Stokley Williams Explained

Stokley
Image Upright:	1.2
Background:	solo_singer
Birth Name:	Stokley Williams
Birth Date:	15 July 1967^[1]
Origin:	St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.^[2] ^[3]
Years Active:	1980–present
Label:	Bluraffe Ent

Stokley Williams (born July 15, 1967), also known simply as Stokley, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and studio drummer of the R&B band Mint Condition.^[4]

Career

In 2011, Williams was featured on Kelly Price's song "Not My Daddy" from her album Kelly which earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance.^[5]

In 2017, Williams joined The Revolution on tour, to pay tribute to Prince.^[6] Also in 2017, he released his Bluraffe/Concord Records solo debut Introducing Stokley, with production by himself as well as the Philadelphia production team Carvin & Ivan.

In 2019, Jam & Lewis' did a joint venture with Bluraffe ent /Perspective Records to release his second solo album, Sankofa.

In March 2020, Stokley earned his first number-one solo hit with "She..." reaching the top of the Adult R&B Chart (Billboard) for two consecutive weeks and high radio play on stations such as WAMO, WDAS, & WHUR.^[7]

In 2024, he was cast as Rick James in Ja'Caryous Johnson's musical stage play, Super Freak: A Rick James Story, set to tour spring of 2024.^{[8] [9]}

Influences

Williams has declared his main influences as being Cliff Alexis Sr., Prince, and Maurice White.^[10]

Discography as a session musician

The Boys - The Boys (1990)^[11]

• "Got to Be There" (drums)

Sounds of Blackness – The Evolution of Gospel (1991)

• "Optimistic" (handclaps)
• "The Pressure Pt. 1" (background vocals)
• "The Pressure Pt. 2" (background vocals)

Karyn White – Ritual of Love (1991)

• "Ritual of Love" (percussion)
• "Love That's Mine" (background vocals)
• "Do Unto Me" (drummer)
• "Hard To Say Goodbye" (drum programming, percussion, background vocals)

Mo' Money – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992)

• The Harlem Yacht Club- "Brother Will" (drummer)

Janet Jackson – janet. (1993)

• "What'll I Do" (drummer)
• "The Body That Loves You" (percussion)

Johnny Gill – Provocative (1993)

• "The Floor" (background vocals)
• "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (background vocals)
• "Mastersuite" (drummer, percussion)
• "Quiet Time To Play" (percussion)
• "I Know Where I Stand" (percussion)

Color Me Badd – Time and Chance (1993)

• "The Bells" (drummer)^[12]

Jason's Lyric – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994)

• Black Men United – "U Will Know" (lead vocals, background vocals)

Karyn White – Make Him Do Right (1994)

• "One Minute" (drummer, percussion)

Sounds of Blackness – (1994)

• "The Lord Will Make A Way" (drummer, percussion)
• "The Drum (Africa To America)" (percussion)

J. Spencer – Blue Moon (1995)

• "U Should Be Mine" (lead vocals)

Solo – Solo (1995)

• "A Change Is Gonna Come" (drummer)

Soultry – Soultry (1995)^[13]

• "Where Do Broken Hearts Belong" (writer, producer, drummer, percussion, bass synthesizer)
• "I Knew All Along" (writer, producer, drummer)
• "Can I Get To Know You" (producer)

Janet Jackson – (1995)

• "Twenty Foreplay" (drummer)

New Edition – Home Again (1996)

• "One More Day" (percussion)

Ann Nesby – I'm Here For You (1996)

• "I'm Still Wearing Your Name" (drummer)
• "(What A) Lovely Evening" (drummer)
• "Thrill Me" (drummer)
• "This Weekend" (drummer)
• "Let Old Memories Be" (drummer)

Jesse Powell - Jesse Powell

• "All Alone" (writer, producer, background vocals, drummer)

4.0 – 4.0 (1997)

• "Oh Baby" (drummer)

Luther Vandross – (1997)

• "I Won't Let You Do That To Me" (percussion)

Jon Secada – Secada (1997)^[14]

• "Too Late, Too Soon" (percussion)

Sounds of Blackness – Time for Healing (1997)

• "The Blackness Blues" (drummer)

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

• K-Ci & JoJo – "Never Say Never Again" (drummer)

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (1999)

• Elton John & Janet Jackson – "I Know The Truth" (drummer)

Jordan Knight – Jordan Knight (1999)

• "Finally Finding Out" (percussion)

Yolanda Adams – Mountain High...Valley Low (1999)

• "Open My Heart" (drummer)

Usher – 8701 (2001)

• "Twork It Out" (drummer)
• "How Do I Say" (drummer)

Blu Cantrell – So Blu (2001)

• "I'll Find A Way" (drummer)

Deborah Cox – The Morning After (2002)

• Hurt So Much" (drummer)

Toni Braxton – More Than a Woman (2002)

• "Lies, Lies, Lies" (acoustic guitar, guitar solo)

Ann Nesby – Put It on Paper (2002)

• "I'm Your Friend" (featuring Big Jim Wright) (drummer)

Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Shaheedullah and Stereotypes (2004)

• "Put Me On" (vocals)
• "Banga" (background vocals)

Prince – Musicology (2004)

• "Call My Name" (background vocals)

Jill Scott- (2007)

• "How It Make You Feel" (producer, bass, guitar, drum programming, keyboards)

Brother Ali – Us (2009)

• "Brothers And Sisters" (background vocals)
• "Us" (background vocals)

Tech N9ne – All 6's and 7's (2011)

