What Happened To Tara Kemp? | Her Record Company Wanted Her To "Pretend" To Be Black?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 жов 2024
- This Bay Area native launched onto the music scene in the early ‘90s with a couple of catchy R&B hits right off the bat. It may have been a surprise to others but, not to her. She knew even as a child that one day she’d be a star. Then, just as quickly as things took off, everything abruptly stopped. Let’s find out what happened to American ‘90s R&B singer Tara Kemp.
#TaraKemp
SOURCES:
/ tarakemporiginal
/ tarakempofficial
magicmusicmaga...
anchor.fm/happ...
/ once-famous-episode-1-...
soundcloud.com...
• 1991 Tara Kemp- Just W...
• 12 - Tara Kemp part 1
• 13 - Tara Kemp part 2
• BONUS VIDEO: Tara Kemp
C O N N E C T W I T H M E!
I N S T A G R A M || / genuinelygenevieve
F A C E B O O K || / letsgettotheroot
T W I T T E R || / genuinelygenn
T I K T O K || / genuinelygenevieve
Business Inquiries/PR: genevieve1126@gmail.com
INTRO & OUTRO:
Music by Ryan Little - Think About You - thmatc.co/?l=3...
VIDEO:
Music by MDMN - Love Angel - thmatc.co/?l=8...
ABOUT LET'S GET TO THE ROOT
Hi! I'm Genevieve and this is my second channel. I'm a lifestyle blogger who's obsessed with skincare, self love, 90's r&b music and anything chocolate! Don't forget to check out my main channel, Genuinely Genevieve!
Let's Get To The Root lives up to its name by going beyond just the surface. This channel takes a deep dive into all the interesting and shocking information about all your favourite Hollywood celebrities, entertainers, social media personalities, public figures, movies, television shows and more from back in the day to the present. You'll get all the nostalgic feels and find out what your favs have currently been up to. The answers to all your burning questions and extra juicy details you never knew before are all right here!
Thank you Genevieve! You really did your homework! There are stories I haven’t yet spoken about publicly, so stay tuned, more information coming out soon! And thank you to all my fans out there! You’re love and support mean everything to me!!! ❤️❤️❤️
One of my favorite artists of all time, Hold you tight holds so many special memories for me, great time in my life ❤️❤️
I was just introduced to Hold Tight Ms. Kemp! I'm a late 90s kid. That's a awesome song. I've had it on my office list all year!
What is the rest of the story Tara?? Would love to hear it
Livermore's finest! Tara, that voice...incredible.
Underrated talent that should have been a MAJOR star for the 1990s.
As ever record company politics put the sticks on the rolling wheels!.
Just imagine a duet between herself and Kenny Thomas...if that ever happened back in the day it would have been pure unadulterated blue-eyed soul musical heaven but hey that could still happen if the management between these two great artists help make that possiblity a reality
Can we get a video on Lisa Standfield? She had R&B hits too and then went away…Taylor Dayne too!!
Jon B. too, so far as a White soul singer...
Also r &b group portrait, and c &c music factory
I liked all of them too.
@@leelee185 I still listen to portrait they are on my playlist and I remember seeing them on dj cassidy pass the mic .
I agree! My mother LOOOOVED Lisa Stansfield!
Everyone saying they never heard of her...wasnt alive in 1991. Hold You Tight was EVERYWHERE.
EXACTLY!!!!!
This used to be played all over the radio and TV music shows in 1991. It was one of the best years of music in the 1990s.
Everywhere! We used 2 think it was vanessa williams.
@@LeeDfined I know I was only nine years old back then but that song was the jam 🎶
Hold You Tight is still a HOT song. Good info! I had no idea she was close to one of Prince's BEST backup singers-Rosie Gaines! ♥️ Sad what happens to GREAT artists who won't sell their souls or limit their integrity! 😔
@dNa vixen I will say hold you tight was hot but I think you take a piece of my heart was hotter and even better please don't get mad ate @dana vixen I really did like hold you tight alot and it was hot but I find take a piece of my heart hotter and I like it better i don't know why but I find take a piece of my heart more catchi or something about it
Hold You Tight by Tara Kemp is still a banger!!
Still go on UA-cam and play it sometimes
So is Piece Of My Heart!
