Peaceful Journey

Personnel: Heavy D (rap vocals); Johnny Gill, Aaron Hall (vocals); Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap, Grand Puba, C.L. Smooth, Q-Tip, Daddy Freddy (rap vocals); Pete Rock, Teddy Riley, Howie Tee, Dj Eddie F., Maurice "Nevelle" Hodge, Dave Hall (various instruments); Darren Lighty, Marlon Williams (keyboards, programming); Cliff Lighty, Eric "The Flex" Williams, K-Ci Hailey, JoJo Hailey, Althea Graham, Felicia Graham, Cherelle Wright, Jennifer Keith, Akema Johnson, Tammy Lucas, Lady Levi (background vocals).
Producers include: Pete Rock, Marley Marl, Hit Man, Howie Tee, Deville Hodge.
Personnel: Aaron Hall , Joel "JoJo" Hailey, Johnny Gill, Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (vocals); Heavy D (rap vocals); Darren Lighty (keyboards, programming, background vocals); Marlon Williams (keyboards, programming); Cliff Lighty, Daddy Freddy, Dave Hall, Cherelle Wright, Eric Williams, Akema Johnson, Alethea Graham, Lady Levi, Nevelle Hodge, Tammy Lucas (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Dave Way; David Kennedy; Roey Shamir; Mark Partis; Chris Champion; Angela Piva.
Audio Remixer: Mark Partis.
Recording information: Greene Street Recording Studio, New York, NY; Marley Marl's House Of Hits, Chesnut Ridge, NY; Soundtrack Recording Studios, New York, NY; Studiomasters Recording Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Unique Recording Studio, New York, NY.
Photographer: Nick Baratta.
Heavy D. maintained his high visibility in both the R&B and rap markets with his third album, Peaceful Journey. The title says a lot about Heavy's outlook -- he was never an inflammatory, confrontational rapper, and generally sought to entertain rather than challenge. While most of this melodic, very R&B-ish album (which includes his remake of the Gamble & Huff classic "Now That We've Found Love") is fun and escapist in nature, the self-proclaimed Overweight Lover shows himself to be a noteworthy and effective social commentator on the title song, "Letter to the Future" (which urges a teenage criminal to change his ways) and "Sister Sister" -- a salute to Black women clearly written in response to misogyny in rap. Whether being socio-political or simply aiming to entertain, Heavy still makes it clear that he has a lot of technique. ~ Alex Henderson