Loading details…
Artist
Mtume
12+ albums
funksoulrnb80sjazz
about
Mtume (pronounced em-tu-may) was an American funk and soul group active primarily during the early 1980s. The group was founded by James Mtume, a former percussionist who played and toured with Miles Davis in the early 1970s. Other members included Reggie Lucas, Philip Field, and vocalist Tawatha Agee. Mtume gained wider recognition when their 1983 single "Juicy Fruit" was extensively sampled by hip-hop artists, notably in the Notorious B.I.G. song "Juicy" (1994). During the early stage of their career, Mtume recorded three albums: "Alkebu-Lan- The Land of the Blacks" (1972) for Strata-East Records, and "Kawaida" (1973) and "Alkebu-Lan" (1975) for Third Street Records, followed by "Rebirth Cycle" (1977). Without significant pop or R&B chart success initially, the group signed with Epic Records in 1978, releasing "Kiss This World Goodbye" (1978) and "In Search of the Rainbow Seekers" (1980), both achieving modest R&B chart performance. Their 1983 album "Juicy Fruit" brought their most notable commercial success, with the title track reaching number one on the U.S. R&B chart for eight weeks and receiving RIAA gold certification. The album narrowly missed the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, peaking at 45. Mtume's 1984 album "You, Me, and He" also performed well, with the title track reaching number 2 on the R&B chart. Their final R&B top ten hit, "Breathless" (1986), came from their last album "Theater of the Mind." The group continued recording with Epic Records into the late 1980s
