411

The UK R&B quartet known as The 411 consists of vocalists Carolyn Owlett, born in England, Suzie Furlonger from Dumfries in Scotland, Tisha Martin born in Jamaica, and Tanya Boniface born in Surrey, England. Martin and Boniface first crossed paths while providing backing vocals for UK soul vocalist Lemar, after which a Sony Records representative urged them to create their own ensemble. Owlett and Furlonger joined them, and the lineup came together at the beginning of 2003. The group’s name drew from rap slang while also honoring Mary J. Blige’s urban classic What’s The 411?. Members handled most of the songwriting for their debut album, though US star Ashanti supplied one track, “No Excuses.” Rapper Ghostface Killah appeared on the UK Top 5 hit “On My Knees,” a summer 2004 release that placed a domestic-violence narrative within the higher reaches of the charts. The next single, “Dumb,” likewise reached the UK Top 5 and led into the November arrival of Between The Sheets.