I Am is the debut album by American R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

-soul

Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele Payne , known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter....

, released in the United States on June 19, 2007 by Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam Recordings

Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...

.

Production

Michele began working on the music that would make up I Am before she had a recording contract, and started promoting her work by visiting events for independent artists. During this time, she caught the attention of L.A. Reid, who later signed her to Island Def Jam, where she got support from producers such as Babyface, will.i.am

Will.i.am

William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...

, and John Legend

John Legend

John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...

.

The video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for the album's lead single "If I Have My Way" premiered on VH1 Soul

VH1 Soul

VH1 Soul is a digital cable and satellite television channel and is the sister network to VH1. It showcases R&B, funk, soul, and Motown music from various periods....

. The video for her second single "Best of Me

Best of Me (Chrisette Michele song)

"Best of Me" is the second single from the Chrisette Michele album, I Am. It has not received much attention on the charts, although it was added to the VH1 video lineup. An unplugged version of the song was featured on the VH1 website....

" premiered on July 6, 2007 on Yahoo! Music

Yahoo! Music

Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...

, and was later added to VH1

VH1

VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

's video rotation. "Be OK

Be OK (Chrisette Michele song)

Be OK is the Grammy winning third single from soul-R&B singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele's debut album, I Am released digitally on December 11, 2007. The song features hip hop singer will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and won the Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.- Background :"Be OK"...

", which features will.i.am, was released as the third single from the album, whose music video was on BET

Black Entertainment Television

Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

's 106 & Park

106 & Park

106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...

on December 18, 2007. "Love Is You" was the fourth and final single and was released in 2008.

Reception

I Am debuted at number twenty-nine on the U.S. Billboard 200

Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

, selling about 26,000 copies in its first week. Despite lack of promotion, the album has thus far managed to sell 419,000 units in the United States as of late February 2009.

I Am received generally positive reviews. Internet publication AllHipHop

AllHipHop

AllHipHop.com is a hip hop news website. It was founded in 1998. At five million visitors a month, it is the world's most popular hip hop website. Essence magazine has dubbed it "the CNN of hip-hop". In 2006, AllHipHop won the Rising Stars Award from Black Enterprise magazine. In 2007, PC Magazine...

 gave the album a stellar rating, stating: "She is Chrisette Michele and with her debut, I Am (Def Jam), this constituent of the House of Hov delivers one of the quietest, yet most powerful albums out there." The album's third single, "Be OK", won the 2009 Grammy Award

51st Grammy Awards

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...

 for Best Urban/Alternative Performance

Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality urban/alternative performances...

.

Track listing

1. "Like a Dream" (Chrisette Payne, Christopher Grant) – 3:59
2. "Work It Out" (Payne, Grant) – 4:21
3. "If I Have My Way" (Payne, Kevin Randolph, David Lee Stewart) – 4:02
4. "Best of Me
   Best of Me (Chrisette Michele song)
   "Best of Me" is the second single from the Chrisette Michele album, I Am. It has not received much attention on the charts, although it was added to the VH1 video lineup. An unplugged version of the song was featured on the VH1 website....
   
   " (Payne, Babyface) – 3:52
5. "Your Joy" (Payne, Babyface, Rob Lewis
   Rob Lewis (musical director, arranger)
   Robert Lyndel Lewis is a well-established American music arranger, music composer, record producer, musical director, film composer, musician, entrepreneur and philanthropist...
   
   ) – 4:32
6. "Good Girl" (Payne, Salaam Remi
   Salaam Remi
   Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
   
   ) – 4:04
7. "Be OK
   Be OK (Chrisette Michele song)
   Be OK is the Grammy winning third single from soul-R&B singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele's debut album, I Am released digitally on December 11, 2007. The song features hip hop singer will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and won the Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.- Background :"Be OK"...
   
   " (featuring will.i.am
   Will.i.am
   William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
   
   ) (Payne, William Adams, Jr., Bob Marley
   Bob Marley
   Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
   
   ) – 3:42
   • Contains a sample of Bob Marley & The Wailers
     Bob Marley & The Wailers
     Bob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
     
     ' "Could You Be Loved
     Could You Be Loved
     "Could You Be Loved" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It was released in 1980 on their last album Uprising and is included on Bob Marley & The Wailers greatest hits album Legend...
     
     " (Bob Marley)
8. "Mr. Radio" (Payne, Grant) – 3:53
9. "Golden" (Payne, Joseph Smart) – 4:23
10. "Let's Rock" (Payne, Adams, Darryl McDaniels
    Darryl McDaniels
    -Video game appearances:*The Warriors - Scopes*Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Himself- External links :* * * * * http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12...
    
    , Joseph Simmons
    Joseph Simmons
    Joseph Ward Simmons , known by the stage name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C., and a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. He is the younger brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons, Jr...
    
