P.M. Dawn, comprised of brothers J.C. the Eternal and Prince Be, have always made music that has fallen somewhere between rap and soulful pop.
The duo, who scored a hit in 1991 with “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss,” are working on an LP of R&B covers tentatively titled Rhythm for Infinite Blues.
J.C. the Eternal was born Jarrett Cordes 28 years ago today in Jersey City, N.J. His brother, Attrell (Prince Be), is 14 months older he is. Their stepfather, a former percussionist with soul group Kool and the Gang, turned them on to folkies such as Donovan. The brothers also used to listen to discarded records brought to their Manhattan, N.Y., home by their uncle, a sanitation worker.
The brothers began singing together and formed P.M. Dawn after graduating from high school. The group’s name was inspired by the scripture “in the darkest hour comes the light.” Using their new stage names, DJ Minutemix (later J.C. the Eternal) and Prince B, they cut a demo. Jarrett’s choice of the DJ moniker reflected his role as turntablist. The song “Ode to a Forgetful Mind,” released on Tiny Warlock Records, became popular in Britain, leading to a contract for the duo with Gee Street Records.
