Ginuwine reflects on his R&B legacy ahead of Bronx concert

R&B singer Ginuwine, regarded for his late 1990s and early 2000s hits that helped redefine the genre, is coming to Lehman Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 7, joined by artist Ro James.

Ginuwine, whose real name is Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, is known for songs like “Pony” — which appeared throughout the “Magic Mike” film franchise — “Differences” and “So Anxious.” His work has been sampled by other big industry names like Rihanna, Drake and Pop Smoke. The Washington, D.C.-born artist told The Press he’s content with his mark on R&B. He’s still playing shows, people still remember his songs, and artists — some more successful than himself, he said — keep using his voice.

“I’m just smooth sailing,” he said.

The industry has changed since Ginuwine emerged on the scene. He hasn’t released new music in more than a decade, the last time being in 2013 as a part of TGT, a group including two other solo R&B artists. Ginuwine said he hasn’t felt inspired, and struggles to keep up with the pace at which artists now release music to stay relevant.

“I don’t like where music is now,” he said. “Back in my day, you could ride one song for like six months. Now it’s one song and it’s gone in a week unless you just keep putting out music. I just don’t have that in me anymore.”

But there was a time when his competitive spirit was at an all-time high, he said. Ginuwine’s debut single in 1996 was “Pony,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Billboard. It was also the breakthrough track for producer Timbaland.

At this point, Ginuwine said he was in his 20s and “ready for it all.” There were a lot of artists rising to popularity in this era, and the friendly competition kept Ginuwine on his toes and in the studio.

Hits kept coming. But in the midst of this high, Ginuwine’s parents died. He lost his dad in 1999 and his mom a year later. Ginuwine fell into a deep depression, something he said at times he still struggles with today. Music was his outlet. He released “Two Reasons I Cry” in 2001, an emotional song that expressed the difficulty of coping with grief.

“It took me a couple days to do because I was crying,” Ginuwine said. “But I got through it, and it was very therapeutic because I was able to pour my heart out into my music and my writing.”

As a kid, Ginuwine said he was inspired to pursue music after watching Michael Jackson perform the moonwalk for the first time in 1983. He also looked up to Prince, New Edition and Bobby Brown.

While he’s not actively making new music now, Ginuwine said he is going to keep touring and acting. He’s also working on a memoir.

Ginuwine said attendees of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts show can expect “110%, as they have always gotten from me.” It will be fun, silly and evoke memories of where attendees were when the songs were first released, he said.

“Ladies, wear red,” Ginuwine said. He frequently encourages women to don the color as it is his favorite.

The show’s special guest, Ro James, is known for his 2015 song “Permission.” James described himself as “Ginuwine’s little brother with more energy.”

James was born in Germany, and as a military kid, he lived all around the U.S., taking bits of each state he called home and mixing it into his interpretation of contemporary R&B, he told The Press. James didn’t expect the success of “Permission,” but said its theme of consent is something that will never go out of style.

Since leaving his label a couple years ago, James said he’s been recalibrating. Now an independent artist, he released his most recent single in May, called “5th Gear,” and said more new music is coming this month. The upcoming performance will be an “appetizer of what’s to come,” as he is launching a tour next year, he said.

The Nov. 7 concert will start at 8 p.m. at 250 Bedford Park Blvd W. Visit lehmancenter.org/events/ginuwine for tickets.