For those that pride themselves on knowing the behind the scenes scoop of the music industry, Joi has been one to talk about for, now over, a decade. When her first single, “Sunshine and the Rain,” off her critically acclaimed, Dallas Austin produced debut album The Pendulum Vibe, hit airwaves in '93, she was instantly lauded as "the new Madonna". Madonna, herself, was so in love with the album that she went on to hire Dallas Austin to produce her Bedtime Stories album. Madonna is also responsible for making the call that landed Joi's becoming the first black model in a major Calvin Klein print ad campaign.  Joi's original style, not easily classified, was the first to be tagged "neo-soul".  But, as an artist and performer, Joi is beyond classification. What she represented as a new voice of black womanhood was further celebrated on the Mario Van Peebles film, Panther, soundtrack where her song “Freedom,” from the Pendulum Vibe album, was rerecorded with an all-star cast of female singers including: Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, En Vogue, Michelle N'degleocello, TLC, Queen Latifah, Vanessa Williams, SWV, Brownstone and many more.
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