* En anglais uniquement
A Los Angeles-based R&B trio,
MoKenStef consisted of Monifa Bethune, Kenya Hadley, and Stephanie Sinclair. The first syllable of each singer's first name formed the group's moniker. Signed to Outburst, originally an independent imprint that had become part of Lyor Cohen and
Russell Simmons' Rush Associated Labels group,
MoKenStef debuted in 1995. The slow jam "He's Mine," with assists from
Zapp's "Be Alright" and
Prince's "Do Me Baby," peaked at number two on Billboard's R&B chart and at number seven on the Hot 100. Its life was extended by an uptempo remix, featuring a guest verse from
Grand Puba, that repurposed the groove from yet another early-'80s classic,
Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me." Parent album Azz Izz was unable to hit the upper half of the Billboard 200, and second single "Sex in the Rain" sunk after it made only a small ripple. The group went silent after contributing to the
Phat Beach soundtrack and late-'90s albums by
Luniz and
Domino. ~ Andy Kellman