Today, Jay-Z is a worldwide superstar who has created an empire with a net worth of more than $2 billion, making him the world’s wealthiest musician.
But long before he married Beyoncé, became one of the most successful rappers in the world, and everyone knew his name, he was featured on the very first single, Be Alone No More, by the British R&B boy band Another Level.
The group formed in London in 1997 and was made up of members Dane Bowers, Mark Baron, Bobak Kianoush, and Wayne Williams. Bowers went on to have solo success and made TV appearances on shows such as Celebrity Big Brother 7.
Now, Bowers is looking back on when he worked with the “99 Problems” artist, Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, and labelmates NSYNC. He also opened up about the realities of ’90s fame and partying, which came to an abrupt end when camera phones were introduced.
Speaking on behalf of the online bingo provider Zingo Bingo, Bowers told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Our first single featured Jay-Z. At the time, he wasn’t the Jay-Z that you know now. He was big underground, and he wasn’t a massive artist, but when you look back at it now and people say, ‘Oh my God, you had Jay-Z on the first record,’ you’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s kind of cool.’
“We were a very niche act coming out when R&B was not in the charts. We were pretty much one of the biggest commercial artists for U.K. R&B. The only people on our label were us, Jay-Z, and NSYNC at the time. And that was it. So we had a lot of good attention, and we were able to do the music we wanted to do. For me, it’s the memory of just working with those artists at the time with Jay-Z. Wu-Tang Clan and Wyclef (Jean) also produced some stuff.”
Bowers then discussed how trying to go out and have a good time became increasingly difficult for artists around that time because of the rise of camera phones.
“We had the time of our lives. I can’t lie,” the singer added, before sharing, “But when you’re growing up, and you’re becoming famous and a celebrity, or whatever you want to call it, and they start bringing out mobile phones with really good cameras, that becomes difficult. You’re out and about, and that kind of ruined our lives a little bit.
“You were trying to be on the down low and a bit quiet about what you’re doing. We were out five, six nights a week and camera phones, that was the worst nightmare, like every tabloid’s dream. There were pictures and always someone there following you. Now, obviously, that’s the way of the world. But back then, that’s when it kind of started, and I remember that. That was a difficult time for us.”
