Born in Little Rock, Ark., but raised in Oakland, Lenny Williams got his start as a member of the iconic funk group Tower of Power, singing on three of its best albums: Back to Oakland, Urban Renewal, and Tower of Power. He went on to have a long and successful solo career, recording for labels like Motown, Warner Bros., and MCA and scoring many hit singles, such as "Shoo Doo FuFu Ooh" and "You Got Me Running." Between 1974 and 2012, he put out 16 albums and continues to tour on a regular basis. He also wins over new fans through hip-hop, where his music has been extensively sampled by megastars like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Young Jeezy, Mobb Deep, and Scarface. Though he's now pushing 70, Lenny still has an untouchably smooth voice. And the production here is spot-on throughout: old school without being corny, modern without resorting to Auto-Tune. Honestly, there's not a bad song here, but "Sunshine," "Grown Man," "Make Love," and the comedic closer "I'm Sorry I Didn't Know It Was Your Mama" are especially great.