Coko Debuts At #5 On Billboard Chart

Coko, who led SWV’s Top Ten pop hits such as “I’m So Into You” and “Weak” during the 1990s, is back on the block with her debut urban inspirational/gospel CD, Grateful (Light Records). The project has debuted at #5 on the Billboard gospel album sales chart while her single “I Get Joy” is nestled in the Top 40 on the urban ac radio singles chart.

Among the many project highlights are Coko’s remake of the Clark Sisters’ “Endow Me” which features Fantasia, Faith Evans and Li’l Mo. Her mother, Laddy Tibba Gamble, who once recorded with Light Records as a member of the New York Community Choir, joins Coko and Donald Lawrence on the festive, “Mighty God.” Coko shows off her vocal power and finesse on the stirring, “Hymn Medley.” The Wal-Mart edition of the CD will include the bonus tunes, “I Wish,” a soulful ballad, and Brent Jones & the T.P. Mobb’s 2002 smash hit, “Midnight,” which featured Coko’s soaring soprano vocals.

Coko, who has lent her signature soprano to hit songs such as “Men In Black” (with Will Smith) and her solo hit “Sunshine,” is not a newcomer to the church. “I never left the church,” she says. “I’ve always been active in my church despite my profession in R&B music. Church was more than a breeding ground for me to sing, it’s where I nurture my soul. It’s a lifestyle for me.”

Coko began her career at 12 years old as a member of the New York Community Choir. The singer was a member of Hezekiah Walker’s Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, and it was during that period that she teamed up with childhood friends Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and Tamara “Taj” Johnson to form SWV. In the past, she’s appeared on gospel projects by The Lord’s Church Cathedral Choir, Youthful Praise and Brent Jones & the T.P. Mobb.

Light Records, is a privately held, Nashville-based company owned by Sheridan Square Entertainment. The label is currently home to a diverse group of Gospel artists including Grammy Award-winner Shirley Caesar, Bishop Paul S. Morton, RiZen, Youthful Praise, Zie’l and Judith Christie McAllister.

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