Ginuwine shows love to the late Static Major for penning his mega hit "Pony"

On the latest episode of “Drink Champs,” N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN sat down with R&B maestro Ginuwine to discuss his journey in the music industry, falling at the Lovers and Friends festival, and why there may never be another TGT album.

Born Elgin Baylor Lumpkin in Washington D.C. in 1970, Ginuwine first gained significant attention with his debut album Ginuwine… The Bachelor in 1996. The album, which introduced the world to his silky, passionate vocal style, featured the iconic single “Pony,” produced by Timbaland. The record went on to become a major hit, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and solidifying Ginuwine’s place in the R&B landscape.

Over the years, Ginuwine continued to make waves in the genre with his certified double platinum sophomore album, 100% Ginuwine; hit singles like “So Anxious” and “Same Ol’ G”; and collaborations with artists such as Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, and Timbaland. As of now, Ginuwine has released a total of nine studio albums and continues to influence R&B with his distinctive sound and impactful lyrics. In recent years, Ginuwine further extended his creative reach by joining peers Tyrese and Tank as the group TGT as well as making appearances on television and broadway. 

REVOLT compiled a list of nine facts we learned from Ginuwine’s “Drink Champs” interview. Check them out below, and watch the full episode here.

1. On falling at the Lovers and Friends festival

To kick the interview off, Ginuwine made light of a mishap that happened during his Lovers and Friends festival performance in Las Vegas, where he tumbled offstage. Following the events, he posted a video to Instagram singing Donnie McClurkin’s “We Fall Down.”

“One thing I did do, I stayed professional. I kept that mic right here,” Ginuwine stated.

“When you’ve been in this business as long as I have, that’s all you got… I’m glad, I’m glad. It was just one of those things, it happens,” he explained. “I was in Vegas. I was doing a show with Chris Angel. So I had a break and my phone is lighting up. I was like, ‘What the hell is going [on]?’ When they showed me, I’m instantly like, ‘I don’t care about that.’ When you seasoned in this b**ch, very little things mess with you. I gotta admit, that kind of messed with me a little bit.”

2. On being considered a sex symbol

Pivoting into the image that he’s cultivated over the past several decades, N.O.R.E. asked Ginuwine about becoming a sex symbol and his music largely being synonymous with love-making. The musician’s sultry R&B repertoire is filled with impassioned love songs like “Pony” and “Love You More,” which ultimately helped define the genre’s intimate landscape. Speaking on the topic, he cited the combination of evocative lyricism and his magnetic persona for solidifying his iconic status as a go-to crooner for romantic anthems.

 “For me, I started in ‘90. So I made it in ‘96. I knew nothing else but to make good music and come from the heart. Love music, soul music, and all that. Once I started that, I didn’t know how big it was going to be,” Ginuwine revealed.

3. On leaving Swing Mob alongside Timbaland and Missy Elliott

Once a powerhouse in ’90s R&B and Hip Hop, Swing Mob — composed of Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Playa, and more — experienced a fallout that led to the dissolution of the collective. While many of the members left much earlier, Ginuwine stayed loyal to the group’s vision admittedly because he had nowhere else to go. Eventually, the “So Anxious” singer exited in a million-dollar deal with 550 Music, marking a pivotal turn in his career toward becoming a solo phenomenon.

According to Ginuwine, “[Missy] paid for me to get back. I was looking at it like [DeVante Swing] brought me from D.C. to nothing. A lot of times, that’s been my fault, just trusting people as long as I’ve trusted them… I stuck it through, but it got a little crazy for a while. Missy was like, ‘Yeah, you gotta leave. If you need money to leave, I got you.’ Fortunately, I was able to get back and do one of the fastest deals in the ’90s with 550 Music and Sony.”

When asked why Timbaland and Elliott left Swing Mob in the first place, he responded, “Missy was getting it. She started getting with Mary J. Blige, Kim, Puff. She did Raven-Symoné, that was one of her first joints. She did a lot of stuff and needless to say, if you’re around our world, people are going to talk… She did the right thing.”

4. On “Pony”

Ginuwine’s debut single “Pony” was released in 1996 along with his first album Ginuwine… The Bachelor. The hit song served as both his and Timbaland’s big breakthrough. Ginuwine opened up about getting the beat from Swing and how the late Static Major wrote the record.

