Melvin and Kevon Edmonds have a lot in common with their superstar middle brother Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Just like the multiple award-winning songwriter/producer, they carved a niche for themselves by concentrating on catering to the ladies with their lyrics. Along with L.A. Reid's cousin Keith Mitchell, they formed the R&B group After 7 in 1988, becoming known for their carefully crafted ballads. Today's entry on the countdown, which has suddenly veered into Quiet Stormville, is "Ready or Not," the third single from their 1989 self-titled, platinum-selling album. The song reached number one on the Billboard U.S. R&B charts, and unabashedly served as the ultimate undergarment undoer for many couples ready to do the "grown folk," especially with lyrics like "I'll give you the sun, the moon, the rain, the stars and the mountains/I'll give you the world/And all that you ask for/And even more ..." Whoa.Sure, 'Face wrote the words to a lot of their tracks, and that's fine. They could do much, much worse as far as songwriters go. However, it was their ability to straight SING those words with such passion and intent that helped them hold their own with a talented pack that made up what will come to be known as a golden era for the male R&B group. Indeed, the trio from Indianapolis made an impact on the genre, on late night radio, and on this countdown. So, ready or not, here's the video below.
- Advertisement -
