'90s R&B Girl Group SWV Almost Didn't Make It! Personality Clashes, Jealousy & Drama With The Label

[@danavixen6274]

The Tiny Desk Concert featuring SWV is EVERYTHING! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@thebrownbaldy]

HA, see what you did there

[@CylenX6]

This comment Right Here got me so Weak.

[@jennzifur]

@@CylenX6I could hardly speak 😂

[@nicolesherman8974]

One of my favorite girl groups ever 🖤. Coko in my opinion doesn’t get the recognition she deserves for being an outstanding vocalist.

[@TheModelrodney]

Cause she’s not. She has her moments but she’s not the best vocalist.

[@cindyc12]

I agree they are awesome, and I consider Coko the ultimate soprano, the way she leads "If" by Patti hitting those notes like it's just another day. Honestly I believe it's colorism and they don't fit the narrative. 🤷🏾 Let's be real, darker skin sangers' or those who don't fit the narrative (half dressed, skinny, Pop sound ) really don't get the same recognition.

[@shargreen9950]

@@TheModelrodneythe comment didn’t say she was the best vocalist?? they said coko doesn’t get enough recognition in THEIR OPINION. reading is fundamental boo.

[@ejakaegypt]

She does Swv are still on tour

[@lifeofd.shuntay]

Actually she really does get recognition. Not only as the voice many may automatically think of when hearing the name SWV..but from what I seen she gets recognized especially in the more recent years after they started back touring

[@beaniegee5129]

SWV's first three albums are classics

[@aceassn716]

Its About Time is also a classic

[@zeebo8965]

Actually all 7 albums are timeless classics....

[@dnb200]

@@aceassn716well that is in the first three isn’t it?

[@shay_lah]

Use Your Heart & Rain are 2 of the most beautiful songs EVER. the bass in Right Here is still one of the greatest ever. I will always remember singing SWV in the backseat while my mom was driving ❤

[@jayfriday9485]

coko also featured on will smith’s ‘men in black’, which was a huge hit. she has one of the best voices in my opinion. it’s a shame her solo career didn’t take off.

[@danavixen6274]

PHENOMENAL voice! She killed it with Will Smith! SWV should've been tapped to do the Lady Marmalade cover too. They had done a TREMENDOUS tribute to Patti LaBelle at the Essence Awards back in '98. ❤

[@AgingLikeWine]

AZ ‘Hey AZ’ as well 🔥🔥

[@seanlamar29]

Her part is the best

[@AngeBiampandou]

I don't think the passion was there for a solo career. It's not like Nicole Scherzinger who kept rying but could not get a hit to save her life. Coko did one okay solo and she was done

[@Boobalopbop]

Oh wow! That’s her?? I can totally see that. Definitely sounds like her. Too bad she wasn’t featured in the video. That’s weird.

[@tosh6219]

Im glad they’re finally getting, their flowers

[@the10th_muse82]

I CANT believe they didn’t receive royalties or awards for their music in the 90s. That’s insane…

[@MissJaynet]

It really is. I'm guessing EnVouge and Tlc were winning everything as far as girl groups

[@coreyrae0183]

I love them! SWV is hitting the jackpot! Their Tiny Desk concert was bomb!❤❤❤❤

[@beaniegee5129]

Coko's solo debut album Hot Coko is so underrated, it deserves more credit.

[@D-Will2k]

I still play that album as well

[@chasesmom14]

What’s your favorite song from the album ?

[@D-Will2k]

@@chasesmom14 sunshine and all my lovin’

[@ravager48]

Still love the Human Nature sampling for Right Here. That and Nas's It ain't hard to tell did justice with the sample.

[@thetruesoulofanaquarius9302]

SWV was and still is one of my favorite female group. Its About Time album still stay in rotation on my playlist. Every song was a bop.

[@eizyaws]

Taj actually signed a modeling contract with Ford in 1999

[@kittykat8110]

The tiny desk concert was amazing! I still remember every lyric after all these years 🥰

[@TheRetroWoman80]

Very happy Coko relates to herself and her group mates much better after the diagnosis👏👏👏👏👏👍 SWV will always be in the playlist rotation. Taj never ages❤

[@GhettoKeKe021]

The old school r&b singers don't get their accolades like they should. They were the 1s that can actually sing without all that auto tune and tweeking in studios needed. I'm glad SWV getting their overdue recognition 💝

[@juliet7703]

💯💯

[@beaniegee5129]

SWV also appeared on New York Undercover singing Switch's song There'll Never Be on the episode Innocent Bystander

[@AM-fb4pb]

I love that performance 🔥

[@arthome2441]

Thank you for sharing, I always have SWV in my mind. Great time of the 1990s R&B.

