Bonafide (Jon B. album)

Bonafide is the debut studio album by American singer Jon B. It was released on May 23, 1995, on the Epic Records subsidiary 550 Music. The album was the first recording released on Tracey Edmonds' record label Yab Yum Records, which 550 Music distributed.[1]

Bonafide
Studio album by
Jon B.
ReleasedMay 23, 1995
RecordedMay 1994–April 1995
Studio
Length66:10
Label
Producer
Jon B. chronology
Bonafide
(1995)		 Cool Relax
(1997)
Alternative cover
UK-release cover

It includes the Grammy-nominated first single "Someone to Love" featuring Babyface.[2] The song was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 1995 Will Smith and Martin Lawrence action-comedy Bad Boys.[3] Also included is the second single "Pretty Girl" and the final single "Isn't It Scary".

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

AllMusic described the songs on the album as "sweetly-sung paeans to the late-night nasties, pure acts of musical seduction [...] Bonafide is a mix of dance tunes, and ballads with slinky beats and shadowy moods that suggest late nights in a jazz or blues club. This is the red-light district of sweet-soul music [...] The sound of Bonafide is seductive enough, but Jon B.'s sexiest tool is his voice, which has the slurred quality of bedroom talk and still manages to swoop gracefully over melodic choruses."[4]

Bonafide was a favorite of rapper Tupac Shakur. The two met each other by way of a mutual friend on the set of Shakur's video "How Do U Want It", which prompted them to work together. The end result was the collaboration "Are U Still Down", which appeared on Jon's following album Cool Relax.[5]

Chart performance

Bonafide peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard 200.[6] By July 1995, the album had sold 58,000 units.[1] On August 1, 1996, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments figures in excess of 500,000 copies.[7]

Track listing
Bonafide track listing[8][9]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Debonair"Jonathan BuckJon B.4:26
2."Simple Melody" (featuring Bootsy Collins)
Jon B.3:58
3."Love Is Candi"BuckJon B.4:40
4."Mystery 4 Two"BuckJon B.4:58
5."Someone to Love" (featuring Babyface)Kenneth EdmondsBabyface4:35
6."Time After Time"BuckJon B.5:47
7."Overflow"BuckJon B.5:00
8."Pretty Girl"EdmondsBabyface4:18
9."Pants Off"BuckJon B.4:38
10."Isn't It Scary"BuckJon B.5:08
11."Burning 4 You"BuckJon B.5:52
12."Gone Before Light"BuckJon B.6:15
13."Love Don't Do"BuckJon B.6:45
Total length:66:10

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes and CD Universe.[10][8]

  • Jon B. – lead and backing vocals, drums, drum programming, piano, keyboards, bass
  • Babyface – backing vocals, drum programming, keyboards, guitar
  • Deon Estus – bass
  • Reggie Hamilton – guitar
  • Ricardo Silveria – guitar
  • Musiic K. Galloway – backing vocals
  • Deborah Buck, Donald Buck, Kevin Buck – strings
  • Tyrone Griffin – trumpet
  • Randy Walker – MIDI programming
  • Tracey Edmonds, Michael McQuarn – executive producer
  • Brad Gilderman, Marty Ogden, Ricky Delena – recording engineer
  • Dave Way, Tom Russo, Jon Gass, Mick Guzauski – mixing
  • Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering
  • George Holz – photography

Charts
Chart performance for Bonafide
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Singapore Albums (SPVA)[11] 7
US Billboard 200[6] 79
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12] 24

Certifications
Certifications for Bonafide
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Borzillo, Carrie (July 15, 1995). "Yab Yum/550's Jon B. Proves More Than 'Someone to Love'". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  2. Hunter, Karen (Feb 24, 1996). "Jon B: 'That Grammy & Me'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  3. "Bad Boys (1995) – Soundtracks". IMDb. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  4. "(Bonafide > Overview)". AllMusic. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  5. Davis, Rea. "Throwback Tuesday: Jon B feat. Tupac – Are U Still Down". This Is RNB. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-12. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  6. "Jon B Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  7. "American album certifications – Jon B. – Bonafide". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  8. Jon B. – Bonafide (CD liner notes). Yab Yum Records/550 Music. BK 66436
  9. "Jon B. – Bonafide (tracklisting)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 1, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  10. "Jon B. – Bonafide CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 2015-05-12.
  11. "Top 10 Albums of the Week". The Straits Times. January 6, 1996. p. 12. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  12. "Jon B Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2020.


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