Keith Sweat

Keith Sweat

KEEP IT COMING

Unstoppable R&B Veteran Keith Sweat Feels the Heat from the Street
Throughout the '80s and the '90s, platinum-selling lover man Keith Sweat soared up the charts with slow-jam classics such as "Make It Last Forever" and "I'll Give All My Love to You" and dance-floor favorites such as "I Want Her" and "Keep It Comin'." In 1997, Sweat kicked his career up yet another notch by uniting with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill to form the soul supergroup LSG. So it's not surprising that in the new millennium, Sweat has reinvented himself once again with Didn't See Me Coming, a more streetwise offering that features hip-hop cameos by Busta Rhymes, T-Boz, Rah Digga, and Lil' Wayne. Though he's more of a lover than a talker, Sweat shared his thoughts on his career longevity and his new musical direction with Barnes & Noble.com's Neo Brentacious.

Barnes & Noble.com: What have you been up to since your last album, Still in the Game?

Keith Sweat: I've been working on my new album, Didn't See Me Coming, and running around trying to read scripts for movies. Everybody's trying to do the acting thing.

B&N.com: Tell me about the new album.

KS: This album has a little more edge to it. It's not something that people would expect from me. I have a few hip-hop artists like Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, and Lil' Wayne on it. I also have my man Dave Hollister on "Don't Have Me."

B&N.com: Besides the harder edge, what makes this album different than any other Keith Sweat album?

KS: I'm not just talkin' 'bout making love to a girl or wanting a girl. I'm talkin' 'bout Bentleys, diamonds -- basically what people wanna hear. And the love songs on this album say, "If you ain't with me for me instead of the things I got, I ain't trying to be with you."

B&N.com: In your personal life, how can you tell what women are really with you for you?

KS: You never know until you deal with them. Eventually you find out. [Chuckles]

B&N.com: How did the collaboration with T-Boz come about on the song "He Say She Say"?

KS: On this album, I worked with people that I respect. I've always wanted to do something with T-Boz, and that song just seemed to fit us. And she liked it. Based on that, it was like, "Lets do the song."

B&N.com: As always, you write most of your songs. What inspired the songs on this album?

KS: I didn't necessarily base any of the songs on my personal experiences. I heard different people talking about their troubles and thought to myself, What if I was in this situation?

B&N.com: What has changed the most about you since your career started?

KS: If anything, I've grown. I've matured in terms of my music. Before, when I was writing, I never used to listen to the other music out there because I didn't want to be influenced. Now, I like having an edge to my music so I listen to what's current. But I can listen to what somebody else is doing and do it another way.

B&N.com: What contemporary artists are you listening to?

KS: I like Avant and Joe. They are smooth, but they have a street edge. And I'd love to do a duet with Mary J. Blige.

B&N.com: Who were your primary musical influences?

KS: Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band, Ronald Isley, and Stevie Wonder. Those are the cats who started it all.

B&N.com: How did working with LSG benefit your growth as a solo artist?

KS: Gerald and Johnny let me do my thing. So it was never like we tried to [influence] or stand in each other's way. Everybody was still an individual. We had our own solo careers.

B&N.com: Many artists complain about not having full control of their music. Have you ever had that problem?

KS: I've always written and produced my music, so I've always had success. I'm blessed that I didn't have some of the problems most artists have.

B&N.com: What obstacles have you had to overcome in this business?

KS: I'm from the street, and this business is just like that. You gotta watch for the hawks. There was no tough lesson I had to learn, because I'm street-smart.

B&N.com: What advice would you give up-and-coming artists?

KS: I'd tell them to keep control of their own finances and to sing what comes from their heart.

November 10, 2000