[@hassanburton669]

SWV’s Sisters With Voices Debut Album 💿 It’s About Time Forever Takes Me On A Trip…To The 90’s❤️ Big Mike Clemons Used To Cut My Hair Back in The Day..Fun Fact 😁

[@santosezso]

Y'all forgot to mention Taj's first stint at reality TV when she appeared in season 18 of "Survivor: Tocantins - The Brazilian Highlands"

[@beaniegee5129]

Chingy sampled SWV's song Rain for his song Pullin Me Back with Tyrese

[@kayshawnsimmons5585]

No! It wasn't Tyrese it was Jason Weaver

[@caramia4143]

​@@kayshawnsimmons5585Tyrese featured on Chingy's "Pullin' Me Back". Jason Weaver featured on Chingy's "One Call Away"

[@MrColatown]

​@@kayshawnsimmons5585Jason Weaver was on "One Call Away"!

[@skyelinkhyrule5715]

​@@kayshawnsimmons5585 Wrong, Jason Weaver was on One Call Away.

[@kayshawnsimmons5585]

@@skyelinkhyrule5715 yes your right

[@jaesease4738]

My favorite girl group of ALL time!!!! I’m so happy they are back on top where they belong!!!! 🩵🩵🩵

[@zodiaclover3132]

Wow, we’re loving their art and they were struggling 😢

[@janikiabailey5254]

SWV is my favorite female group and that’s not gonna change 🤟🏾💯😎🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@AgingLikeWine]

They had a video for ‘Downtown’ as well

[@SoRealBeauty]

This almost makes me cry because I remember seeing them live last year, and I was singing my heart out with coko to her song "Sunshine " and I think about my son when I sing it l, too. I passes out at that concert like 30 minutes later, but I was glad I got to see them. It was my second time seeing them in person they always throw a good show.

[@AlanaGurl]

I’ve seen them perform multiple times. They put on an amazing show. And Coko’s voice is just 🙌🏾🔥. Their Christmas cd is beautiful too btw

[@alexhall4582]

I just saw them on the Queens of R&B tour in Little Rock, AR and everybody absolutely KILLED it! 90s R&B will always hold a special place in my heart because of these ladies and so many others! 💗💗💗

[@d.johnson1109]

I am from Jersey and I remember Coko being in rahway projects because that's where her first son's father lived.

[@Machtimus]

I remember Casey Kasem saying they loved New Edition so much, they wanted to call themselves The Female Edition

[@kerry-j4m]

So glad they didn't use that-LAME-name. LOL.

[@tamikagamble3408]

I love listening to Casey Kasem!

[@Wc7823]

Omg this video made me cry. I didn’t realize they had such low-lows. I’m glad they’re on the other side and know we love and support them. Saw them perform last year! ❤

[@beemocha]

Your timing is impeccable I swear! I was just watching a performance of SWV performing “You’re The One For Me” on Showtime at the Apollo (on KZbin) last night lol.❤❤ Along with other SWV performances & interviews. I think somebody showed you my watch history 😂😂😂 you always upload videos of people that I’ve recently listened to and/or watched. 3 baddies out of my city 🗽 with great voices,style & seggs appeal❤

[@danavixen6274]

'seggs' 😂

[@beaniegee5129]

BET should do the SWV biopic

[@kayshawnsimmons5585]

l agree

[@sexymama1966]

I agree too!

[@stefanossmitty3318]

Hell no! After that debacle of an awards show, BET shouldn’t even host a dog show, let alone produce one.

[@benjis1465]

I’m glad they’re back together again ❤️

[@beaniegee5129]

Pharrell screamed the SWV name in the song Right Here (Human Nature Remix)

[@LaCheleWallace]

Oh my God! SWV!!! I love them so much. I remember buying _It's About Time_ on cassette tape and taking it everywhere w/ me. I used to just sit and stare at the artwork. That LP is cemented inside of my soul for all eternity. It still means the world to me. As I type this, my eyes done started to well up because of all the warm and sunny memories behind it. Back then, we cherished music. You didn't just hear _Weak_ for a week and move on to the next one. The music stayed w/ you. Making up steps w/ my big cousins, collecting all of the cassette singles, singing in an obnoxiously high Whitney Houston/Coko key while drowning out my lil' friends as we sang in the hallways at elementary school getting that good echo and just so many fun memories. I'd sit and repeat this line in _Coming Home_ when Coko was like _Our love is strong, and I won't keep you waiting for love._ I was like "Oooh, the 'love' part sounded like Whitney Houston." I was just really nitpicky about music and I'd get on my lil' friends' nerves rewinding certain parts like "Oooh, did you hear that?" They didn't understand me. Anyhow, Imma keep it short & sweet on this LP because I can go on and on for days about one word of a song. See, what you said at 6:11 to 6:20? That scenario happened to over 15 of my favorite artists of the '90s. That's no coincidence. 1992 -1996. What do I always say about that 3 - 5 year period of limelight? Labels give most artists 3 - 5 years of limelight before they have to move on to the next wave of artists. And notice how the label seems to part ways w/ the situation/production company around the fourth or fifth year. There's a reason to that. No coincidence. Nah, I've come to really enjoy the _New Beginning_ LP. The next LP, _Release Some Tension_ was saved by _Rain._ The label knew that SWV didn't want an LP w/ a rap feature on every fuckin' record. The label did that on purpose and turned around and dropped them. Oh my God! Brandy Norwood was supposed to get _Rain._ That would've been interesting. Not sure how she would've pulled off that second verse though. Vocally, Coko has one of the dopest voices of the '90s. Watching her sing live was always a thrill for me. She just be blowin' and don't even be worried about it.

