If you're 25 or under, you might just remember Sammie from his 1999 hit song "I Like It," which was released when he was just 13 years old. But after releasing one album, From the Bottom to the Top, which was primarily produced by Dallas Austin, Sammie took a few years off to concentrate on finishing school. After signing with Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records when he was still in his teens, Sammie returned in 2006 with his self-titled second album, which was led by the single "You Should Be My Girl." At the time of his first comeback, yours truly interviewed Sammie about his hiatus from music and return to singing and this is what he had to say about his time away from the business:
"More than anything, I missed the fans. I missed being able to keep them abreast of what's going on. I missed being onstage, singing. And I missed the money," he said, laughing.
But after his sophomore album, Sammie disappeared again, parting ways with Rowdy Records in the process. Now he's back again, but this time as a 25-year-old man instead of a teen heartthrob. And to showcase his skills, he's done what so many R&B artists are doing these days: he's just dropped a free mixtape called Insomnia. The 16 tracks, most of which are tied to the theme of his inability to sleep at night, were written and executive produced by Sammie himself. Numerous other producers worked on individual tracks as well, including Troy Taylor, best known for his work with Trey Songz. The Insomnia mixtape's a prelude to Sammie's third full album, Coming of Age, which is due later this year. The full mixtape can be streamed or downloaded free and legally via the top link below.
- Insomnia mixtape stream/download (via datpiff.com)
- About.com's 2006 Interview with Sammie
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