MINT CONDITION

Once upon a time there were great funk/R&B bands like Earth Wind & Fire, The Meters, War, Kool & The Gang, Slave and numerous others who constantly broke down musical barriers. Their musicality was superior – they could rock or funk out as easily as they could move the crowd with a tenor soulful ballad. The rise of electronic music gradually undermined self-contained bands but in the 90s, a dynamic, young, new band emerged that took the R&B world by storm—Mint Condition. Two decades on, Mint Condition stands in a class by themselves. The dynamic ensemble along with The Roots as the only high-profile examples of a self-contained, hit-making band in R&B and hip hop. Mint Condition has rightfully taken the throne as the greatest R&B band of our time.

The members of Mint Condition met as teenagers growing up in the Twin Cities—Minneapolis-St. Paul -- amidst a thriving music scene energized by Prince, The Time, Jam & Lewis, The Replacements, Soul Asylum and many other artists. Keyboardists Lawrence El and Keri Lewis, guitarist O'Dell, keyboardist/saxophonist Jef Allen, drummer/vocalist Stokley, and bass player Ricky Kinchen (originally from Chicago) came together in the performing arts program at Central High School. Playing together in different combinations led to them forming Mint Condition; a gig at the famed First Avenue in 1989 caught the attention of super-producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and they signed to Jam & Lewis' Perspective Records. MEANT TO BE MINT, their debut album, was released in 1991. Their first single, a New Jack Swing-styled number, had only modest success but it was a ballad, "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," which has become one of the classic R&B ballads of our time hitting #3 on the Billboard R&B charts and #6 on the Pop charts. With the follow-up "Forever In Your Eyes" hitting #7 on R&B charts, Mint Condition was established as a gold-selling act.

Further hit singles and albums followed, with "U Send Me Swingin'," "Someone To Love" and "So Fine" all hits from the FROM THE MINT FACTORY album and "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" (another chart-topping classic) and "You Don't Have To Hurt No More" from DEFINITION OF A BAND. After Perspective Records folded, Mint Condition signed with Elektra, delivering more hits with "If You Love Me" and "Is This Pain Our Pleasure" from the LIFE'S AQUARIUM album. The band is currently touring across the globe and are in the studio working on a new album for release in 2015.