In Memoriam: R&B Pioneer James Mtume passes at 76

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Grammy award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer James Mtume has reportedly passed away at the age of 76.

No cause of death was revealed.

James Mtume : R&B Legend

Mtume was a percussionist whose music catalog consisted of contemporary R&B, jazz, and disco-club songs.

Born as James Forman, James took on “Mtume” as his stage name, meaning “messenger” in Swahili. James received the name Mtume after he joined Hakim Jamal and Maulana Karenga’s US Organization, a Black empowerment group. Mtume believed the name exemplified him as a singer who was not afraid to break barriers and deliver messages to all through his musical prowess.

Music in his D.N.A

The Philadelphia born musician had music embedded in his D.N.A. – Mtume was the biological son of jazz saxophone legend Jimmy Heath of The Heath Brothers.

However, he was raised by his stepfather and jazz pianist, James “Hen Gates” Foreman.

Mtume’s music career started in 1969 with Afrocentric albums like Kawaida and Alekebukan: Land of the Blacks, which featured jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Don Cherry, and his uncle Albert Heath.

In the early 1970s, he toured with Miles Davis and later Freddy Hubbard and McCoy Tyner until he formed his namesake band in 1972.

In total, he released five albums.

Mtume is most famous for his 1983 hit song, “Juicy Fruit,” which was sampled by The Notorious B.I.G for his first single, “Juicy” in 1994.

“Music is a unique art form. I mean all art is special,” he said during his 2019 TedTalk. “But music is unique. It’s the only art form I know that can touch you, but you can’t touch it. What do I mean by that? I can touch a sculpture, I can touch a painting, I can touch a book of poetry. How do you touch a note? How do you touch sound? It runs through your body.”

As a producer, James Mtume also wrote hit songs for other singers.

His penned out hits like “Never Knew Love Like This Before” by Stephanie Mills and “The Closer I Get To You” by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.

Rest in power James Mtume.