A native New Yorker,
Case got his start in the music biz in the '90s, singing backup on albums by several renowned R&B artists (such as
Usher). Signed to the Def Jam label in the mid-'90s,
Case issued his self-titled debut in 1996, followed by
Personal Conversation in 1999 and
Open Letter in 2001. On the latter release,
Case wrote each song with a different person in mind ("A Song for Skye" was written for his daughter, while the tracks "Love of My Life" and "Shine" were inspired by the great
Stevie Wonder).
Case was joined by such big-name producers as
Jimmy Jam,
Terry Lewis, and
Tim & Bob. In 2004 he asked to be released from his Def Jam contract in order to launch his own label, Indigo Blue. In 2009
The Rose Experience became the first release for the label. In addition to his own albums,
Case has appeared on the soundtracks for the movies Rush Hour, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, and The Best Man (for the latter he teamed up with
Tyrese,
Ginuwine, and
RL of
Next for the track "Best Man I Can Be").
–
Greg Prato, Rovi