Gerald LeVert is R&B royalty, descendant of the O'Jays's Eddie LeVert. But while Eddie has been content being part of a group, Gerald's talents couldn't be contained in such a setting. Released in 1991, Private Line was G's declaration of independence after breaking from his group LeVert, and he came out swinging hard. The sweet-hot voice was a given, but nobody was prepared for his skills as a writer and producer, showing on songs such as "School Me" and "Private Line" that a lover man can work it teddy-bear smooth or bring serious mack game. He even brings his dad in for a duet on "Baby Hold On To Me," one of the finer soul songs of the '90s. Every track cracks with the fresh energy of a talent let loose, laying the foundation for a career that continues to define the role of the modern soul man.