Dave Hollister Revisits 'chicago '85'

Though he's still preaching about life, love, and respect, it's a more comfortable Dave Hollister who's standing behind the musical pulpit on the upcoming sophomore set "Chicago '85." The Def Squad/DreamWorks project arrives in stores Nov. 21.

"My wife was with me through the whole process this time," says Hollister, "and that made me more comfortable. I'm in love, and the songs I sing on the new album are basically about that. I make music for the state of mind I'm in. It's not like one album is more me and the other isn't. On my first album, I was in a frustrated state, and that came out on the record. People expect me to talk about love and other issues like treating a woman right. But I'm still doing it the Dave Hollister way . . . the good old preacher way."

Hollister's hip-hop/R&B preacher-man persona took shape with his 1999 gold-certified Def Squad debut, "Ghetto Hymns," co-produced by Hollister, Def Squad principal Erick Sermon, Stevie J, Noontime, and BLACKstreet's Eric Williams. The gritty, street-flavored album attracted a flock of fans—selling 540,000 copies, according to SoundScan—thanks to the rhythmically rendered true-life stories found in such tracks as "My Favorite Girl," "Babymamadrama," and "Can't Stay."

This time around, Hollister hooked up with several noted producers including Tim and Bob (Sisqó), Steve Huff (R. Kelly), Mike City (Carl Thomas), newcomers Tank and Walter Milsap, and cousin K-Ci (of K-Ci & JoJo fame, who works out on the cut "Keep On Lovin' "). The result is a smooth R&B take on a favorite Hollister subject: the dynamics of the male/female relationship.

"I'm giving sermonettes and messages to guys about what will happen if they don't keep their houses straight," says the singer, who's been married five years and is the father of two.

A case in point is the cut "A Woman Will." "Check out those lyrics," advises Hollister, who's published through God Music/Universal Publishing (ASCAP). "A woman will carry the weight of the world on her shoulders for you as long as you're treating her right. If not, she'll bury you. Or you might as well be dead. Once you lose the best thing in your life, you can hang it up."

Other noteworthy tracks on this strong 14-track follow-up include the noncommercial single "One Woman Man" (sent to radio Aug. 22), "We've Come Too Far," "Doin' Wrong," "Take Care Of Home," and "I'm Not Complete." The album title originated from what turned out to be a pivotal year in the Chicago native's life: 1985.

"That's when I found out my father was actually my stepfather," he recalls. "I rebelled, doing some hustling and gangbanging. But I was able to turn things around. If I can help one kid in the city know that he can make it, then I've accomplished something."

Hollister is already accomplishing one goal by building a "great story at radio," according to DreamWorks marketing head Bruce Walker, who notes that among the key stations championing the single is WGCI Chicago. Its operations director/FM PD, Elroy Smith, calls the record "a smash."

Walker also says the label isn't worried at all about releasing the album during the fourth quarter. "We're very confident of the single," he explains. "It sends a positive message. It's been a long time since there've been songs like that to gravitate to; from 8 to 80, you'll get into it. Plus we've assembled an array of hot producers who have completed an incredible album."

DreamWorks is mounting a marketing campaign that encompasses video (BET, the Box, MTV, regional cable outlets), consumer advertising, and showcase/concert performances. The label's efforts actually started with the recently ended Mary J. Blige tour, for which Hollister—booked by ICM's Rich Murphy—was the opening act during the monthlong sweep.

"That forum gave us an opportunity to present Dave as a great artist," says Walker. "We want to get the music out first. We're introducing the video and running a limited amount of consumer ads. Then we'll wait until the first quarter and launch the brunt of our advertising effort because then we'll have more to talk about."

Retail is already talking. "This is a very well-rounded, solid album," says Sonya Askew, urban music buyer for the Musicland chain. "When you listen to the tracks, it's almost like a biography on relationships. Every track is tight, and I like the album's midtempo vibe. If worked properly, DreamWorks should expect good sales."

No doubt bolstering that momentum is Hollister's between-album moonlighting. Besides guesting this year on tracks by Hezekiah Walker, Changing Faces, and Sticky Fingaz, Hollister's trademark R&B grit adds flavor to "Don't Have Me," a cut from Keith Sweat's Nov. 14 Elektra release "Didn't See Me Coming." He also contributed to the soundtrack for the touring David Talbert-directed play "His Woman, His Wife."

But another possible project—the reported BLACKstreet reunion—is now tabled. Says Hollister, who's managed by Donnie Harrell of Los Angeles-based Goodfellas Entertainment, "It doesn't make sense to do it without all the original members. So it probably won't happen."

What also didn't happen was any concern about the sophomore jinx. "I didn't have time to be scared," he says, laughing. "We only had 30 days to record the album, so I didn't think about it. I just fell into a different groove this time around, and it feels good."