BY BANDINI • APRIL 26, 2019

The Brand New Heavies formed in the mid-1980s London club scene. However, it was during the 1990s that the Acid Jazz outfit founded by Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy found its most successful stride. In 1990, Atlanta, Georgia native N’Dea Davenport joined the fold as the group’s lead singer. This lineup sounded great, and touched the ears of many Hip-Hop Heads, R&B fans, and a wide scope of music lovers.

Following an eponymous debut album that included Jay Ella Ruth as a vocalist, a 1991 Delicious Vinyl Records reissue added Davenport to the mix. With that move came Stateside commercial success across a string of charting singles.

N’dea was also a key presence on 1991’s Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1, a fusion project that involved reigning Rap acts like Guru, Main Source, Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, The Pharcyde, and others. Through 1995, the collective made some incredible music together, with a team that also included drummer/vocalist Jan Kincaid, keyboardist Cari Evans, and percussionist/keyboardist Lascelles Gordon. In 1995, N’Dea Davenport broke from the group to return to her solo music pursuits. In 1998, she eventually released her eponymous debut.

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