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Aaron Hall (singer)

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Aaron Hall
Birth nameAaron Robin Hall III
Also known as"The Voice", "Nasty Man"
Born (1964-08-10) August 10, 1964 (age 60)
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
OriginBrooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1987–present
Labels
Formerly of

Aaron Robin Hall III (born August 10, 1964) is an American singer and songwriter. Hall joined the R&B and new jack swing group Guy in 1988,[1] which was formed by Teddy Riley and Timmy Gatling, who was later replaced by Hall's brother, Damion. The group's self-titled debut album (1988) was met with commercial success; Hall provided lead vocals on its songs "Groove Me," "I Like," and "Piece of My Love", among others.

In 2023, Hall was named in a lawsuit alleging he and Sean 'Diddy' Combs sexually assaulted two women in the early 1990s. The suit was filed just before the deadline of New York's Adult Survivors Act.[2]

Early life

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Aaron Robin Hall III was born in the Bronx, New York City, and raised in Brooklyn. His father Aaron Hall II was a prominent New York pastor of the church where Hall learned the Black American traditions of gospel music styling and performance. He is the second oldest son of the Hall family, along with prominent brothers as Damion Hall and minister Todd Hall.[3] Hall explored his vocal talent and began singing in a Baptist church from an young age.[4][5] A few years before Hall segued into his R&B career, his mother Johnella Romeo Hall was hit by a car on Christmas Eve and died.[6]

Hall developed a speech impediment as a child that would last into adulthood, causing him to struggle to pronounce his own name and restricting his ability to give interviews during his early career. Channeling all his energies into his love for dogs, he later became a dog trainer for his celebrity peers.[7]

Career

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1987–1992, 1999–2000: Guy

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Hall's talent encouraged by his friend, Timmy Gatling, who also worked alongside him in a store, Abraham & Straus in the 1980s. Gatling knew Teddy Riley through their early group called Kids at Work, which was managed by Gene Griffin. After Timmy's discovery, the three decided to form a group, Guy.[5]

In between Hall's traditional Black gospel voice and erratic singing brought up major comparisons to artists later being in the business. Hall described his own voice as "running on inflections, heavy intonations and very little breathing".[8]

Following the breakup of Guy, Hall signed with Silas Records, a subsidiary label of MCA Records formed by Louil Silas Jr.[9] Hall reunited with his brother and Teddy Riley as Guy for a reunion album, Guy III (2000). It features the modest hit, "Dancin'".

Solo

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The Truth (1993)

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Hall began his solo career after his group Guy collapsed. In 1992, he worked with several producers from the Silas label on his debut album, The Truth. It included hits like "Don't Be Afraid", "Get a Little Freaky with Me", "Let's Make Love", and others. One of his biggest singles, "I Miss You", reached #2 on the R&B chart and later peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his biggest pop hit.[10] In later years, he created hits for movie soundtracks and collaborated with other artists.

Inside of You (1998)

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Hall released a second studio album in 1998, Inside of You. After the failed Guy reunion in 1997, which only brought a track for the New York Undercover movie soundtrack, Hall announced he would work on another solo album the following year. He names it as a new approach in his career, including a message to harsh conditions he had experienced in the industry.[11][12] The album features Faith Evans and hip-hop group Terror Squad, and it includes Fat Joe, Big Pun, Cuban Linx and Unique on a remixed track. The album had success with "All The Places (I Will Kiss You)" becoming a hit single, charting as a top 10 hit on Billboard's Top Hip Hop/R&B Songs and a top 30 song on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.[10]

Adults Only: The Final Album (2005)

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In the late 2000s, Hall resigned from MCA starting a new independent label named "Artists Only International". It was a music subsidiary of "Headstart Entertainment". He declared he was "..no longer a slave anymore" referring to his former contract with MCA.[13] Hall experimented with different genres mixing R&B, reggae and hip-hop together, giving his approach to music a more distanced critique from reviewers than usual.[14] He defined it as his "last album" and in an article teased that he would later use a new persona, a new name ("E. Kane"). His visions didn't jibe with his future plans.[15]

Rape allegations

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On November 24, 2023, a lawsuit was filed against Hall and Sean Combs by an unnamed woman, alleging they both raped her and a friend after an event at Uptown Records in the early 1990s.[16][17] In 1996, Hall was arrested and charged with raping a woman in a Manhattan hotel.[18]

Discography

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For the discography of Guy, see Guy (band) § Discography.

Solo albums

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Year Album Chart positions Label
US 200
[10] 		US R&B
[10]
1993 The Truth 47 7 MCA
1998 Inside of You 55 11
2005 Adults Only — — Head Start Music Group
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Solo singles

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Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100
[10] 		US R&B
[10] 		UK
[19]
1992 "Don't Be Afraid" 44 1 56 The Truth and Juice soundtrack
"It's Gonna Be Alright" (with Charlie Wilson) — — — Boomerang soundtrack
1993 "Get a Little Freaky with Me" — 48 66 The Truth
"Let's Make Love" — 36 —
1994 "I Miss You" 14 2 —
"When You Need Me" — 30 —
1995 "Curiosity" — 36 — Dangerous Minds soundtrack
"Soon as I Get Home" (Remix) (with Faith Evans) — — — Faith
"Scent of Attraction" (with Patra) — 82 — Scent of Attraction
1996 "Toss It Up" (with Danny Boy, K-Ci & JoJo) — 82 — The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
1998 "All the Places (I Will Kiss You)" 26 8 — Inside of You
2000 "Why You Tryin' to Play Me" (with The Notorious B.I.G.) — — — Xtra Large Entertainment Inc
(Executive producers: Derrick Hodge and LeTroy Davis)
2005 "Serve That Body" (with KansasCali) — — — Adults Only: The Final Album
2006 "Much Too Soon" (with K-Ci Hailey) and Al B. Sure!) — — — My Book
2012 "Bye Baby" (with Nas) — — — Life Is Good
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

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  1. ^ Wynn, Ron. "Biography: Aaron Hall". AMG. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  2. ^ "Sean Combs' History of Controversies and Allegations". Rolling Stone. October 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Aaron Hall". Facebook.com. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  4. ^ "Aaron Hall – and Voices of Inspiration (80s)". YouTube. December 10, 2015. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Teddy Riley revisits crafting Guy's debut album #ReturnToTheClassics". SoulCulture.com. April 8, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "Inside of You Album and Biography". mcarecords.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 1999.
  7. ^ "Aaron Hall's Dog Rehab". March 15, 2009. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "Guy". Vibe Magazine. February 2000.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Billboard – Google Books". December 11, 1999. p. 32. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "Aaron Hall - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "Inside of You (Genius)". Genius. 1998. Archived from the original on November 4, 1999. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  12. ^ Vibe. Vibe Media Group. January 1999.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 1, 2004.
  14. ^ "Adults Only: The Final Album – Aaron Hall | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  15. ^ Reid, Shaheem. "Aaron Hall Working To Overcome Tough Times With Guy Reunion, New Persona". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  16. ^ Dillon, Nancy (November 24, 2023). "Sean Combs: Third Accuser Sues Hip-Hop Mogul for Sexual Assault". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  17. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (November 24, 2023). "Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of sexual assault and revenge porn in two new lawsuits". The Guardian. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  18. ^ https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/01/25/metro-area-news-32/
  19. ^ "AARON HALL - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
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