Keith Sweat making BR visit

• By JOHN WIRT
• Music critic
• Published: Apr 18, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Keith Sweat headlines an all-star rhythm-and-blues show tonight at the Baton Rouge River Center. A star since his multimillion-selling 1987 debut, Make It Last Forever, the slow-jam maestro releases his latest studio album, Just Me, May 6. 

Just Me is classic Sweat. An elegantly crafted collection of slinky R&B, it features guest vocalists Keyshia Cole, Athena Cage, Paisley Bettis and Akon and rapper Chris “F.L.O.” Conner.

Sweat’s guest stars are also his friends.

“Basically, they’re friends and friends do what friends do,” Sweat said from Atlanta, the former New Yorker’s home for more than 12 years. “I called them. They were interested in working with me, I was interested in working with them. One thing led to another and we made it happen.”

Just Me also features “The Floor,” Sweat’s in-studio reunion with producer Teddy Riley. They’d first collaborated for Sweat’s album debut. 

“That’s my man,” Sweat said. “Oh, yeah, the magic is always gonna be there.”

As always, Sweat is at the helm of Just Me. He sings, writes, produces and he’s the executive producer. 

“I’ve just continued what I’ve done from day one with the first album,” he said. “I try to be hands on and that’s what I was on the project, very hands on.”

Sweat’s new album follows the two CDs he released last year, A Christmas of Love and Keith Sweat: Sweat Hotel Live. His 2004 greatest hits disc, The Best of Keith Sweat: Make You Sweat, went gold and reached the Top 20 of the R&B charts.

Rhino Records released the singer’s greatest hits collection and Christmas CD. Sweat, especially pleased with the way Rhino handled The Best of Keith Sweat, turned to the label for his new studio recording, Just Me.   

“I had been working on this project for a couple of years, but I was just trying to make the right connection with the right label, so me and Rhino hooked up,” he said. “They’ve had a great track record with me, so we decided to do this new album together.”

Besides his solo career, Sweat was a member of the R&B supergroup LSG with Johnny Gill and the late Gerald Levert.

“We all gotta leave this world, but it’s unfortunate that some leave before it’s time for them to leave,” Sweat said. “But Gerald has left a legacy for people to live up to. He took soulfulness to a whole ’nother level.”