Mint Condition: Storming the Charts With Brand New Album

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

R&B supergroup Mint Condition scored their second highest chart debut in nearly 10 years with the new album, 'e-Life,' arriving at Number Eight on the 'Billboard' R&B/Hip-Hop charts this week.

The anticipated opus, which was released May 6, also debuted at Number 12 on the magazine's Independent Chart.

"It's a long time coming –but Mint Condition does what it does and we are happy that the fans have been moved by our music once again," group front-man Stokley Williams told BlackVoices.com last night.The new album marks the second to be released on the group's very own CagedBird Records label, distributed by Image Entertainment. Neo-soul crooner Antony Hamilton is featured on the set's first single, 'Baby Boy, Baby Girl,' and A Tribe Called Quest's sound architect Ali Shaheed Muhammad collaborated on the futuristic 'Why Do We Try.'

The Minnesota-based band's signature blend of funk, rock and soul is still intact and even better 17 years after debuting under the auspices of R&B super-producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Original members are still intact with Williams on vocals, Lawrence El on piano and keyboards, Rick Kinchen on bass and lead guitar, O'Dell on rhythm guitar, and Jeffrey Allen on saxophone and keyboards.

"'e-Life' is a labor of love and we are all just happy to be celebrating music in life & life in our music," Williams continued.

Coming up for the globe-trotting R&B group is an exclusive concert experience of 'The Bridge' – where they pay homage to iconic musical outfit Earth, Wind & Fire – premiering on June 1 on BlackVoices.com. They are also hitting the road this summer and will be traveling throughout the UK, Europe and Japan in support of 'e-Life.'

Before then, the 'Pretty Brown Eyes (Breaking My Heart)' singers will get to serenade masses at New York City's BB King's on May 29.

And for the third year in a row, Mint Condition will play the Essence Music Festival -- taking place in New Orleans in July.