2] Sims' debut album, Come into My Life, reached No. 22 in the US R&B album chart and No. 5 in the UK Albums Chart[5] following the Top 10 success of the title track in the UK Singles Chart.[5] All songs on the album were written by Sims except for "Love Makes a Woman". Sims' second album, All About Love, was released in 1989 and reached No. 64 in the UK Albums Chart.[5]

In 1994, Sims released the single "Who's Crying Now" on Warlock Records, which absorbed her Sleeping Bag Records contract after purchasing the label in 1992.

In 2006, she released the single "What the World Needs Now is Love," from her album A New Beginning, after teaming up with record producers Junior Vasquez and Glen Frisica.

In 2009, Come into My Life: the Very Best of Joyce Sims, a double-CD of her greatest hits and remixes was released, which includes the original studio versions on the first disc and extended mixes on the second disc. That same year, she formed a record label, August Rose Records, and started work on a new album.

In 2014, Sims released the album Love Song, which includes a duet with reggae vocalist Maxi Priest.

Sims' music can be heard on the soundtrack of the film Species, and her songs have been recorded or sampled by Randy Crawford, Angie Stone, and Snoop Dogg.[citation needed] Sims released "Wishing You Were Here" on her own record label, August Rose Records, and another album, Back in Love Again.[6]

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 Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Cameo" hosted by DJButterrock
Cameo's first album was Cardiac Arrest which included the hit single, "Rigor Mortis". Follow up albums We All Know Who We Are, Ugly Ego and Secret Omen contained dance floor songs such as "I Just Want to Be" and "It's Serious", the latter of which was used for a dance contest scene in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday. The band's debut single, "Find My Way", was a disco song that was used in the film, and was included on the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack. ("Find My Way" was their cover of a 1972 Three Degrees and a 1969 Tymes tune.)

Bassist Aaron Mills joined the band in 1978, after a stint in Donald Byrd's jazz-funk collective N.C.C.U., which toured with Cameo. [7]

1979–1993: Mainstream breakthrough
The 1979 single, "I Just Want to Be", reached number 3 on the Billboard magazine Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and along with the follow-up single, the top 10 R&B ballad "Sparkle", pushed the album Secret Omen to gold status with sales of over 500,000 copies, the band's first album to achieve this status. Their next album, Cameosis, came out in 1980 and also achieved gold status thanks in large part to the funk classic "Shake Your Pants", the mid-tempo single "We're Goin' Out Tonight", and the ballad "Why Have I Lost You" (a re-recording of a song from their 1978 album We All Know Who We Are). It reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart. Their second album of 1980, Feel Me, 1981's Knights of the Sound Table and 1982's Alligator Woman also went gold and saw the band playing up their eclectic style. Band members Aaron Mills, Thomas "TC" Campbell and Jeryl Bright briefly left the band in 1983 to form a spinoff group called MCB.[7] The band released She's Strange in 1984, which performed well and hit number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and 26 on the Billboard 200. The album's title track, eponymous single became the band's first number 1 R&B hit, as well as their first charting pop single; reaching number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1985's album Single Life, featuring the title track and "Attack Me with Your Love", hit number 2 on the Top R&B chart. The single "Word Up!" was released in 1986 and reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, plus number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's biggest single on the pop chart. The follow-up single "Candy" reached number 1 R&B and 21 pop, while their next release, "Back and Forth", went to number 3 R&B and number 50 pop. Meanwhile, the accompanying album also hit numbers 8 and 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B charts respectively, becoming their highest-charting album.[1]

Two years later, Cameo released Machismo to mixed critical reviews and dropped to chart at numbers 10 and 56 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200 charts respectively. Cameo then followed up with 1990's Real Men... Wear Black and 1992's Emotional Violence. The previous release was followed by two compilation albums in between the time of their next recording.[1]

1994–2000: Later years
In 1994, In the Face of Funk was released on the band's independent label and hit 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This album was then followed by a six-year unofficial hiatus with several compilation releases, until the next album Sexy Sweet Thing in 2000. The album hit 64 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and is their most recent charting release. 

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