An acronym for LeVert, Sweat and Gill, Los Angeles trio LSG combined the talents of three of 90s R&B’s most recognizable and revered names - Gerald LeVert (b. 13 July 1966, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, d. 10 November 2006, Cleveland, Ohio, USA), Keith Sweat (b. Keith ‘Sabu’ Crier, 22 July 1961, New York, USA) and Johnny Gill (b. 22 May 1966, Washington, DC, USA). Some commentators went so far as to place their collaboration in the same stratosphere as the Three Tenors. However, given each member’s hectic writing and recording schedules, the completion of their 1997 album was something of a logistical nightmare. Prior to LSG Sweat and LeVert had guested on each other’s albums. Gill had just completed a new solo album for Motown Records, and was touring with a re-formed New Edition. Sweat was the main motivating force behind the project: ‘I thought the people would like it, I thought it would just be something real different and unique.’ However, it was LeVert who co-ordinated complicated recording details, with tapes of partially completed songs being swapped between the members over a three-month period. Other guest performers included a who’s who of modern R&B and hip-hop - Faith Evans, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Jermaine Dupri, Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott, Lil’ Kim and members of SWV. Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs also wrote songs for the project, including the hit single, ‘My Body’.
Six years after the first LSG collaboration, the protagonists regrouped to record a second album. This solid collection made a decent attempt at updating the trio’s sound to include recent developments in urban music.
