Jeff Redd facts for kids

Jeff Redd is an American singer and music producer. He became famous in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He sang a type of music called new jack swing and R&B. New jack swing is a mix of R&B, hip-hop, and dance music.

Jeff Redd's Music Journey

Early Days and Sesame Street

Jeff Redd grew up in New York. When he was 17, in the mid-1980s, he started singing. He was part of a group called The Sophisticated Gents for a short time. Jeff also appeared on the TV show Sesame Street. He sang a song there to help kids understand the word "between."

First Album Success

Later, Jeff Redd performed as a solo artist. A music executive named André Harrell saw him sing. Harrell then signed Jeff to Uptown Records and MCA Records. In 1990, Jeff released his first album, A Quiet Storm.

This album had popular new jack swing songs. These included "I Found Lovin'" and "Come and Get Your Lovin'." It also featured a slower song called "Love High." Two of his songs became hits on the Billboard R&B chart. "What Goes Around Comes Around" reached number 53. "Love High" climbed to number 16.

Many famous producers worked on A Quiet Storm. These included Devante Swing from the group Jodeci. Other producers were Timmy Allen, Dave "Jam" Hall, and Eddie F.

Movie Soundtracks and Helping Others

In 1991, Jeff Redd released a song called "You Called and Told Me." This song was part of the Strictly Business movie soundtrack. The song used a sample from "Catch the Beat" by T-Ski Valley.

Jeff Redd played a big role in helping singer Mary J. Blige start her career. He met her stepfather while working at General Motors. Her stepfather gave Jeff a tape of Mary J. Blige singing. She was performing a song by Anita Baker. After hearing her, Jeff helped Mary J. Blige get signed to Uptown Records. She even toured with Jeff as one of his backup singers.

Later Albums and New Roles

In 1994, Jeff Redd recorded his second album, Down Low. However, this album was not widely released at the time. The record company, EMI America, closed its black music department. Because of this, only a few copies of Down Low were ever shared. The rapper Lord Finesse helped produce some of the songs on this album.

In 1996, Jeff tried singing reggae music. He worked with producer Robert Ffrench. They released two songs that year. One was "Cry No More," which featured Grand Puba. The other song was called "Time Is Slipping."

Years later, in 2024, Down Low was officially released. It became available on digital and streaming platforms through Capitol Records.

After his singing career, Jeff Redd became an A&R executive at MCA Records. An A&R executive helps find new artists and develop their music. While at MCA, Jeff worked with artists like Regina Belle and K-Ci & JoJo. When MCA closed in 2003, Jeff started his own music label. He named it Sol Real Records. Today, he works with artists like Akili, Blaq Rose, and Forever through his label. In 2007, he released a collection of songs called Jeff Redd Presents: The Essence of Soul. This album featured music from his artists. In April 2010, Jeff Redd released a new song called "Take You Higher."

Jeff Redd's Music Releases

Studio Albums

Singles (Songs)