I totally believe that story she told 🤣😂. The music industry is OBSESSED with image.
Yup! You might be able to blow the roof off with your vocals but if you don't have the look you ain't going no where.
Ever since I heard “Just Wanna Hold You Tight,” I have been rocking with Tara ever since then. Her album is amazing 🤩
I hope that you make a video on Rome and Jane Child as well, love them and their music.
The good days! Not sure what happened today’s music
I love all the females u just stated this was some good ass music i miss those days period we grew up on the best huh !
Come on Jane Child!!!
@@pillowmuzictv Yes, her "Don't wanna fall in love" B&W video was awesome!
Hold You Tight and Piece Of My Heart (the radio/video version) are underrated 90s classics.
“Hold You Tight” was my jam, I’m glad Tara had sense to say no and not try to be someone she wasn’t. White female singers with a soulful sound always walk a fine line.
I still have her cassette tape I got for free for eating a bunch of apple jacks cereal.
Still is!
@@copperblaze22 Dang! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@copperblaze22 I remember her video on video soul in the 90's hold you tight was a jam.
@@copperblaze22 lol dang I didn't get one and I ate apple jacks a lot as a kid in the 90's.
Damn they tried to set her up with that “ghetto” shit & then turned around and blackballed her…these music execs are pure evil.
Cassandra Mills f'ed up Jade, Color Me Badd, and Christopher Williams' careers when she said she was retiring from Giant.
Its a evil industry
That's what they do ìf you're not fitting into the mold set ,you're outta..strikedout
Giant messed over Hi-five when signed them but really only wanted Tony the lead singer
I remember when "Hold You Tight" came out the local radio stations were comparing her to Paula Adbul. I remember thinking there is no way because Tara's voice is waaaaaay better than Paula Adbul's voice. And I am a big fan of both artists! Tara just has the voice!
Giant records was a curse on so many of their artists! And once they left, unless another major label signed them, it was impossible to get their career restarted!
Giant Records is P. Diddy BEFORE P. Diddy
@@chancest.thomas5160 Looool. Truth.
They had a very underrated roster of musical talent. Another reason why a lot of talented music artist. Got lost in the 90's music shuffle..
In my opinion,one of the most underrated singers in the World.She is such a fantastic singer and artist👍👍👍Love her 90s album and songs she has been released ❤️❤️❤️
She didn’t sell her soul.
Ok 👌
Right
Thank goodness she didn’t.
Every time LGTTR post, you know it’s a good day to learn something new! It makes my day.
Facts
Amen!
Well Ms. Kemp , you kept it real with yourself and the public!!
No shade I considered her more Pop than a R&B singer. Her songs were bops tho 💁🏽♀️
Because she white?
@@suburbcinderella Because she had no soul, no range, no versatility. Her songs sounded more like pop songs than R&B songs. Everything isn’t about race.
Makes sense because that was originally how Whitney Houston was promoted with her first three albums. It wasn't R&B, it was pop and she caught hell for that. Tara Kemp was pretty much promoted the same way as a pop record with Hold You Tight. But quite obvious her being white gave her the extra boost just as it did for Eminem.
Giant Records had a lot of acts on there on like Tara Kemp, Color Me Badd, Jade, Lord Finesse, Big Mountain, Letters to Cleo, Ahmad, Miki Howard, Jeremy Jordan, Pudgee, etc.!!
Yup
Yeah but where are they now. Jeremy Jordan was good he's gone so is jade and color me badd.
Al B Sure! produced a few jams for Jeremy Jordan.
Wow, she really did get a raw deal. I remember "Just Wanna Hold You Tight" but not much else from her, this was very informative.
"Piece of Your Heart" was a great sophomore hit...
"Just Wanna Hold You Tight" is still a legit jam!
People need to remember in the 90's as long as you sound urban you would get heavy rotation on the radio for RNB audiences. She still did her thing with Just Wanna Hold You Tight. It still is great song !
do you know what happened to Cathy Dennis? She had several hits in the early 90s, like Touch Me All night long.......I can't find anything on her. She was cute.
