Tag Archives: Eric B & Rakim

Jody Watley’s “Friends” – A Genre Bending Milestone

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April 15, 1989 “Friends” by GRAMMY winner Jody Watley ft. Eric B and Rakim was released. A groundbreaking R&B/Rap/Pop/Dance collaboration. “Friends” made history as the first pairing to hit the Top 10 on multiple charts. It reached #3 R&B, #7 Dance, and most notably, #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. This monumental event paved the way for future genre-blending hit crossover hits. This monumental event in R&B/Rap collaboration history has largely gone overlooked decades after the fact.

Nowadays, Rap and R&B go hand in hand-in-hand. But this wasn’t always the case. Let’s go back to the late 80’s. At that time, rappers and R&B/Pop singers never collaborated. Check out the origins: Ten Songs That Kicked Off R&B Rap Collaborations.

Sources:

Dart Adams, (2018) OkayPlayer, “Ten Songs That Kicked Off R&B Rap Collaborations”

Mickey Hess, (2007) “Icons of Hip Hop: Sn Encyclopedia of The Movement, Music, Culture Vol. 1 (Jody Watley, Eric B. & Rakim “Friends” page 154, Greenwood Press

William Jelani (2007) To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle on The Hip-Hop Aesthetic; Jody Watley, Eric B & Rakim, “Friends” page 142, NYU Press

Stream this timeless Jody Watley ft Eric B. & Rakim classic; add to your playlists via streaming platforms of your choice.

Jody Watley born on January 30 in Chicago, Illinois is a GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer and style icon whose impact spans decades. Named Best New Artist in 1988—only the third Black artist to receive the honor at the time—she’s one of Billboard’s Top 60 Female Artists of All Time.

With 6 Top 10 Hot 100 hits (including “Looking for a New Love” and “Friends” ft. Eric B. & Rakim), 7 No. 1 Dance singles, and genre-defying work across multiple decades from R&B, Pop, Dance, Electronica, Jazz, and more, Watley continues to break boundaries.

Her music legacy is active and evolving—most recently with her 2024 release “Everlasting” and remixes heating up dance floors now. From MTV to underground clubs, from the charts to her own label, she remains a trendsetter and trailblazer.

Jody Watley’s Larger Than Life: A Musical Evolution

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Jody Watley “Larger Than Life” Cover Art. Photography by Steven Meisel.

On March 27, 1989, Jody Watley, fresh off her GRAMMY win for Best New Artist, delivered her second solo album, “Larger Than Life.” More than just an album, this platinum-certified solid follow up showcased her evolution as a visionary in music, fashion, and artistry. Jody Watley co-wrote 9 of the ten songs, produced by Andre Cymone. “The concept of the album is about not playing yourself small – make it larger than life, go big, do it up!” Watley has stated.

Let’s break down the hits:

“Real Love” – A high-energy dance-pop anthem that became one of her signature hits, earning a Gold certification and an unforgettable MTV presence with its trendsetting video which remains one of the most nominated music videos in VMA Awards History.

“Friends” (ft. Eric B. & Rakim *groundbreaker one of the first R&B/Rap collaborations to reach Top 10 on multiple charts including the Billboard Hot 100). A pioneering crossover hit, blending R&B and hip-hop in a way that helped lay the foundation for future collaborations across genres; a fact largely overlooked to this day in mainstream media, R&B and Hip Hop Media. The video was also quietly notable for it’s inclusion of hip hop B-Boys, true NYC underground club kids, and iconic figures like Connie Fleming, Codie Ravioli, voguers, drag queens, transgender, combined making a mix of club goers co-existing at her Club Couture.

“Everything” – A beautifully heartfelt ballad that became another major hit, showcasing her versatility.  

Cultural Impact:

Beyond the charts, Larger Than Life solidified Jody Watley’s influence on music, fashion, and visual storytelling. From the  iconic style moments, the forward thinking collaborative approach with Eric B & Rakim, she set trends that artists still draw from today. 

Revisit this classic album by downloading or streaming from the digital platforms of your choice: or discover it for the first time. Great music has no expiration date!

