Lyfe Jennings: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

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• Bilal
• Anthony Hamilton
• Eagle-Eye Cherry
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• Erykah Badu
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• Sam Cooke
• N.W.A.

Genres:

R&B and Soul Music, Contemporary R&B Music

Decades Active:

2000's

Not that he'd wish it on anyone, but it was during his tenyear sentence in prison that Lyfe Jennings developed his honest sound, thanks to isolation and Erykah Badu. It was an arson charge that put the Toledo, Ohio native in prison. His musical aspirations started in the church choir and grew in the Dotsons, a teenaged group that Lyfe formed with his brother and a couple cousins. Prison made his music deeper according to Lyfe, and when a copy of Erykah Badu's Baduizm ended up in his cell in 1997, he was inspired and had the feeling this introspective edge to his music was worth developing. Two days after his December 2002 release from prison he was recording a foursong demo CD. The day after that he was performing live in a club. He only had a month of freedom before he was onstage at the famous Apollo. He was booed when he walked onstage with an acoustic guitar but when the Apollo audience heard his gritty falsetto and lyrical songwriting they were swayed. Swayed to the tune of five amateur night victories in a row. Lyfe figures he sold a thousand copies of his foursong demo CD during his Apollo "residency." That and a ton of calls from promoters and record label execs on his answering machine back in Ohio influenced Lyfe to move to New York City and pursue a major label deal. Columbia had the right offer and released his debut, Lyfe 268192 (his inmate number), in August of 2004.

- David Jeffries, All Music Guide