I believe she became a songwriter. She wrote Toxic by Britney Spears, Can’t Get You Out Of My Head by Kylie Minogue and I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry and maybe some others
I thought about Cathy Dennis as well after watching this. She has written and produced some great material for Kylie Minogue and Janet Jackson. A band called Wish with singer Fonda Rae made the original Touch Me in 1984.
@@danavixen6274 she also wrote a song for Kylie's sister Dannii in the 90s called Love's On Every Corner. Cathy also wrote Come Into My World and Dancefloor for Kylie's album Fever
@@ColinsCity Nice! Fever is a GREAT album!
she actually made the brst pop song for other artist
They wanted her to use black culture/stereotypes/style to profit. Same recipe for a lot of singers out then and now.
True, cause she was thicc!!
The video for the song Hold You Tight was on heavy rotation on MTV, BET, VH1 and The Box!!
THE BOX!!!!!!!😂
I love her song "hold you tight"! Propa 90s soundn song!
I just discovered her music about 6 years ago (I'm a 90s kid). I like her song 'hold you tight'.
She held her ground, can't do nothing but respect that. Awesome content as always LGTTR.
She refused to sell her soul
Thank you for a wonderful brief documentary about Tara camp it was fantastic. Thumbs up.
Thank you for this. 1991 is a very special nostalgic time I hold in my heart, and Tara Kemp is a part of that. I really liked "Hold You Tight" when it came out and I bought the record maxi single for it. I still have it to this day. I wish nothing but the best for Tara.
Tara Kemp: still looking good in 2023!
Well I like her. Hold You Tight is classic, but the woman behind the vocals is quite superb. Props for being inoffensive when the pressure was on. Respect.
Tara Kemp was so beautiful to me. I loved her top two songs "Piece of my heart" & " Just wanna hold you tight". Love, love, love those songs. I do wanna hear her sing now. Wondering would it be slightly the same (because she is older) or would it be better?
Keep making these videos full of nostalgia. Could you consider making a video about Cathy Dennis, Tene Williams, or Lisa Stansfield?
Great video. This is the first time hearing about this woman.
Tara Kemp was definitely part of that 90s era! The girl could sing and move on the stage as well....
Thank you for doing a video on Tara Kemp. I was just thinking about her. Her debut album is timeless. I practically stole my mom's cassette tape, played it more than my mom did lol. "One Love" and "Something to Groove To" are bops. I gotta show my mom this video, and this page
The whole album is a masterpiece. It doesn't sound like anything else at the time, but still sounds very of-that-era somehow. There's not one bad song on it. It's ridiculous that it wasn't more popular.
Piece of My Heart is still a banger as well!!
Yep...
Beanie Gee
I strongly agree with you!!
Yes mam!
"Piece of my heart" was a fixture at any house party back in the 90s.
WHOA! I remember Hold You Tight, but I didn't know her name. I also didn't know that Ms. Kemp was the first R&B artist on Giant.
I literally thought about Tara Kemp today and said I would Google her and then here y'all are!! Thank you!🙏🏿
Still listening to her Music today
Me too
So glad this popped up in my feed. I still love her music (picked up the CD when it dropped) and enjoyed this very much. Lookong forward to any new material she releases.
1991 was a pivotal year in music history. Wrong place wrong time.
Right
10/12/2021
You mean 1981.
@@agfagaevart that was a year that advanced music yes. 91 regressed it. 81 was rescuing itself from disco.
@@kingjahk1
Rescuing?
That depends where you lived; In Europe we did not have a "Disco Sucks" movement. So electronic versions of disco we welcome: Yarborough & Peoples "Don't Stop the Music", Sharon Redd "Never Give You Up", etc. I thought 1991 was also good as Swing Beat and Gansta Rap came around. But later on...things turned ugly.
@@agfagaevart truth! There were many movements that shaped various regions yet none like dying over lyrics as has been solidified in this era. I remember listening to rebellious music in the 70s and the was Gil Scott Heron and War etc. At least it was an uplifting feeling. Hindsight is so 20/20.
Thank you for doing one on Tara Kemp. I would have liked a longer video with more details about who she collaborated with musically.
Thank you! Always wondered what happened with her!
Gosh every time I see you post a video, I stop everything I’m doing just to watch it
Wish you had more videos because they’re a joy to watch
LOVE IT!!! Literally listened to her the other day...Get outta my Playlists. It's getting weird now. 🤣
Omg you have been listening to me, I have been asking for Tara Kemp. I love you 😘❤️💕this made my whole day.
