R&B singer Horace Brown released a streak of Top 40 singles on the American R&B and dance charts during the mid-1990s. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, he was raised by an Apostolic preacher and sang his first songs in church. In 1991, one of his demo recordings made its way to Jodeci's founder, DeVanté Swing, who subsequently played a role in launching Horace Brown's career. After producing Terri & Monica's 1993 debut album and working as a background vocalist for Christopher Williams, Horace Brown signed with Uptown Records and released his first single, "Taste Your Love," in 1994. Despite its controversial content, "Taste Your Love" became a hit on the Hot R&B Songs chart, where it peaked at Number 38. Horace Brown subsequently left Uptown Records' roster, signed a new contract with Motown, and landed the biggest hit of his career with 1996's "One for the Money." The song was a crossover hit, peaking at Number 14 on the Billboard R&B chart while also becoming a Top 40 dance single. Its follow-up, "Things We Do for Love," arrived later that year and enjoyed similar success. Those singles helped pave the way for Horace Brown's self-titled debut album, which was released in 1996 and charted at Number 18. Although he never recorded another full-length record, Horace Brown continued to work on new material, releasing the singles "Shake It Up" and "This Is the One" in 2001 and maintaining an active touring schedule well into the 2010s.