[@knightcharm]

I did not know that they originally wanted to go with TLC!! You’re right, that was a fun fact! I always enjoy these videos

[@cheryll.ousley2189]

I saw them perform live a couple years back and they still sound phenomenal! And they I just as gorgeous now as they were back in the day.

[@AquariusSoul]

Absolutely love SWV! Beautiful and talented ladies.

[@AggravatedMan365]

My favorite girl group of all time. They are legendary, God bless them 🙌🏾

[@mizzjacquettaxx6974]

SWV always be my kinda girl group besides TLC, En Vogue, Xscape, Destiny’s Child, 702, Brownstone, Kut Klose, Total and Blaque are very memorable in 90’s era that I was grew up to listen to them all. ❤

[@naimahal-azeez1728]

You forgot to mention that SWV didn't like that third album at all. After Kenmy Ortiz left, they were given new producers that didn’t understand his vision. As a result, they did all these collaborations with rappers that the girls felt weren't neccessary. Coco revealed that she refused to sing on the Snoop Dogg single and didn’t because, as she puts it, "it didn’t make sense to me." (And after hearing the song, I can see why. They may as well have put it on one of Snoop Dogg's albums because all they sing is the chorus and that's it) "The rain" is the only song the girls liked on that album (because Ortiz produced and wrote it) and they believe that was what prevented the album from being a flop. To sum it all up, the new direction of the third album was not their choice, but the producers. As the guy from their Unsung episode said, "They were SWV (Sisters with Voices) not SWR (Sisters with Rappers)."

[@gavinwilson7889]

SWV has one of the best music catalogs. So many amazing songs.

[@NellieKAdaba]

True

[@Flyguy21Nyc]

These women are inseparable and that’s that they should never separate these lady’s are one of my favorite groups of all time and I listen to everything

[@glam2gobeauty811]

Was watching their Essence performance and looked for my old season their reality show and this popped up! Just posted

[@jamillawebb3567]

I just saw them at Essence fest and was on my feet the entire time!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 they were phenomenal 🙌🏽💕

[@ericjones7769]

I was always and still am a Huge Fan of SWV i loved them since day one and Down Town is my favorite song 🎵 by them 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💯💯💯

[@Naeem_El]

SWV is my favorite group of all time.

[@rayasunsh9]

new beginning is my absolute FAVORITE swv album!!! beautiful BEAUTIFUL ballads, start to finish! i love dem ladies so bad!!!! ❤

[@juliet7703]

So glad Coco managed to get help for her bipolar and became a role model for those with it . Thanks for this upload 👍🏾

[@happygolucky7241]

Legends 💯 ❤️‍🔥

[@MrLionelg33]

SWV reunited will always be the best reality 📺 show of all time.

[@D-Will2k]

I still enjoy their albums New Beginning and Release Some Tension. Their voices are distinctive due to Coko’s vocals.

[@goodfellabeats]

Weak is still my jam to this very second.

[@Awallfl0wer]

They still sound amazing !! I just saw them at Essence Fest in New Orleans ❤

[@Carolina_Panthers145]

SWV the best female r&b 90's group.

[@beaniegee5129]

Great story on SWV

[@therisright]

Love them ❤

[@courtneypalmer53]

On their last album "Still" I love their song MCE (Man Crush Everyday) 😩. That's my song. 😍 They bring back so many good memories. I miss the 90' s.

[@jaylene.turner6524]

Great video! One of my favorite female groups!

[@Profess84]

Great video. I happy that the group as well as the individual members are in are in a better place, and the Queens of R&B of tour is need, especially after the trash I saw at the BET awards.

[@beezy22]

SWV:90s r and b group that had some classics in the early and mid 90s……still have all their albums and also have their tiny desk concert in my KZbin tv list……

[@MsEriKaT]

And I'm seeing them on tour next week!!!

[@chanr5693]

My first ever CD I purchased was SWV’s first album. They are one of the best ever RnB groups to ever do it

[@jbrown8834]

My FAVORITE group ever 🎉🎉🎉!! Day 1 from Day 1!!!

[@katarinakrnjevic8183]

One of most underrated girl groups . I'm so into you is such a good song.