I would love to see stories on groups like Riff, The Coup, Above the Law, Big Mountain, 2nd II None, Born Jamericans, The Conscious Daughters, Finesse & Synquis, etc.!!
Conscious Daughters and the Coup, bay area legends
One of the members of riff... he did an interview with halftime chat. Check it out...
Born jamericans were dope
Damn. When I see her story I realise that there so many great singers late 80s early 90s who disappeared and this shows how Mariah Carey really is that queen
So true!
Being with Motolla also helped her.
@@empireofzaire4279 yes it is true because she rolled with the master of Sony but also her music was somethig else though
@@Kabeyavictoria Do you have congolese origins?
The music industry is truly sickening. Why can't it just be about the artist's talent?
Following the release of her debut album, Giant began to interfere with Tara Kemp's recording of her sophomore album. Waiting to sign to Atlantic Records -- where most of the poeple who had signed her to Giant had moved to - Kemp asked to be released from her contract. However, Atlantic didn't sign her. Kemp released three more songs: in 1992, "Anything You Ask" was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Class Act, starring hip-hop dou Kid 'n Play and "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" was featured on the soundtrack for the Fox TV show, Beverly Hils, 90210, and "Come Correct", which was released independently in 1993-1994 by Nerve Records. Owing to issues in her personal life, she left the music industry soon after.
I've been an avid fan of Tara Kemp since 1991. I kept waiting patiently for a second album, so am excited that she's finally going to release it! She is so beautiful and talented, and in a category of one in terms of what she was doing musically. "Piece Of My Heart" featured a rap bridge in a time when that was unheard of in a Pop song. It's criminal that her career stalled because of music industry politics. In an alternate timeline, we'd be talking about Tara Kemp alongside Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera.
@newgoodsongs2908 RAP bridges in pop songs was nothing new. Bobby Brown used them back in 1988. Paula Abdul in 1989. All before Tara Kemp did it
.
Hold you tight was on heavy rotation on the radio when it came out
I didn't know of Tara but this video was a cool watch! 🍿👌🏾
Don't take this the wrong way. When you see talented people who seemingly disappear it MAY be for the best. The music biz is not nice. So maybe its better to just get in the biz and get out. Think Prince, MJ, Whitney, Aaliyah...and so many more. Yes they all achieved great success...but what was the price?
I hope you cover Frankee, Kylie Dean, Taylor Dayne, or Asia Cruise. Brick & Lace would also be a good one. So many groups came & went from like 2004-2008. Electrik Red & RichGirl would be great to see too. Maybe the girl group that was on Blackground called LAX or T-Pain’s girl group Sophia Fresh. Colby O’Donis. I’m just tossing out people we never saw again. Also you guys bring stories to life from our comments, thankfully.
I love her song "Just want to hold you tight".
Tara should've went further. I brought her album when it came out. I also spoke to her on Twitter and Facebook. She's a nice person!
Man I use to be jamming coming up, I remember -hold you tight..🎶🎶🎶🎶👍🏿
Love your channel. I get to learn about artist I’ve never heard about. Introduces me to a lot of “new” music. 💛 Thanks!
"Hold You Tight", "Piece Of My Heart" and "Too Much" are the songs I'll remember her for!
She basically became a 2 hit wonder from the same album
Her songs are so good. Still play them in the clubs when I Dj
Can we get Jane Child next?
Dont want to fall in love🎶🎼🎵. I still listen to that!❤
2:24 "... to find a White girl with soul"
👀
That explains
Pink starting with R&B
Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle on an R&B beat with an R and B voice
Amy Whinehouse
Adele....
Now, I see.....
Gotta add Jojo to that list too :)
I remember her song being played on video soul hold you tight was a jam.
r&b in her soul but didnt want to be black - kudos 2 u tara; u didnt sell ur soul to those devils and i am very surprised at cassandra mills (if the allegation is true) Peace
Pure talent that missed the limelight..... We salute you Tara Kemp......
i love that she said why like that 😂😂
She's so cool. I really love her album. Sort of reminds me of Kym Sims and Teena Marie
Def had Lady T vibes, some Taylor Dayne in there as well.
