James Mtume

James Mtume
Mtume in 2021
Background information
Birth name	James Forman
Also known as	Mtume
Born	(1946-01-03)January 3, 1946 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	January 9, 2022(2022-01-09) (aged 76)[1] South Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	R&B soul post-disco funk gospel jazz
Occupations	Singer songwriter multi-instrumentalist radio personality record producer
Instruments	Vocals, percussion, keyboards
Years active	1961–2022
Labels	Blue Note Columbia Capitol Mainstream Prestige Third Street Epic RCA

James Forman (January 3, 1946 – January 9, 2022),^[2] known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality.^[1]

He came to prominence as a jazz musician, working with Miles Davis between 1971 and 1975.^[1] Mtume's R&B group, also called Mtume, is best known for the 1983 R&B hit song "Juicy Fruit", which has been repeatedly sampled, most notably by The Notorious B.I.G. on his hit "Juicy".^[1] Mtume the band also had a top-five R&B hit with the single "You, Me, and He".^[1]