Title Track from Keith Sweat's Breakthrough Album 'Make It Last Forever' Was Inspired by Mom

Keith Sweat's name got on the musical map with his breakthrough song “Make It Last Forever,” and it turned out that his mom inspired the record.

The R&B era of the ‘80s and ‘90s is not complete without mentioning veteran singer, Keith Sweat; he dominated the music scene and topped the charts.

Sweat’s prominence began in 1987 when he released the song “Make It Last Forever,” a title he also used for his album.

The song and the album topped the Billboard R&B charts, scoring the number one position six times, and going platinum thrice.

The success of the song and album meant a lot to the singer apart from cementing his place as one of the best in the business; three decades after, he revealed the significance.

Sweat told Billboard during an interview that his mother inspired him to create “Make It Last Forever.” Like every good son, the singer said he wanted the best for his mum, and the song gave him a platform to do that.

In his words:

“I wanted what’s best for her in this life, and I got to give it to her with this song.”

The R&B veteran equally got to do more than that; Keith made his mother proud by becoming an artist to reckon with, and his secret as disclosed to Billboard, is staying true to his music and the unique way he makes it.

Beyond music, Sweat also hosts a radio show called “The Sweat Hotel” on several radio stations across the United States including iHeartRadio, and in 2015, he started an annual festival in Jamaica called “Sweatfest.”

The iconic singer's singing root dates back to his days in Harlem. During his “Playing for Keeps” album launch at the iHeartRadio Theater in Manhattan, he said all he wanted at the beginning was for his friends to hear his songs on air and cheer for him.

Back then, Sweat made a kind of music called “New Jack Swing,” a mixture of rap and singing, and at the album launch, he explained that he’s had to reinvent himself to stay relevant and get the new generation, interested in his music.

In all, the “I Want Her" singer has sold millions of albums and singles and loves the fact that young people see him and refer to him as the “OG” out of respect for his contribution to R&B music.