To learn more about the Jody Watley Discography 80s, 90s, 2000-present: https://jodywatley.net/discography/

Jody Watley: A Crossover Icon in Music History

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Jody Watley Grammy winning music style icon, singer/songwriter/music producer was celebrated in 2017 as “Crossover Music Icon” on the television broadcast presentation Black Music Honors. As March kicks off Women’s History Month let’s take a look back at an everlasting honor. The delightful tribute performances by R&B stars Vivian Green and Sevyn Streeter are now viewable on YouTube if you missed the original airing. Watch it Here: OmazingTV

Crossover Music Icon Honoree – Jody Watley Black Music Honors 2017
Crossover Music Icon Honoree Jody Watley with performers in tribute Sevyn Streeter and Vivian Green

Black Music Honors 2017: As quiet as it’s sometimes kept, Grammy award winning artist, songwriter, producer Jody Watley, one of Pop /R&B and Dance music’s most enduring pioneers has been at the forefront of some of the most groundbreaking trends and movements in modern pop culture – political statements, music and music video innovation, and the place where all those tracks meet. Check just a fragment of her résumé:

  • The video for her classic 1987 song “Still a Thrill” (from her Grammy-winning eponymous debut album of that same year) dazzlingly incorporates waacking, the underground freestyle dance (think of it as an even more beat-driven cousin to voguing), and is the first time a major pop star used their artistic platform to showcase this particular means of body expression. But Ms. Watley had actually brought the dance to widespread American attention a few years earlier as a teenage dancer on the iconic TV show Soul Train. Now, waacking has fans and practitioners around the globe, many of whom use the music of Ms. Watley in their routines as a show of respect for an OG who has  kept the flame burning.
  • Jody Watley was the first black woman and artist to release a million selling fitness video in 1989. An early adapter to what was to come with artists taking control of their potential extensions in business as “brands” with her vision forward “Dance To Fitness” set to her own Pop/R&B hits from her first 2 albums.
  • Jody Watley was one of few black female artists selected to crossover into groundbreaking celebrity ad campaigns for GAP and l.e. Eyeworks 1988 and 1989. Later she would be featured in an unprecedented 15 pages in the prestigious Fall Catalog for luxury retailer Saks 5th Avenue in 1996.
  • Her groundbreaking 1989 cut “Friends” carved the template for both R&B/hip-hop and pop/hip-hop fusions to come, as it was the first time a rapper (the legendary Rakim, of Eric B. & Rakim) wrote original verses for an R&B/pop song.
  • The video for “Friends” was a landmark of subversive/progressive representation that has still not yet been matched – or given its due as a taboo-shattering cultural artifact. Set in an underground New York dance club, and featuring performances by Ms. Watley and Eric B. & Rakim, the club’s denizens are made of up straight, gay, and transgender folk, of all races, body shapes and sartorial aesthetics. B-boys jostle alongside drag queens, Rakim rocks the mic, and Jody serves face and fierceness. It’s a warm utopian vibe. The gathering is organic, and lacks the opportunistic marketing tactic of gay-friendly advocacy that is now on trend for pop divas.
  • The catchphrase “Hasta La Vista Baby” for her mega debut single “Looking for a New Love” became a pop culture phenomenon along with her signature jumbo hoop earrings and eclectic swag separating her from other artists; a freestyle girl mixing high, low funky couture with high end and vintage.
    • Long before making his mark as a film director, David Fincher (Se7en; Fight Club) cut his stylistic teeth on Ms. Watley’s sleek, hugely influential music video for the 1989 smash “Real Love,” perfecting a signature visual look that he would later impart to other pop divas.
    • Unhappy with the constraints of being on a major label, she parted ways with her industry home and started her own label Avitone Recordings in 1995. Through it she has released four critically acclaimed CDs (Affection, 1995; The Saturday Night Experience, 1999; Midnight Lounge, 2001; The Makeover, 2006, Paradise, 2014) which have collectively spanned the genres electronica, ambient, R&B, and House. They’ve also reinforced her roots in and solidified her ties to the global dance underground, as everyone from 4Hero and King Britt to Masters at Work and Junior Vasquez jumped at the chance to work on these projects. She has also collaborated recently with Modern Funk Impresario Dam-Funk, and folk artist Peter Harper continuing to reflect an artist not confined to a stereotypical music boxes.
    • A fashion-forward visionary from her Soul Train days, Ms. Watley never used a professional stylist but, as a solo artist with a singular vision and keen instincts, carved her own look by weaving vintage clothing and contemporary street fashions from her own closet with high-end pieces from fashion designers who hadn’t yet caught the public or industry eye (Jean-Paul Gautier; Rifat Ozbek.) Photographers from the legendary Francesco Scavullo to firebrand Steven Meisel lined up to work with her. For her iconoclastic and influential eye, she was honored with a feature in VOGUE Italia’s groundbreaking “Black Issue” in 2008.

• • Jody Watley in 2016 was ranked by Billboard Magazine as one of the Greatest Dance Artists of All Time on a list that includes Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna and Katy Perry. – Ernest Hardy

Jody Watley is a GRAMMY award winning multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer/entrepreneur. Some of her iconic Top 10 singles include “Looking For A New Love” “Don’t You Want Me” the groundbreaking “Friends” ft. Eric B & Rakim, and “Real Love”. 