• "The Boogieman" (background vocals)

Kelly Price – Kelly (2011)
Mint Condition – 7... (2011)

• "Not My Daddy" (co-vocals, co-producer, drummer, keyboards, bass)

Elzhi – Elmatic (2011)

• "Life's A Bitch" (additional vocals)

Brother Ali – The Bite Marked Heart (2012)

• "I'll Be Around" (background vocals)

The World Famous Tony Williams- King or the Fool (2012)

• "Mr. Safety" (additional vocals)

The Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio (2012)

• "Why Do We Try" (lead vocals, percussion)

U-Nam & Friends – Weekend in L.A (A Tribute To George Benson) (2012)

• "Nature Boy" (lead vocals)

Brian Culbertson – Dreams (2012)

• "No Limits" (lead vocals)

Wale – The Gifted (2013)

• "The Curse of the Gifted" (uncredited background vocals)^[15]
• "LoveHate Thing" (featuring Sam Dew) (co-producer, guitar, bass, keyboards, drum programming)
• "Sunshine" (co-producer, keyboards, drums, percussion, background vocals)
• "Heaven's Afternoon" (featuring Meek Mill) (co-producer, keyboards, guitar, background vocals)
• "Gullible" (featuring Cee-Lo Green) (producer, drum programming, guitar)
• "Black Heroes" (co-producer, guitar, background vocals)

Lil' John Roberts – The Heartbeat (2014)

• "Space" (additional vocals)

Wale – The Album About Nothing (2015)

• "The Intro About Nothing" (additional vocals)
• "The Bloom (AG3)" (background vocals, additional production)

Boney James – futuresoul (2015)

• "Either Way" (vocals)

Maysa - Back 2 Love (2015)

• "Keep It Movin'" (producer, additional vocals)

PJ Morton - Christmas with PJ Morton (2018)

• "All I Want for Christmas is You" (additional vocals)

Zo! - FourFront (2019)

• "Sweat" (vocals)

After 7 - Unfinished Business (2021)

• "The Day" (additional vocals, writer, producer, drum programming, keyboards, acoustic guitar)
• "Sum Of A Woman" (writer, producer, drum programming, guitar, keyboards)

Discography as a group member

with Mint Condition

Meant to Be Mint (1991)
From the Mint Factory (1993)
Definition of a Band (1996)
The Collection (1991–1998) (1998)
Life's Aquarium (1999)
Livin' the Luxury Brown (2005)
Live from the 9:30 Club (2006)
E-Life (2008)
7... (2011)
Music @ the Speed of Life (2012)
Healing Season (2015)

with Ursus Minor

Nucular (2007)
Zugzwang (2010)
I Will Not Take "But" for an Answer (2010)
What Matters Now (2016)

Solo album

Introducing Stokley (2017)
Sankofa (2021)

Notes and References

1. Web site: BBC Music – Stokley Williams. Bbc.co.uk. 2014-05-10.
2. Web site: Bediako. Titilayo. Stokely and Sylvia Williams: African American giants. Insightnews.com. 2014-05-10. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035227/http://www.insightnews.com/community/6486-stokely-and-sylvia-williams-african-american-giants%26sa%3DU%26ei%3Dw2FbU7jvM8TD2AWDo4GADg%26ved%3D0CC8QFjAH%26usg%3DAFQjCNGKtKisR9coTBBdcUtxZMrpRM4hbQ. September 24, 2015. mdy-all.
3. Web site: Denman. Jamal. Mint Condition front man focusing more on production. Spokesman-recorder.com. July 17, 2013 . 2014-05-10.
4. Web site: Stokely Williams. AllMusic. January 23, 2020.
5. Web site: Mint Condition's Lead Singer Stokley Williams Receives 2 Grammy Nominations!. Theurbanmusicscene.com. 2014-05-10. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111229140159/http://news-releases.theurbanmusicscene.com/2011/12/02/mint-conditions-lead-singer-stokley-williams-receives-2-grammy-nominations.aspx. December 29, 2011. mdy-all.
6. Web site: The Revolution Pay Tribute to Prince With an Emotional New York Concert. Jem. Aswad. Variety.com. April 29, 2017.
7. Web site: Stokley Strips Down & Celebrates Women In 'She…' And Announces New Album 'Sankofa' . soulbounce.com . October 14, 2019 . SoulBounce . 2019-10-20.
8. Web site: Allah . Sha Be . 2024-02-29 . Stokley Of R&B Group Mint Condition Cast As Rick James In 'Superfreak: The Rick James Story' - The Source . 2024-03-05 . en-US.
9. Web site: Stokley Cast As Rick James In 'Super Freak: The Rick James Story' Stage Musical . 2024-03-05 . www.wbls.com . March 2, 2024 . en-US.
10. Web site: Mint Condition's Stokley Williams takes solo leap. Rollingout.com. February 25, 2017 . January 23, 2020.
11. The Boys - The Boys (CD liner notes). Motown Record Company, L.P. MOTD-6302
12. Web site: Time and Chance - Color Me Badd | Credits. AllMusic. January 23, 2020.
13. Soultry - Soultry (CD liner notes). Motown Record Company L.P. 314530553-2
14. Web site: Secada* - Too Late, Too Soon (The Mixes). Discogs.com. 1997 . January 23, 2020.
15. Web site: Phillips. Noel. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: STOKLEY WILLIAMS SPEAKS ON PRODUCING WALE'S "THE GIFTED" LP. Respect-mag.com. July 16, 2013 . 2014-05-10.