WTF! Happened: Playa

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The 1990's was filled with timeless sounds from different genres of music. Of those genres, R&B hit its peak with a number of iconic singles.

Jawaan "Smokey" Peacock, Benjamin "Black" Bush and Stephen "Static Major" Garrett made up the R&B group Playa. Their hit album Cheers 2 U was produced by longtime collaborator Timbaland which made them legends in 90's R&B. Static Major was known for being a successful songwriter for many hit artists including Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Lil Wayne and Brandy.

Upon reaching commercial success, they first started as the group A Touch of Class. Before becoming Playa they signed to Swing Mob which was a label under Jodeci's very own, DeVante. Swing Mob also featured individuals such as Missy Elliott, Timbaland & Magoo, Ginuwine and Tweet. By 1996, Many of these artists including Playa left Swing Mob to find success elsewhere. In 1998, Playa released Cheers 2 U which led to their moment in fame.

In 2008, Static Major died from a rare condition called myasthenia gravis. In 2009, the remainder of the group released two singles but did not reach any charts. Although the recent years new material have yet to surface, Playa will always have their cut in R&B history.


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