    ) – 4:43
    • Contains a sample of Run-D.M.C.
      Run-D.M.C.
      Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
      
      's "Here We Go" (Darryl McDaniels, Joseph Simmons)
11. "Love Is You" (Payne, John Stephens
    John Legend
    John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
    
    ) – 3:17
12. "In This for You" (Payne, Remi) – 3:41
13. "Is This the Way Love Feels" (Payne, Kelvin Wooten) – 6:45
14. "I Am One" (Hidden track) (Payne, Wooten) – 3:45

iTunes edition

15. "Good Girl" (Live) – 4:14
16. "If I Have My Way" (Live) – 4:05
17. "Golden" (Live) – 4:28

Japanese edition

14. "Good Girl" (Def Jam First Look Live) – 4:14
15. "If I Have My Way" (Def Jam First Look Live) – 4:05

Musicians

• Chrisette Michele – singing
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  , backing vocals
  Backing vocalist
  A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
  
  
• Face – acoustic guitar
  Steel-string acoustic guitar
  A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
  
  , drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Lino Gomez – bass clarinet
  Bass clarinet
  The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
  
  
• Vincent Henry – baritone saxophone
  Baritone saxophone
  The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
  
  
• Christopher Johnson – drums
• Norris "Sirone" Jones
  Sirone (musician)
  Norris Jones, better known as Sirone was an American jazz bassist and composer.-Biography:Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Sirone worked in Atlanta late in the 1950s and early in the 1960s with "The Group" alongside George Adams; he also recorded with R&B musicians such as Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson...
  
   – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  
• Lisa Kim – violin
  Violin
  The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
  
  
• Gail Kruvand – bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• John Legend
  John Legend
  John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
  
   – piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• Rob Lewis
  Rob Lewis (musical director, arranger)
  Robert Lyndel Lewis is a well-established American music arranger, music composer, record producer, musical director, film composer, musician, entrepreneur and philanthropist...
  
   – keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• Emily Mitchell – bass clarinet

• Eileen Moon – cello
  Cello
  The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
  
  
• Sandra Park – violin
• Bruce Purse – bass trumpet
  Bass trumpet
  The bass trumpet is a type of low trumpet which was first developed during the 1820s in Germany. It is usually pitched in 8' C or 9' B today, but is sometimes built in E and is treated as a transposing instrument sounding either an octave, a sixth or a ninth lower than written, depending on the...
  
  
• Salaam Remi
  Salaam Remi
  Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
  
   – bass, drums, guitar, piano
• Robert Smith III – drums
• Qiang Tu – cello
• Jeremy Turner – cello
• Omari Williams – drums
• Steve Williamson
  Steve Williamson
  Steve Williamson is an English saxophonist and composer.....
  
   – clarinet
  Clarinet
  The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
  
  
• Kelvin Wooten – bass, organ
  Organ (music)
  The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
  
  , piano
• Sharon Yamada – violin

Production

• Chrisette Michele – producer
  Record producer
  A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
  
  
• Babyface – producer, keyboard programming
• Stephen Barber – string
  Strings (music)
  A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
  
   arrangements
• A.J. Benson – A&R
  A&R
  Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
  
  
• Shalik Berry – A&R
• Paul Boutin – engineer
  Audio engineering
  An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
  
  
• Thom Chadley – engineer
• Lysa Cooper – stylist
  Fashion design
  Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
  
  
• Andrew Dawson – engineer
• Nichell Delvaille – art coordinator, photo coordination
• Gleyder "Gee" Disla – assistant
• Dylan Dresdow – mixing
  Audio mixing (recorded music)
  In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
  
   engineer
• Doug "Biggs" Ellison – programming
  Programming (music)
  Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
  
  , executive producer
  Executive producer
  An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
  
  , management
  Talent manager
  A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
  
  , vocal editing
• Anthony Gallo – vocal engineer
• Jon Gass – mixing
• GI Joe – producer
• Don Goodrick – assistant engineer
• Christopher "Jazz" Grant – engineer
• Bernie Grundman
  Bernie Grundman
  -Biography:He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1983 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan and Brian Gardner, mastered 37 projects which received Grammy Award nominations in 2005.Grundman...
  
   – mastering
  Audio mastering
  Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
  
  
• Courtney Harris – assistant engineer
• Q. Nicole Jackson – A&R
• Matt Jones – photography
  Photography
  Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
  
  

• Doug Joswick – package production
• Hyomin Kang – assistant engineer
• John Legend – producer
• Rob Lewis – string arrangements
• Riley Mackin – engineer
• Manny Marroquin
  Manny Marroquin
  Manny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....
  
   – mixing
• Tony Maserati – mixing
• Mo Jaz – producer
• Amber Noble – marketing
  Marketing
  Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
  
  
• Linette Payne – personal manager
• Kevin Randolph – producer
• L.A. Reid
  L. A. Reid
  Antonio "L.A." Reid is a three-time Grammy Award-winning US record executive, songwriter, and record producer. Best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records, he is responsible for signing and helping bring Mariah Carey, Pink, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, Toni Braxton, TLC,...
  
   – executive producer
• Kendal "KD" Revanales – programming, engineer, vocal editing
• Rubin Rivera – engineer
• Mark Roule – digital editing
  Digital media
  Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
  
  , mixing assistant
• Joseph Smart – engineer
• Jason Stasium – engineer
• David Lee Stewart – producer
• Matt Taylor – design
  Design
  Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
  
  
• Nadia Vessel – hair stylist
  Barber
  A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
  
  
• will.i.am
  Will.i.am
  William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
  
   – producer
• Kelvin Wooten – producer, string arrangements
• Patricia Yankee – grooming

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...	186
U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	29
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...	5

Release history

Country	Date	Label
United Kingdom	June 18, 2007	Def Jam Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
United States	June 19, 2007
Canada	July 10, 2007	Universal Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
Germany	July 24, 2007
Japan	November 21, 2007