"Where I Wanna Be" peaked at number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States.
In the latter country, "U Know What's Up" entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for two consecutive weeks behind " The Masses Against the Classes" by Manic Street Preachers and " Born to Make You Happy" by Britney Spears. "U Know What's Up" was a global hit, peaking within the top ten of the charts in Belgium (Flanders), the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Boosted by its hit single " U Know What's Up," which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1999, Jones enjoyed major success with the release of his second album, Where I Wanna Be. Its first two singles, "In the Hood" and a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1976 ballad " Knocks Me Off My Feet," became top thirty hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as well as the New Zealand Singles Chart. A moderate commercial success, it peaked at number 30 on Billboard 's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, but failed to reach the upper half of the US Billboard 200. While most of the album was produced by Jones himself, it also featured help from Eddie Ferrell's Untouchables Entertainment production team, involving Mookie, Marks Sparks, Kenny Tonge, and Darin Whittington. In June 1996, Jones released his debut album, My Heart, on LaFace Records. He later met DJ Eddie F of Heavy D and The Boyz and signed with Untouchables/ LaFace Records, writing hits for Usher and 702.ġ996–2007: Breakthrough with LaFace Jones is the son of Renee Byrd and gospel singer Roy Jones. It gets him and the listener where they wanna be. For much of the album, Jones hits the right tone - balancing mood, song, and performance quite alluringly. And those moments don't arrive all that often on Where I Wanna Be.
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Actually, the very fact that the infrequent bits of filler are enjoyable is a testament to Jones' talents as a performer and record-maker - he knows how to deliver the weaker moments with elegance. At times, the album relies more on style than substance, but it's crafted well, so the slips into filler aren't painful at all.
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Where I Wanna Be is actually a savvy update of early-'80s quiet storm - it's a little sexier and a little sleeker, but the spirit is more reminiscent of that era than the late '90s (with the noticeable exception of Jones' tendency to oversell his vocals slightly). There are light touches of jazz, suave electric pianos, and an easy seductiveness to the entire production. On the surface of things, Jones may sound similar to a lot of his peers, but there's a greater sense of musical sophistication in his music. His debut album was a solid R&B hit, sketching out a jazzy, soulful variation on Babyface's smooth urban-pop, which he fills in with his second album, Where I Wanna Be. Donell Jones first gained attention as a songwriter and producer for such smooth urban soul groups as Usher, Silk, Brownstone, and 702, which led Babyface to sign the singer/songwriter to LaFace.