ThisisRnB Presents: ’30 Years of Def Jam R&B’

10. Oran “Juice” Jones – The Rain

While many people associate Montell Jordan as one of the first R&B stars on the Def Jam label, Oran “Juice” Jones holds that distinction with the release of “The Rain” almost thirty years ago. Oran Jones was signed to OBR Records, a subsidiary of Def Jam Records, and his single managed to peak at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts along with earn him a few GRAMMY nominations. He’d release his final album on Def Jam in 1989, and one more in 1997

09. Sisqo – Thong Song

It was clear from the beginning that Dru Hill front man Sisqo had star power, so when Def Jam pulled the trigger on his solo LP — they released a single that captured radio by storm. “Thong Song” is by no means the greatest love song of all time (unless you love thongs), but in terms of an unforgettable summer smash, very few rival that thong th-thong thong thong.

08. Frank Ocean – Thinkin’ Bout You

Frank Ocean can weave lyrics around his unforgettable melodies, and there’s no better example of this than his breakout hit “Thinkin Bout You.” The record that was originally just the lead single from his channel ORANGE album became so much more upon his own “letter of independence”, which breathed a new life into the track and helped in it’s overall growth. After being released in 2012, the song eventually sold over a million copies and was nominated for Record of the Year at the 2013 GRAMMYs.

07. Musiq Soulchild – Love

Still at the height of the R&B genre, Musiq Soulchild offered heartfelt soul by the handful in perhaps his best record, aptly-titled “Love.” The song is still an incredibly understated, powerful record, with Musiq comparing love to the lord, and driving the point across that while there are ups and downs, love will still hold strong if you have faith.

06. Sisqo – Incomplete

While the “Thong Song” jumped out the page at you (for obvious reasons), “Incomplete” was like the riveting storyline that kept you invested in the Unleash The Dragon story. Stepping away from the hype and shock factor of his previous single, Sisqo took it back to basics on perhaps one of the last great songs of the ’90s R&B era. The brokenhearted ballad jumped to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in the year 2000, giving Sisqo his first and only solo #1.

See the Top 5 on Page 4…