Stokley Williams

Summary

Stokley Williams (born July 15, 1967) also known simply as Stokley, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer. Williams is best known as the lead singer and studio drummer of the band Mint Condition.[5]

Stokley
Williams in 2014
Williams in 2014
Background information
Birth nameStokley Williams
Born (1967-07-15) July 15, 1967 (age 56)[1]
OriginSt. Paul, Minnesota[2][3]
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Drummer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • producer[4]
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • drums
  • bass guitar
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1980–present
LabelsBluraffe Ent

Career edit

In 2011, he was featured on Kelly Price's song "Not My Daddy" from her album Kelly which earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance.[6]

In 2017 Williams joined The Revolution on tour, to pay tribute to Prince.[7] Also in 2017, Williams released his Bluraffe/Concord Records solo debut Introducing Stokley, with production by himself as well as the Philadelphia production team Carvin & Ivan.

In 2019, Jam & Lewis' did a joint venture with Bluraffe ent /Perspective Records to release his second solo album, Sankofa.

In March 2020, Stokley earned his first #1 solo hit, with "She..." going number #1 on the Adult R&B Chart (Billboard) for two consecutive weeks and high radio play on stations such as WAMO, WDAS, & WHUR.[8]

In 2024, he was cast as Rick James in Ja'Caryous Johnson's musical stage play, Super Freak: A Rick James Story, set to tour spring of 2024.[9][10]

Influences edit

Williams has declared his main influences as being Cliff Alexis Sr., Prince, and Maurice White.[11]

Discography as a session musician edit

The Boys - The Boys (1990)[12]

Sounds of BlacknessThe Evolution of Gospel (1991)

  • "Optimistic" (handclaps)
  • "The Pressure Pt. 1" (background vocals)
  • "The Pressure Pt. 2" (background vocals)

Karyn WhiteRitual of Love (1991)

  • "Ritual of Love" (percussion)
  • "Love That's Mine" (background vocals)
  • "Do Unto Me" (drummer)
  • "Hard To Say Goodbye" (drum programming, percussion, background vocals)

Mo' Money – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992)

  • The Harlem Yacht Club- "Brother Will" (drummer)

Janet Jacksonjanet. (1993)

  • "What'll I Do" (drummer)
  • "The Body That Loves You" (percussion)

Johnny GillProvocative (1993)

  • "The Floor" (background vocals)
  • "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (background vocals)
  • "Mastersuite" (drummer, percussion)
  • "Quiet Time To Play" (percussion)
  • "I Know Where I Stand" (percussion)

Color Me BaddTime and Chance (1993)

  • "The Bells" (drummer)[13]

Jason's Lyric – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994)

Karyn White – Make Him Do Right (1994)

  • "One Minute" (drummer, percussion)

Sounds of Blackness – Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum (1994)

  • "The Lord Will Make A Way" (drummer, percussion)
  • "The Drum (Africa To America)" (percussion)

J. Spencer – Blue Moon (1995)

  • "U Should Be Mine" (lead vocals)

Solo – Solo (1995)

Soultry – Soultry (1995)[14]

  • "Where Do Broken Hearts Belong" (writer, producer, drummer, percussion, bass synthesizer)
  • "I Knew All Along" (writer, producer, drummer)
  • "Can I Get To Know You" (producer)

Janet Jackson – Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995)

New EditionHome Again (1996)

  • "One More Day" (percussion)

Ann Nesby – I'm Here For You (1996)

  • "I'm Still Wearing Your Name" (drummer)
  • "(What A) Lovely Evening" (drummer)
  • "Thrill Me" (drummer)
  • "This Weekend" (drummer)
  • "Let Old Memories Be" (drummer)

Jesse Powell - Jesse Powell

  • "All Alone" (writer, producer, background vocals, drummer)

4.0 – 4.0 (1997)

  • "Oh Baby" (drummer)

Luther VandrossOne Night with You: The Best of Love, Volume 2 (1997)

  • "I Won't Let You Do That To Me" (percussion)

Jon Secada – Secada (1997)[15]

  • "Too Late, Too Soon" (percussion)

Sounds of Blackness – Time for Healing (1997)

  • "The Blackness Blues" (drummer)

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (1999)

  • Elton John & Janet Jackson – "I Know The Truth" (drummer)

Jordan KnightJordan Knight (1999)

  • "Finally Finding Out" (percussion)

Yolanda AdamsMountain High...Valley Low (1999)

Usher8701 (2001)

  • "Twork It Out" (drummer)
  • "How Do I Say" (drummer)

Blu CantrellSo Blu (2001)

  • "I'll Find A Way" (drummer)

Deborah CoxThe Morning After (2002)

  • Hurt So Much" (drummer)

Toni BraxtonMore Than a Woman (2002)

  • "Lies, Lies, Lies" (acoustic guitar, guitar solo)

Ann Nesby – Put It on Paper (2002)

Ali Shaheed MuhammadShaheedullah and Stereotypes (2004)

  • "Put Me On" (vocals)
  • "Banga" (background vocals)

PrinceMusicology (2004)

