Mtume (pronounced em-tu-may) was an American funk and soul group active primarily during the early 1980s. The group was founded by James Mtume, a former percussionist who played and toured with Miles Davis in the early 1970s. Other members included Reggie Lucas, Philip Field, and vocalist Tawatha Agee. Mtume gained wider recognition when their 1983 single "Juicy Fruit" was extensively sampled by hip-hop artists, notably in the Notorious B.I.G. song "Juicy" (1994). During the early stage of their career, Mtume recorded three albums: "Alkebu-Lan- The Land of the Blacks" (1972) for Strata-East Records, and "Kawaida" (1973) and "Alkebu-Lan" (1975) for Third Street Records, followed by "Rebirth Cycle" (1977). Without significant pop or R&B chart success initially, the group signed with Epic Records in 1978, releasing "Kiss This World Goodbye" (1978) and "In Search of the Rainbow Seekers" (1980), both achieving modest R&B chart performance. Their 1983 album "Juicy Fruit" brought their most notable commercial success, with the title track reaching number one on the U.S. R&B chart for eight weeks and receiving RIAA gold certification. The album narrowly missed the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, peaking at 45. Mtume's 1984 album "You, Me, and He" also performed well, with the title track reaching number 2 on the R&B chart. Their final R&B top ten hit, "Breathless" (1986), came from their last album "Theater of the Mind." The group continued recording with Epic Records into the late 1980s, and Tawatha Agee pursued a solo career in 1987. Alongside his work with Mtume, James Mtume co-wrote and produced songs for other artists, often collaborating with Reggie Lucas. Notable works include Stephanie Mills' "Never Knew Love Like This Before," which won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, and Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's singles "The Closer I Get to You" and "Back Together Again." After Mtume disbanded, James Mtume continued producing and writing music, contributing to R. Kelly's "Freak Tonight" from the "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" soundtrack, co-producing Mary J. Blige's album "Share My World," and producing for Roy Ayers and the Bar-Kays. He also composed the music and theme for the 1990s television series "New York Undercover." Reggie Lucas, together with Jellybean Benitez, produced much of Madonna's debut album "Madonna," including the singles "Borderline" and "Lucky Star." Tawatha Agee became a background vocalist, performing on Steely Dan's "Everything Must Go" (2003), Empire of the Sun's "Ice on the Dune" (2013), and Lenny Kravitz's "Strut" (2014). Philip Field continued writing and producing for artists such as Gwen Guthrie, Tawatha Agee, Tyrone Brunson, the Bar-Kays, and Charles Earland, co-writing and co-producing Roy Ayers' "You Might Be Surprised" and contributing to Toni Braxton's debut album with the song "How Many Ways." Studio albums Kiss This World Goodbye (1978) In Search of the Rainbow Seekers (1980) Juicy Fruit (1983) You, Me and He (1984) Theater of the Mind (1986)
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