Fans of hip-hop group P.M. Dawn across the country are set to get an in-depth look into the chart-topping duo’s rise to stardom and the challenges they faced over the years in an all-new episode of Unsung.
On Sunday, April 3, Eternal, formally known as DJ Minutemix, will tell their story starting all the way from their humble beginnings in Jersey City, NJ.
Music journalists, executives, family members and others closest to the group joined also sit down to add some memories over the course of their career.
P.M. Dawn, formed in the late ’80s by brothers Attrell Cordes (Prince Be) and Jarrett Cordes (DJ Minutemix), saw much success over the ’90s era. They were known as a group whose hit records and creative style transcended genres.
Now, that’s a large part of the conversation as the group is recognized in 2022. Eternal says to give P.M. Dawn its flowers, one must remember Prince Be and his impact on music.
The group’s frontman dealt with several health issues over the years, including diabetes. He died in 2016 after a battle with renal kidney disease. He was 46.
While obstacles and adversity were not strangers to the Cordes brothers, even at the peak of their careers, their music and what they represented have been loved by generations of fans.
In a digital-exclusive interview with TV One, Eternal dished on how it felt to be tapped to share P.M. Dawn’s story on Unsung, carrying the torch for his older brother and what fans could expect to learn.
The last surviving original member of the group said Prince Be’s influence simply cannot be denied.
“Those melodic structures that my bother created are somehow buried in the bosom of all pop music today,” he said. “Like if my brother didn’t do what he did with his singing and rap style, there would be no Drake, period.”
Eternal continued, saying Kanye West was also greatly inspired by the duo. He even revealed that before Kanye makes music, he plays P.M. Dawn.
“To the point where he would chase people out the room because they thought it was wack or whatever, but he felt something. “P.M. Dawn was like the incense that you would light in the studio to create peace for him, so people need to know that.”
P.M. Dawn’s single “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” is a timeless classic that further launched the duo into the limelight, making them the first Black rappers and third hip-hop act ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.
A year later, “I’d Die Without You,” which was their entry on the soundtrack for Eddie Murphy’s 1992 film Boomerang, became another hit that would see success on the Hot 100 and remain on playlists for decades.
When Prince Be passed, many artists paid their respects, acknowledging that he was grossly underrated and should be credited for expanding the sound of hip-hop. He was one of the first artists to blend rapping and singing, which always sounded like a before-its-time kind of vibe.
According to Eternal, after these P.M. Dawn hits, radio stations even began to advertise themselves as hip-hop and R&B because they now went together “in some weird way.”
Watch our full interview with Eternal below!
There is so much more to learn about P.M. Dawn’s journey that you don’t want to miss. An all-new episode of Unsung premieres this Sunday, April 3 at 10p/9c only on TV One.
Are you a P.M. Dawn fan? Are you excited to see them back on your television screen for Unsung?
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