J. Holiday

J. Holiday, the relaxed R&B singer based in Washington, D.C. and born Nahum Grymes, secured a contract with Capitol and issued the single "Be with Me," produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, in 2006. His debut full-length Back of My Lac' arrived the following October and earned widespread attention through the singles "Bed" and "Suffocate," both co-written by the-Dream and each reaching number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Capitol reissued Back of My Lac' in February 2007 during its strongest period of popularity, at which point the album topped the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, while expanding the track list by three songs and including a DVD with several videos. Holiday delivered his sophomore album, the more romantic Round 2, in March 2009. Steering clear of prior approaches, he partnered this time with a largely new group of songwriters and producers that included Maurice "Big Reese" Sinclair, Ne-Yo, and the Platinum Brothers.