I absolutely loved Tara and her music. I had no clue what happened to her. Thank you yet again for another wonderful episode. I’m a music collector and I still have the “Hold You Tight” Cassingle. 💖
Anything you ask from the Class Act soundtrack is a great song of hers as well.
She’s beautiful
tara and jane, like the other 'blue eye souls', seemed real with being r&b singers which made groovin to their songs all the more pleasurable Peace
Thank you for this video! Tara debuted around the same time I graduated H.S.
I love her music.
Love her voice and the song just want to hold you tight...glad she is coming back
Beautiful and talented 🙏🙏🙏 love her
More importantly she stayed true to herself and never sold out:)
She's very talented. I have the same 1st name and I always cringe when someone pronounces it that way (Tarra). I will be like "That's not my name, it's Tara like Sara." I'm glad that she is doing well.
I feel you. It really didn’t bother me that much growing up but not it does because most Tarra’s would get offended being called TARA. 🤣. But anyway, I grew up listening to her music. She’s very talented.
One of the songs on her album is called "Tara By The Way," and in her case she pronounces it Tarra, like the narrator did.
My friend pronounces her name the way this lady says it and it is spelled TARA so I am sure it is not on purpose.
I loved that song hold you tight. I always wondered what happened to her
Keep up the wonderful work! B| Here are some more underrated/Unsung artists that deserve a video episode: Billy Lawrence, Gina Thompson, Sharissa, Mario Winans, Alyson Williams, II D Extreme, Michael Sterling, Joi, Sam Salter, Tony Rich, Jesse Powell, and the late Andrea Martin
What??? Andrea Martin died??? I followed her briefly!!!
This is my first time hearing of her or her music 🎶 👌🏽
Can we get one on Ruben Studdard ? 😚
@@carayj “This is my sorry for 2004,and I ain’t gonna mess up no more,this year ima take this one chance and make it real clear” 🎶🎶 that was my song
Eve is on HBO Max,I’m gonna look up that episode
Do Taylor Dane next !
That's the one of the dark sides of the music industry in the '90s--music execs kept pushing racial identity due to the rise of hip-hop to be "in tune with urban youth." You couldn't have "soul" unless you were in a designated mixed ethnicity group. However, it was also a thing in the real world where you had to prove to others that were X ethnicity or else they'd call you a sell-out. Also, thank you for making this video as I had been searching far and wide for the artist and the video for "Hold You Tight." I love this channel as it brings back lots of memories.
Record execs are responsible for the rise in hip hop, they knew they could use it as conduit to push degeneracy. And boy did it work.
They shaped the western world with music and image.
Love these stories so much!!
I love these mini documentaries, watching from Toronto Canada
I had the "Just wanna hold you tight" on USA import 12 here in the UK. Never lit up the dance floor here for me, It was more of a warm up track but i really loved it. Classic for me.
I had a massive crush on her back in ‘91.
Music industry so dirty and so selfish. Robbing us of the music she could have been producing all these years.
Um, Hold You Tight was on Big Beat/Atlantic. I believe the label info is backwards. BTW, i really enjoy your content.
She performed on Soul Train and the Oprah Winfrey show in 1991
Great video! I had wondered for the longest time why she only had one album. Same with Keedy, the same thing happened to her, but with sllightly different circumstances. I still like both women and their music to this day!
She deserved a bigger career. She was great.
Damn, "just wanna hold you tight", lol, that was my jam,
Tara spells out the wicked corruption of the industry - trying to push out out of love songs into some weird gun / getto girl video ? That's insane, she's a classical beauty, amazing voice, amazing hair, beautiful soul.
Man, I Loved her and over the years had thought about her often... Kind of like a female Jon B. so far as being a White R & B singer. A song just does not get much "Blacker" than "Hold You Tight". And to see a White chick singing it was quite novel.
Wow! Y'all really go digging in the crates! I still have the cassette single of "Hold You Tight".
I'm tired of seeing Irving's dirty little fingers in everyone's musical pies.
The music industry was terrible in the 90's to these artist. They aimed/aim to manipulate the artists and the public with their nonsense and rhetoric.
You think they don't NOW??
loved just wanna hold you tight!