NyAirWaves Radio! Exclusive Interview w/ Lyricist/Musician James Mtume

Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and activist, James “Mtume” Forman, is a legend in his own right and a blueprint in our musical lives. His musical catalog consists of jazz, contemporary R&B and disco-club songs. When the Philadelphia native added "Mtume" to his stage name, he presented his preeminent persona to the world. Mtume, meaning “messenger” in Swahili, is the ideal name for the singer. The name blends well with James because he wasn't afraid to explore different avenues in his career and it led to various awards and accolades.
Mtume's career began in the 1970's as a percussionist for Freddie Hubbard and Lonnie Liston Smith. He also worked with Miles Davis on several projects and started making his rounds as a songwriter. Therefore, he became the “secret recipe,” for several pivotal R&B singers’ careers, including Duke Ellington, Phyllis Hyman, Teddy Pendergrass and Mary J. Blige.
He co-wrote Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s smash hit, “The Closer I Get to You,” Stephanie Mills’ Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Never Knew Love Like This”, which won a Grammy for best R&B song and best female vocal R&B performance. In the 1980's, Mtume led his own band after his name. He added singer and songwriter, Reggie Lucas and talented vocalist, Tawatha Agee. In 1983, Mtume released the #1 R&B hit, “Juicy Fruit" from the album "Juicy Fruit" and generated more hits including, "You, Me and He," "Would You Like to (Fool Around)," and "Breathless."