  • "Call My Name" (background vocals)

Jill Scott- The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 (2007)

  • "How It Make You Feel" (producer, bass, guitar, drum programming, keyboards)

Brother AliUs (2009)

  • "Brothers And Sisters" (background vocals)
  • "Us" (background vocals)

Tech N9neAll 6's and 7's (2011)

  • "The Boogieman" (background vocals)

Kelly PriceKelly (2011)
Mint Condition7... (2011)

  • "Not My Daddy" (co-vocals, co-producer, drummer, keyboards, bass)

ElzhiElmatic (2011)

  • "Life's A Bitch" (additional vocals)

Brother Ali – The Bite Marked Heart (2012)

  • "I'll Be Around" (background vocals)

The World Famous Tony Williams- King or the Fool (2012)

  • "Mr. Safety" (additional vocals)

The Robert Glasper ExperimentBlack Radio (2012)

  • "Why Do We Try" (lead vocals, percussion)

U-Nam & Friends – Weekend in L.A (A Tribute To George Benson) (2012)

  • "Nature Boy" (lead vocals)

Brian Culbertson – Dreams (2012)

  • "No Limits" (lead vocals)

WaleThe Gifted (2013)

  • "The Curse of the Gifted" (uncredited background vocals)[16]
  • "LoveHate Thing" (featuring Sam Dew) (co-producer, guitar, bass, keyboards, drum programming)
  • "Sunshine" (co-producer, keyboards, drums, percussion, background vocals)
  • "Heaven's Afternoon" (featuring Meek Mill) (co-producer, keyboards, guitar, background vocals)
  • "Gullible" (featuring Cee-Lo Green) (producer, drum programming, guitar)
  • "Black Heroes" (co-producer, guitar, background vocals)

Lil' John Roberts – The Heartbeat (2014)

  • "Space" (additional vocals)

Wale – The Album About Nothing (2015)

  • "The Intro About Nothing" (additional vocals)
  • "The Bloom (AG3)" (background vocals, additional production)

Boney James – futuresoul (2015)

  • "Either Way" (vocals)

Maysa - Back 2 Love (2015)

  • "Keep It Movin'" (producer, additional vocals)

PJ Morton - Christmas with PJ Morton (2018)

Zo! - FourFront (2019)

  • "Sweat" (vocals)

After 7 - Unfinished Business (2021)

  • "The Day" (additional vocals, writer, producer, drum programming, keyboards, acoustic guitar)
  • "Sum Of A Woman" (writer, producer, drum programming, guitar, keyboards)

Discography as a group member edit

with Mint Condition

Meant to Be Mint (1991)
From the Mint Factory (1993)
Definition of a Band (1996)
The Collection (1991–1998) (1998)
Life's Aquarium (1999)
Livin' the Luxury Brown (2005)
Live from the 9:30 Club (2006)
E-Life (2008)
7... (2011)
Music @ the Speed of Life (2012)
Healing Season (2015)

with Ursus Minor

Nucular (2007)
Zugzwang (2010)
I Will Not Take "But" for an Answer (2010)
What Matters Now (2016)

Solo album

Introducing Stokley (2017)
Sankofa (2021)

References edit

  1. ^ "BBC Music – Stokley Williams". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  2. ^ Bediako, Titilayo. "Stokely and Sylvia Williams: African American giants". Insightnews.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Denman, Jamal (July 17, 2013). "Mint Condition front man focusing more on production". Spokesman-recorder.com. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  4. ^ "MMG's Wale Helps Shift Career Path For Stokley Williams of Mint Condition". Singersroom.com. June 11, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  5. ^ "Stokely Williams". AllMusic. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Mint Condition's Lead Singer Stokley Williams Receives 2 Grammy Nominations!". Theurbanmusicscene.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  7. ^ Aswad, Jem (April 29, 2017). "The Revolution Pay Tribute to Prince With an Emotional New York Concert". Variety.com.
  8. ^ "Stokley Strips Down & Celebrates Women In 'She…' And Announces New Album 'Sankofa'". soulbounce.com. SoulBounce. October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Allah, Sha Be (February 29, 2024). "Stokley Of R&B Group Mint Condition Cast As Rick James In 'Superfreak: The Rick James Story' - The Source". Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  10. ^ "Stokley Cast As Rick James In 'Super Freak: The Rick James Story' Stage Musical". www.wbls.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  11. ^ "Mint Condition's Stokley Williams takes solo leap". Rollingout.com. February 25, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  12. ^ The Boys - The Boys (CD liner notes). Motown Record Company, L.P. MOTD-6302
  13. ^ "Time and Chance - Color Me Badd | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  14. ^ Soultry - Soultry (CD liner notes). Motown Record Company L.P. 314530553-2
  15. ^ "Secada* - Too Late, Too Soon (The Mixes)". Discogs.com. 1997. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  16. ^ Phillips, Noel (July 16, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: STOKLEY WILLIAMS SPEAKS ON PRODUCING WALE'S "THE GIFTED" LP". Respect-mag.com. Retrieved May 10, 2014.