CASE

Rhythm-and-blues and soul artist Case has earned platinum sales for his songs that discuss the various conditions of romantic and parental love. He has written and recorded songs that explore his love for his own children, infidelity, relationships that ended bitterly, and relationships that never began due to the cowardice, poor communication, or insecurity between men and women. His recorded output represents a progression from a more street-based, urban hip-hop style typically associated with the Def Jam label, to a smoother, more soul- and R&B-styled music. Case has admitted that he aspires to recreate the sound of such traditional R&B and soul performers as Stevie Wonder and the Gap Band. The soul-based sounds of Case's later recordings inspired Def Jam to create the Def Soul subsidiary.

Born Case Woodard, Case was raised in several areas of New York City and New York state, including Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Mount Vernon. He was living in the Bronx when he was 17 years old, in a family that he has described as being very strict. His father was a one-time aspiring singer, and Case was the eldest of three siblings that included his two younger sisters. By the time he was five years old, he was entertaining his family and friends with concerts he performed in the family living room. His aspirations to become a professional singer were discouraged by his family, particularly his mother, and the tension between the two caused him to leave home as a teenager.