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Bio From AllMusic.Com
Born the son of a gospel singer, Jones submersed himself in music at a young age. Later, he began to fall victim to the temptations of Chicago's Southside, where he grew up. At one point, after involving himself with gang culture, he decided to dedicate himself to music rather than the streets. He met Edward "Eddie F" Ferrell (former Heavy D & the Boyz member turned Untouchables Entertainment president), and the two formed a partnership with La Face. Following the success of Usher's "Think of You" in 1994 (number eight R&B), a song which Jones wrote, La Face executives L.A. Reid and Babyface gave the blossoming artist the go-ahead to begin work on his solo debut. Executive produced by Ferrell, Reid, and Babyface, My Heart peaked at number 30 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1996, propelled primarily by the success of "Knocks Me Off My Feet" as well as two other singles: "In the Hood" and "You Should Know."
When Jones returned three years later in 1999 with his second album, Where I Wanna Be, he had become known as an accomplished songwriter. He penned songs for 702 ("Get It Together," 1997) and Drea ("Not Gonna Letcha," 1998) and was well regarded within the industry as a result. Unsurprisingly then, Jones attained impressive success with Where I Wanna Be and its singles: "U Know What's Up" and "Shorty (Got Her Eyes on Me)." Shortly after the album's release, Jones contributed a song to the Shaft soundtrack ("Do What I Gotta Do") and to Guru's Streetsoul album ("Hustlin' Daze," which he also contributed vocals to). Following some time off in 2001, Jones returned in 2002 with his third album, Life Goes On. The album peaked at number three on the album chart, but he wasn't able to follow it up until 2006's Journey Of A Gemini, which charted even higher. Despite this, Jones and LaFace parted ways after a 2007 best-of compilation. Three years later, Jones signed an independent deal with E One and released Lyrics, on which he wrote, performed, and produced nearly everything. - Jason Birchmeier
Official Sites: Donell Jones, MySpace & Fuckin' Twitter
May 22, 1973 in Chicago, IL
Donell Jones - My Heart
Donell Jones - Where I Wanna Be
Donell Jones - Life Goes On
Donell Jones - Journey Of A Gemini (Advance)
Donell Jones - Journey Of A Gemini
Donell Jones - The Best Of Donell Jones
Donell Jones - The Lost Files
Donell Jones - Lyrics
Donell Jones - Eight Unreleased Jams EP
Donell Jones - 8 Unreleased Jams They Left Behind
Donell Jones - Welcome To Azzville
Donell Jones - You Should Know (Remix) (Single)
Donell Jones - Better Start Talking (Single)
Bait
Big Pun - Yeeeah Baby
Big Pun - 100% / It's So Hard (Single)
Big Pun - The Legacy: The Best Of Big Pun
DJ Finesse - The One And Only R&B King Pt. 4
Guru - Jazzmatazz III: Streetsoul
Love & Basketball
Merry Fucking Christmas 5: Christmas Carols For Jesus (Thug Radio Mixtape)
Mystic - Breathe (Better Days) (Single)
Save The Last Dance
Shaft 2000
Soul Food The Series: The Best R&B Of 2000
The Source Presents Hip Hop Hits Volume 4
Beginning with his 1996 album My Heart, singer/songwriter/producer Donell Jones recorded a jazzy and soulful style of urban pop for La Face Records and scored a few modest singles in the process. His first two singles — "In the Hood" and "Knocks Me Off My Feet" — established his reputation within the cluttered urban market. In particular, the latter song, originally a Stevie Wonder song from Songs in the Key of Life (1976), became a substantial hit for Jones, climbing to the upper reaches of the Billboard R&B chart and driving the album up the charts as well. In addition to his own music, he also wrote songs for other urban artists such as Usher ("Think of You") and 702 ("Get It Together"), among others.

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