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Zhané | |
|---|---|
  Neufville (left) & Norris (right) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B[1] |
| Years active | 1993–1999 |
| Labels | |
| Past members |
|
Zhané (/ʒɑːˈneɪ/zhah-NAY) was an AmericanR&B[1] duo, best known for their 1993 hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached No. 6 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100.[2] Other popular hits include "Groove Thang" (U.S. No. 17) and minor hit "Sending My Love", both released in 1994. The group was part ofQueen Latifah'sFlavor Unit collective.
According to Jean Norris, "We added a 'Z' for a little flavor and we came up with Zhané."[3]
Given a high-profile spot on the all-star compilationRoll Wit Tha Flava[4] as their first recording opportunity, Zhané came away with one of the hip-hop party anthems of all time, "Hey, Mr. D.J." After meetingNaughty by Nature member Kay Gee, Zhané (then credited as Jhané) impressed the producer enough to go right into the studio to record forRoll Wit tha Flava. When "Hey, Mr. D.J." was released as a separate single as well, it hit number six on the pop charts and earned the group a contract withMotown in 1994. Their debut album,Pronounced Jah-Nay, produced two further Top 40 hits ("Groove Thang," "Sending My Love") and went gold by the end of the year; it achieved platinum status two years later. Zhané kept busy during 1995–1996 with spots on tracks byBusta Rhymes andDe La Soul as well as new songs of their own on theNFL Jams andNBA 50th Anniversary compilations and the soundtracks toHigher Learning andA Low Down Dirty Shame — the latter, "Shame," became their fourth Top 40 hit. After the success of their debut albumPronounced Jah-Nay, the duo appeared withTLC,SWV,Jade,En Vogue and others on the single "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" from the soundtrack to the 1995Mario Van Peebles filmPanther.
Norris and Neufville released the follow-up albumSaturday Night in 1997, co-produced by Kay Gee, Eddie F., and themselves. The release featured the hit single "Request Line." A remix with different lyrics and raps byQueen Latifah followed. It peaked just outside the Top 40.
Since the group's dissolution, Jean Norris married musician Marcus Baylor,[5] perhaps best known as the drummer in jazz fusion ensemble, theYellowjackets from 2000 to 2010. Jean Baylor released the solo albumTestimony: My Life in 2007 and a contemporary Christmas album entitledLight Up the World in November 2011. She later formed an R&B/jazz duo with her husband namedThe Baylor Project and they released their debut albumThe Baylor Project (The Journey) in February 2017. In November 2017, the duo received two60th Grammy Awards-nominations under Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance.[6]
Neufville hosted an early live internet series called88 Soul where guests included well-known R&B/Neo-Soul artists such as Jill Scott, Carl Thomas, Kelis, and Joe. She later contributed to albums and videos by the likes of India.Arie, Will Downing, Heather Headley, Leela James and Aaliyah amongst others. She became involved inRoy Hargrove's RH Factor project and figured prominently on the 2006 releaseDistractions playing keyboards and contributing lead vocals.[7]
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [8] | US R&B [9] | AUS [10] | CAN [11] | FRA [12] | UK [13] | |||||||||
| 1994 | Pronounced Jah-Nay
| 37 | 8 | 50 | 44 | — | 89 | |||||||
| 1997 | Saturday Night | 41 | 8 | — | 90 | 26 | 52 | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 [15] | US R&B [16] | US Dance [17] | AUS [10] | AUT [18] | CAN [11] | FRA [12] | GER [19] | NZ [20] | SWI [21] | UK [13] | ||||
| 1993 | "Hey Mr. D.J." | 6 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 27 | 2 | 32 | 29 | 20 | 42 | 26 | Roll wit tha Flava / Pronounced Jah-Nay | |
| 1994 | "Groove Thang" | 17 | 2 | 13 | 17 | — | 3 | 42 | 99 | 7 | — | 34 | Pronounced Jah-Nay | |
| "Sending My Love" | 40 | 5 | — | 126 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Vibe" | 119 | 33 | — | 142 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | |||
| "Shame" | 28 | 12 | 46 | 133 | — | 79 | — | — | 50 | — | 66 | A Low Down Dirty Shame (soundtrack) | ||
| "You're Sorry Now" | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pronounced Jah-Nay | ||
| 1997 | "Request Line" | 39 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | 22 | Saturday Night | |
| "Saturday Night"[A] | — | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Crush" | 106 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
A Did not chart on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (Billboard rules at the time prevented album cuts from charting). Chart peak listed represents theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
| Year | Title | Artist | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [15] | US R&B [16] | AUS [10] | NZ [20] | UK [13] | ||||||||||
| 1995 | "By Your Side" | Various Artists | Higher Learning (soundtrack) | |||||||||||
| "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" | 45 | 18 | — | — | — | Panther (soundtrack) | ||||||||
| 1996 | "It's a Party" | Busta Rhymes | 52 | 27 | — | 34 | 23 | The Coming | ||||||
| "When the Cheering Stops" | AZ,Ray Buchanan,Scott Galbraith | NFL Jams | ||||||||||||
| 1997 | "4 More" | De La Soul | — | — | — | — | 52 | Stakes Is High | ||||||
| 1998 | "Things Won't Change" | Alias LJ | Alias LJ | |||||||||||
| 1999 | "Jamboree" | Naughty by Nature | 10 | 4 | 74 | 22 | 51 | Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Mellow, groove-oriented '90s R&B duo who scored a Top Ten pop hit in 1993 with "Hey Mr. DJ."
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