OG Soup & Salad — Vol 32
Hiiiiiiiiiiii!
Most of you are still very full from our last two lunch dates (Vol 30 & 31), which had a lot to take in. So today, we will keep it a little light and enjoy one of my favorite lunchtime meals, soup & salad from Olive Garden, aka the OG.
If you are a soup and salad stan like I am, which soup do you pick when you dine the unlimited $7.99 feast? Pasta e Fagioli, Minestrone, Zuppa Toscana, or Chicken & Gnocchi?
I am a Chicken & Gnocchi girl. A couple of weeks ago, I found a copycat recipe and made it at home. It was MF’ing delicious and perfect for the semi-cooling temps that are hitting South Carolina.
Grab your first serving of soup & salad, and let’s take a trip back down a 90s music and movie memory lane focusing on (or around) November 15. Sit back and enjoy.
November 15, 1990
The #1 song in the US on this date was Mariah Carey’s Love Takes Time. This song was off her iconic self-titled debut album, Mariah Carey. Sis dominated the 90s.
If you haven’t read her book, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, add it to your list. But she does NOT discuss her situationship with Eminem. I was hoping she would, but she probably didn’t want any more of Marshall Mathers’s smoke. I listened to it on audible, and it was much more intriguing hearing her voice read her own words. Highly recommended.
So who remembers the Disney movie, The Rescuers Down Under? It debuted this week. At the start of the pandemic, this was one of the first movies I watched on Disney+. It’s a classic story and one that I can’t wait to watch with Panda.
What’s your favorite 90s Disney movie??
Also, on this day, it was confirmed that Milli Vanilli did not sing a lick on their debut album, “Girl You Know It’s True,” which sold seven million copies. They also had to give their Grammy back. Talk about the ultimate scam!
1991
Two iconic movies we still love hit the big screen, My Girl and The Addams Family.
I don’t think I am over the fact Thomas, Macaulay Culkin, died of an allergic reaction to bee stings. One day in elementary school, I told a kid that if a bee stings you, you could die. How about my behind got stung minutes later. Everyone started teasing me, saying I was about to die. I bet you I never said that again.
And nothing beats the original Addams Family, even though they keep trying to remake it. I’ve only seen the original; I’ll keep it that way.
Charlotte’s own Jodeci’s Forever My Lady was #1 on the R&B charts, and the Minneapolis hometown star Prince’s Cream was killing all the competition. This is the era when music videos were mini-movies because Cream has a smooth 2-min opening act before the song starts.
While Cream is undoubtedly a classic, Forever My Lady will never not be a jam. It was the second single released off the group’s first album. The song was dedicated to Al B. Sure! ’s then-girlfriend Kim Porter, and their newborn son Quincy. Hmmm… didn’t know that one.
When they were signed to Uptown Records, the group was aligned to Puffy. We all know Kim Porter was a receptionist at Uptown, but it’s interesting that not only is she “connected” to Jodeci through this song, but so is Justin’s mom, Misa Hylton. Her first styling gig was with Jodeci. Keeping it close I see Puffy, keeping it close.
1992
Miki Howard is probably a name that is unfamiliar to you. She was a top 10 artist in the late 80s, early 90s that doesn’t get much shine for her contribution to R&B. With a timeless R&B sound; her ’92 hit Ain’t Nobody Like You was #1 on the R&B charts on this day.
Miki played to role of Billie Holiday in Spike Lee’s biopic film Malcolm X which was released this week. She also landed a role in Poetic Justice as the receptionist at the salon Janet worked. Her character name, Maxine, is used, but the camera doesn’t show her.
TV One did a Miki Howard story and touched on her relationship with Gerald Levert. *adding this to my watch list*
Along with Malcolm X, Home Alone 2 and The Bodyguard are some of the top movies on this date in ’92.
In Vol 6, I listed some of my favorite movie soundtracks, and The Bodyguard is one of those. No skips.
1993
November 15 was pretty quiet in ’93.
D.R.S had the fallen homies anthem, Gangsta Lean, topping the R&B airwaves. This ode to the fallen comes two years before Bone Thugs Crossroads became the anthem for losing a patna.
While it wasn’t #1, I can’t gloss over that Atlanta’s Xscape came in at #2 with their first single, Just Kickin’ It. They are coming to Columbia in December. I might need to hop on this.
On the movie front, Mrs. Doubtfire became everyone’s favorite babysitter in ’93. One of my favorite performances from Robin.
1994
The baritone of Barry White is still unmatched to this day. At 14, he woke up one day with the deep voice that we still love. Probably also the reason he had nine kids! Two years later, in 1960, Barry served four months in jail for stealing $30,000 worth of Cadillac tires. Today that amounts to $280,326.69!
While Barry’s soulful voice was already prominent on the airwaves before the 90s, his hit Practice What You Preach was #1 on the R&B charts this day. If you’re an old soul like me, check out a Barry White essential playlist or greatest hits album on your streaming service. You won’t be disappointed.
Written by Babyface, I’ll Make Love To You by Boyz II Men was #1 in the US. The famous Philly trio started with Nathan Morris, a person I wouldn’t think would be the original member of the group, then called Unique Attraction in ’85. Wanya would join in ’87 and Shawn in ’88.
This year also brings the first movie ever where a man gets pregnant, Junior. Arnold Schwarzenegger shocked everyone by sporting a baby bump.