[@VictoriaHines-d3s]

I am SWV super fan and I still didn’t know that she had a child by a member of the rap group digiable planets. OMG, thank you for teaching me so much.

[@NellieKAdaba]

I love SWV and also Digable Planets.

[@MostlyCloudy]

i was 10 years old when Weak came out, and i was crushing so hard on a boy. so much nostalgia when i listen to that first album

[@Flyguy21Nyc]

I remember I brought their album they were awesome

[@beaniegee5129]

The Neptunes produced SWV's song Use Your Heart

[@kayshawnsimmons5585]

one of my favorite songs❤

[@Wc7823]

It’s one of the most beautiful songs

[@BAMOORE94]

Brandy would’ve killed rain! I’m glad it went to SWV though.. it’s one of my favorite songs of theirs

[@yahainHotPink]

Thank youuuuu! 😄😄😄💖💖💖👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@FrancescaA00]

I was in 5th grade when Weak came out and I remember going on a school family camping trip. My parents were chaperoning and they took one of my best friends along and we sang that together on the way up there.

[@SANDYMILLER23]

Thank you so much for this video!!!! They are my favorite female group of all time. l love the song Right Here: Human Nature Remix. They do not get their deserved flowers.💐🤎💐🤎💐

[@HaughtyHedonist]

I'm 32, Has It Really Been 30 Years !?! 🤯🤯

[@cadillacdeville5828]

Cocoa is a pretty ♀️👠, they all are.

[@TiaraEbony]

Pleaseeeeee do Salt n Pepa ❤❤

[@thecloud9effect765]

Already done!

[@aminah761]

Their hair always look so nice 😊😊

[@dashaunthompson6785]

When This Feeling ❤

[@gloriadarty6150]

Do dj ghost town my boo please

[@missbee1451]

😮What!!!!? "Rain" was originally meant for Brandy??!?! Her momma would've NEVER let her sing that!!!!

[@gamerincorporated154]

Please?!? Yes she would for a bag

[@mizzjacquettaxx6974]

dang, her momma was a real trip.

[@DH-uw3us]

Would love to see their biopic. Bipolar Disorder is no joke.

[@vibratehighermqueen3074]

That 3 rd album was a classic !!!!!!

[@sheed_da_comic]

my favorite girl group EVER

[@darrylcarter3691]

Uh Oh not P Diddy!

[@bbsdollsandtvarchive]

SWV was one of the best girl groups that came out in the 90s. They always talking about stealing someone’s man.

[@lifewithri2970]

Can you do one on TLC? 1:13

[@stefansimpson7678]

💙💙💙💙

[@msdeshabangbang]

How was Downtown not mentioned?! That hit was HUGE!

[@GregLyons-x2i]

Swv was good in the 90s my era

[@assatanoir86]

My favorite girl group ❤❤❤

[@taureanmay1411]

1:10 swv ( sister's with voices).

[@taureanmay1411]

2:01 wow 😮😳, nice 💯🙂 girl group yes.

[@Nitro99999]

Damn you didn't even mention "use your heart" from the second album or even mentioned the second album unless I'm mistaken and several other songs that actually put them on the charts I would have to say this video was rushed very fast LOL

[@MonicaMariaMcLean]

I'm glad they did a story about bone thugs n harmony

[@318_SP]

Thank GOD for Kenny Ortiz! Goes to show how incompetent people are at their jobs. Everything is mostly about who you know and favor for a favor. Completely overlooking once in a lifetime talent.

[@filmcrit]

Parents separated, so all responsibility to stay afloat fell on her mother? *All* responsibility? Why wouldn't the father have any responsibility to, at least, keep his child afloat? 🤔

[@jasminehill6312]

Unfortunately that’s not uncommon for the mothers to have a majority if not ALL of the responsibility of the child(ren) after a breakup. I see it all the time at work.

[@filmcrit]

@@jasminehill6312 I hear you and agree on the facts. It's sad that the conclusion we draw and seem to be ok with is that when parents split, the natural course is that the mother becomes solely responsible. It's just a sad commentary, that's all.

[@caramia4143]

Exactly what I was thinking!!! SMH Mama did not make that child by herself!

[@saj8]

SWV was one of the last post-New Jack Swing groups.

[@JudeTavonFenwick]

Oh cool! My birthday is June 13… I was born in 1983 and to this day I have NEVER met anyone with my birthday

[@ADyani6]

He can forget the music videos now. He’s about to be behind bars 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@samonebeauford2145]

It still blows my mind that everyone on that tour is calling themselves Queens of R&B.... It's still so many before them that deserve that title. Anyways though, I'd love to see SWV in concert. They're definitely the best all female group from the 90s.

[@lovely_star1917]

Its crazy but when you have the higher voice everybody prefers you over the Altos

[@NellieKAdaba]

Unfortunately