With a diverse music discography spanning R&B / Pop / Dance /Hip Hop / Electronic / Jazz / Adult Contemporary 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s Jody Watley is recognized as a style icon and one of the architects of 21st century Pop/R&B/Dance music. Jody Watley was 2017 recipient of the Black Music Honors ‘Crossover Music Icon’ Award for her early cultural influence and impact as a solo artist; other accolades include 2007 Billboard Dance Lifetime Achievement Award, along with nominations from the American Music Awards, MTV Awards, NAACP Awards and Soul Train Awards.

In 2018 Billboard Magazine included Jody Watley in the Top 60 Hot 100 Female Artists Of All Time and Top 25 Top Female Dance Artists Of All Time. A 2022 Inductee into the Women’s Songwriters Hall of Fame, Watley has also been recognized by performing rights organization BMI (Broadcast Music). “I’m really most proud to have songwriter and producer be a part of my resume and legacy as an artist.”

Learn more about Jody Watley: Biography and Discography

A Jody Watley Hot 100 History Making Single Talking About Your Friends

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Grammy Winning Solo Artist Jody Watley and Hip Hop Legend Rakim

#OTD August 26, 1989 “Friends” featuring Eric B. and Rakim made Music history on the Billboard Hot 100.

The single written by Jody Watley (lyrics and melody) with Andre Cymone (music) and rap verses by Eric B and Rakim, peaked at #9 on Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it “The First R&B/Pop/Rap Collaboration To Crossover Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100.”

The groundbreaking single was Watley’s 5th Top 10 Crossover Solo single. “Friends” also reached #3 Hot R&B and #7 Dance.

“The 1st R&B/Rap collaboration to crossover to the Hot 100 chart is pretty awesome though rarely acknowledged. I went out on a creative limb and thankful that despite push back MCA eventually gave in to my desire to have Rakim on it and that he & Eric B liked the song I’d written enough to join me on it. Radio was initially reluctant to play it and some would only play the edit without the rap verses. Since our single the collaborations were taken to higher heights and became a staple in popular “crossover music” on the Hot 100. The also notable video premiered on MTV was also inclusive on many levels and included elements of underground club culture, ballroom & voguing right alongside the b-boys and hip hop club kids – filmed in lower Manhattan in July of 1989. I also wore Jean Paul Gaultier couture fresh off runway in Paris, awls a contrast to the street style for the Club Couture theme.” – Jody Watley

OkayPlayer What Were The First R&B/Rap Collaborations

OkayPlayer “What Were The First R&B / Rap Collaborations”

OTD. August 26 – Jody Watley, Eric B. and Rakim Make Pop Music History with “Friends”

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On This Day: August 26, 1989

“Friends” 🎤💿

by GRAMMY® winner Jody Watley ft. Legends Eric B. & Rakim

Peaked at #9 on the @billboard Hot 100 chart!

Writers: J. Watley, A. Cymone, Rakim, Eric B.

Additional Chart® History

#3 Hot R&B

#7 Hot Dance Club Play

Wattage!

From Billboard:
First rap act with a guest credit on a top 10 hit: Eric B. & Rakim (Jody Watley’s “Friends,” 8/26/89)

Six years before Mariah Carey and Ol’ Dirty Bastard set the standard for pop-meets-rap crossovers with the “Fantasy” remix, late ’80s star Jody Watley invited hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim to guest on her Larger Than Life single “Friends.” It resulted not only in the first top 10-charting feature for a rap artist on any single, but it also marked the legendary rap act’s sole trip together to the top 40 — the duo only scored one Hot 100 hit as lead artists, the No. 96-peaking “Juice (Know the Ledge)” in 1992

https://www.okayplayer.com/music/what-were-the-first-rap-rb-collaborations.html

Jody Watley. Check The Rhymes New Interview : Larger Than Life.

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Learn new inside facts and perspectives on my second solo album, life and more in my conversation with Shameika “Check The Rhymes TV”

It’s my pleasure to support independent woman and black women making it happen outside the machine. Kudos to Shameika as well, posed and knowledgeable and being prepared. It’s astounding how many interviews I’ve done where the writer had done little homework. My first interview with her was when I was honoree on Black Music Honors “Crossover Music Icon.”

Jody Watley Noted as Music Pioneer in New York Times Article

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Jody Watley is noted as a pioneer and influencer in R&B nothing the significance of the Eric B & Rakim collaboration as contemporary R&B continues to try to find it’s way in the midst of continued Hip Hop dominance:

“R&B Blossoms With Hip Hop in Rear View”

New York Times Feature written by Jon Caramanica