“I always felt like anything could’ve been put to ‘Pony,’ and it would’ve been a hit. [DeVante Swing] played that song and he was like, ‘This gon’ be for the bodyguards.’ I’m looking at him like… I was like, ‘Dude, please give me that,’” Ginuwine noted. “Y’all heard it in ‘96, but we recorded it in ‘93.”

“Rest in peace, Static Major, because he wrote it. I helped write the verses, but he wrote the song, so I don’t take no credit for that. The hook was already done when I came in there,” he added.

5. On collaborating with Nas for “You Owe Me”

Nas’ “You Owe Me” featuring Ginuwine didn’t always get the love it receives today. The single appeared on his 1999 album Nastradamus, peaking at No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart. As N.O.R.E. pointed out, many fans of the rapper thought Nas “sold out” for taking a new musical direction with the track.

Speaking on whether he and Timbaland received some of the same backlash as Nas, the artist shared, “We didn’t receive nothing. It was a smash, but because of how he grew up and where he was in rap… It worked out for us, and I think it was more of a commercial success for him. I always felt like if you want to change anything and anyone, get on that plateau and allow them to see your reality.”

He continued, “All the selling out stuff, nah. That’s Nas. You can’t ever say that dude sold out.”

6. On women throwing their panties onstage

Later in the conversation, N.O.R.E. recalled performing at a gig with Ginuwine and women throwing their underwear onstage during his set. Following in the footsteps of many other music legends that came before him, the singer admitted that it was a welcome addition to his shows. During a 2004 interview with New York Post, Ginuwine noted, “Once one pair of panties hits the stage, others follow.”

“It was multiple encounters. I never really strategically planned anything like that, but I always remembered my mom back in the days saying, ‘The ladies used to throw panties for Marvin Gaye.’ I never really planned that, but I welcomed that of course,” he told N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN.

7. On meeting Prince

Later, Ginuwine opened up about a memorable encounter with the late Prince at a Milwaukee club, sharing his experiences of admiration, brief heartbreak, and eventual approval from the legendary performer. He recounted a rare compliment he received from the “Purple Rain” artist on his rendition of 1984’s “When Doves Cry.” Ginuwine stated, “We all turn into fans when it comes to Michael Jackson and Prince, and Janet Jackson, of course.”

“He told me, ‘I don’t usually like people to do my songs.’ I was hurt. My heart dropped. And then he said, ‘But you did a good job.’ I was like, ‘Thank you,’” Ginuwine recalled. “I was like, ‘Thank you, dawg’ and I was like, ‘Yo, did you hear that?’ I turned back around and he was gone. He didn’t stay around. That’s my Prince story.”

8. On Missy Elliott having a dream that Aaliyah forgave him

Having collaborated for 1999’s “Final Warning,” Aaliyah and Ginuwine frequented the same circles as a result of Timbaland and Missy Elliott working on both their albums. However, they eventually drifted apart after Ginuwine separated from his then-management team, who had ties to the late singer’s record label, Blackground Records. Although he never got to explain what happened to Aaliyah, Ginuwine told N.O.R.E. and EFN about a dream Elliott had in which Aaliyah forgave him.

Speaking on his relationship with the late star, Ginuwine said, “Her and I weren’t seeing eye to eye. I think it had a lot more to do with her loyalty to her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He was the record label and the company was my manager. I just decided to leave for whatever reason and of course, her loyalty is to her family. We ain’t have no beef. That’s a woman, I ain’t beefing with no girl.”

He went on to say, “I always wanted to make sure that we were cool, but I never got the chance and opportunity to explain whatever it was. I’m pretty sure she was just being told whatever it was with me, but it was a lot behind that. At the end of the day, she understood.”

9. On TGT

Composed of Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank, TGT debuted as an R&B supergroup with the release of 2007’s “Please Don’t Go (The TGT Remix)” and officially with 2013’s Three Kings. Although they inked a deal with Atlantic Records and the project debuted at No. 3, financial problems and spats have made it nearly impossible for another release. Ginuwine stated, “If I had the love or wanted to do an album, I would’ve done it for myself first. I haven’t come out with an album since TGT.”

“It had nothing to do with them… Until you hear it from my mouth, that’s what it’s gonna be. It’s never been for Ty, that’s my boy. Tank, that’s my boy. I don’t want to cheat them and most of all, I don’t want to cheat my audience,” he explained. “I was already through the first time and I entertained it the second time. Once that subject and that specific situation came up, I was like, ‘Alright, I’m good dog.’”

On whether another project will come to light, Ginuwine concluded, “Nothing. I’m not going to do it. Never. I’m not doing that anymore.”

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