A few other shows would touch on this subject as the years progress. Did you know Tommy Egan, Joseph Sikora, played a pregnant man in an episode during season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy?! Ha!
On the Latin charts, our girl Selena came in at #3 with Bidi Bidi Bom Bom from her fourth album Amor Prohibido.
After Amor Prohibido’s release, Selena was considered “bigger than Tejano music itself”, and broke barriers in the Latin music world. She was called the “Queen of Tejano music” by many. Billboard magazine ranked Amor Prohibido among the most essential Latin recordings of the past 50 years and included it on its list of the top 100 albums of all time.
That damn Yolanda. She infuriates me for her senseless and careless act. And in my mind, the woman who played her in the iconic biopic film has just as much to do with Selena’s murder as Yolanda.
1995
For the basketball fans, Karl Anthony-Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves was born on this day.
Our girl Mariah makes another #1 debut on this day with Fantasy. While the original song is a hit, the Fantasy remix with Ol’ Dirty Bastard is my favorite version. In her autobiography, she tells a detailed story of recording the song + video for the remix with ODB and her craziness with being married to Tommy Mottola.
Pixar hit the motion picture industry by storm with Toy Story in ’95. It was released this week and became the second highest-grossing film of the year. For some reason, I always reference Toy Story when it comes to bad little kids. Saying, “that kid reminds me of Sid from Toy Story.”
1996
’96 was a BIG year for R&B and Hip-Hop. Some of our favorite albums of all time were released this year.
Jay-Z — Reasonable Doubt
Fugees — The Score
Lil’ Kim — Hardcore
OutKast — ATLiens
2Pac — All Eyes on Me
Aaliyah — One in a Million
Dru Hill — Dru Hill
Toni Braxton — Secrets
Total — Total
Maxwell — Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite
Blackstreet — Another Level
Ginuwine — Ginuwine…The Bachelor
I could keep going…
So you know the singles this year were 🔥.
Blackstreet’s No Diggity (#1) and Toni Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart (#3) were topping the charts. Ginuwine’s Pony (#1) and Dru Hill’s Tell Me (#5) *cues the hop* opened and closed the Top 5 R&B songs on this day.
I remember the first time I heard Dru Hill sing. It was at The Fudgery at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Folks used to flock to the iconic fudge-making store at Harborplace every weekend to hear their incredible voices. Sisqo would always work the crowd with the samples tray belting out notes that made the girls scream and squirm.
Next time I saw the group, who’s named after a famous area park Druid Hill Park, was at a For Sisters Only Expo in Baltimore, and they were debuting that icon Tell Me hop that we all still do, whether sitting or standing when the song comes on. Did you just do it?
1997
For the first time in this decade, a Hip-Hop or R&B song was not #1 on the charts in the states. Usher’s You Make Me Wanna came in at #3. My Way was Usher’s sophomore album. His self-titled debut album, co-executive produced by Puffy 🤔, had some backlash because he was singing heavily about sex at 15.
While being #3 on the overall music charts, You Make Me Wanna was #1 on the R&B charts. Followed by My Love Is The Shhh! by Somethin’ For The People Featuring Trina & Tamara. This might be the only hit by this group and the singing duo Trina & Tamara, who are Jesse Powell’s little sisters btw, but it’s a banger. Take a moment and vibe for a second.
1998
In ’98, we were blessed with the ONLY solo album of Ms. Lauryn Hill. And to be honest, Sis doesn’t have to make another one. I am content with the music she already gave us. I am OK with artists deciding not to make music anymore. Some folk need to recognize when their time for new music has expired and live on their former hits…Nelly.
On November 15, 1998, Doo Wop (That Thing) was #1 on the music charts and #2 on the R&B charts. Deborah Cox’s Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here beat out Ms. Hill for the #1 spot.
And who remembers the group Divine? They only had one hit song, Lately, but it was #2 on the music charts this week.
Enemy of the State hit the box office this week. Sidenote, the following year, Will turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix franchise to film that horrific Wild Wild West movie. Chiiillleeee…terrible decision if you ask me.
For all my Jerry Springer 90s stans, Ringmaster was released and reminded us why we watched The Jerry Springer Show. If you haven’t seen Ringmaster, please do yourself a favor and watch this hilarious movie.
November 15, 1999
For the final year of the decade, we end with one of my favorite artists of all time Donell Jones, topping the R&B charts with You Know What’s Up.
While I am a fan of Donell’s first four albums (he has 8), it’s inevitable his second album, Where I Wanna Be, is the fan favorite. The title track, Where I Wanna Be, was about him and his ex-girlfriend Kishina who he has four daughters with. The lyrics of the song tell their story.
…If she give me some time
I can be the man she needs
But there's a lot of lust inside of me
And we've been together since our teenage years
I really don't mean to hurt her but I need some time
To be alone
Where I Wanna Be is definitely a classic, but my favorite songs off this album are Have You Seen Her and Shorty Got Her Eyes On Me, which was the first single off this platinum album.
I got to meet my favorite artist back in 2013 while he was performing at the club in Atlanta. Don’t ask me what I was wearing. 2010s fashion was the WORST. But I was a master at the sock bun!
So what are you going to listen to for the rest of the day? I am sure your 90s nostalgia buzz is going after this decade recap.
Well friend, we only have TWO more lunch dates this year. Can you believe it?! One of them is my favorite volume to write, my Birthday volume, which will wrap up 2021! See you next month, 12/6!