Adina Howard

Grand Rapids, Michigan native Adina Howard first captured widespread attention through the funky R&B sound of her platinum-certified debut album, Do You Wanna Ride, issued in 1995. Its standout track, the number two pop hit “Freak Like Me,” later resurfaced when Sugababes covered it and reached number one in the U.K. seven years afterward. Her planned sophomore effort, Welcome to Fantasy Island, was pulled from EastWest’s schedule shortly before its intended 1997 launch. Although she scored a notable duet with Jamie Foxx on “T-Shirt and Panties” for the Woo soundtrack, Howard waited until 2003 to issue an official follow-up, The Second Coming, via the Rufftown imprint. Limited distribution and scant promotion left the project largely overlooked and commercially underwhelming. She subsequently moved to the Arsenal label, which put out Private Show in 2007; the collection included the singles “L.O.V.A.” and “Tease” along with guest spots from Reign and Kabo. Around the same period, Howard turned her focus toward acting and culinary pursuits. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, she published a cookbook and launched a restaurant. She kept releasing music throughout the 2010s yet did not stage a formal comeback until 2017, when Resurrection appeared as her fourth American album. Reissued the following year, the project showcased contributions from King Gas, Adrian Crutchfield, and Tech N9ne and contained the track “Nasty,” built around a sample of her earlier signature hit “Freak Like Me.”