Keith Sweat was born in 1961 in Harlem. His father worked at a local factory, and his mom was a hairdresser. In 1973, Sweat’s father died. His mom raised Keith and four of his siblings alone. When Sweat was still a young boy, he became a big fan of soul and rhythm-n-blues. He went to college and got a bachelor’s degree in communications. Keith was achieving excellent results climbing the career ladder. Soon after finishing college, he got a job as an assistant of a broker at the NY Stock Exchange. However, the young man soon realized that finances are not something he wanted to be dealing with for the rest of his life.
Back in 1975, when Keith was just 14 years old, he was part of a local Harlem group Jamilah. The group gave concerts in New York and the area. The young man successfully combined studying, working, and performing. He gained valuable experience performing on stage and working with other musicians.
In 1984, Keith left the group and started performing solo at local clubs. He caught the attention of the representative of Stadium Records, who helped the young artist record a single “My Mind Is Make Up.” In 1987, Keith was offered a contract with Vintertainment Records. In November, he presented his first LP, Make It Last Forever, which stayed on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart for three weeks. One of the singles “I Want Her” topped Hot R&B Songs Chart and came in 5th on Billboard Hot 100.
