Remember when we were all singing “Can’t stop hoooow I feel, I’m diggin’ on you, you’re diggin’ on me, we’re diggin’ on we/ And oh I can’t stop hoooow I feel…?” Yeah that was the jam back in the day, I feel like listening to it right now as a matter of fact. Anyways Babyface’s brothers Kevon Edmonds and Melvin Edmonds and their friend Keith Mitchell made up the group, After 7 and they were in the midst of covering up a secret that could have hindered their success, had it got out at the time.

https://www.facebook.com/After7Music/photos/a.443013549242930.1073741828.442895012588117/599012003643083/?type=3&theater

Via Souleouniverse: Melvin officially left the group in the early 2000s and his son, Jason Edmonds, now performs with them. For many the circumstances surrounding Melvin’s departure remained a mystery until now. Kevon shared that although Melvin did struggle with drug abuse, which affected the group, that’s not why he quit. “Drugs wasn’t the reason why this or that did not happen. But my brother did wrestle with drug abuse from time to time,” he revealed. “It was an issue but it was important to keep our reputation and deliver a solid show and handle the business.”

It was reported that at the time Melvin left the group, it had less to do with his addiction struggles and more to do with the stress of the music industry:

“Melvin grew tired of the business. There are no checks and balances or safety nets or protections for you in this business. He still loves to sing but it’s the extra stuff that he reached his limit with.”

These days, After 7 is also weary of the business side of music and has no immediate plans to pursue a record deal even though their last album was released nearly 20 years ago. Instead Kevon is content to perform with the group on occasion, work on solo material outside of R&B and spend time with his family.“I am happily married with a family and that’s one of the greatest gifts. So if something good presents itself and it feels right and seems purposeful then I will take a look at it. But I’m good in this space.” -via Souleouniverse

Lately, Melvin has performed sporadically with his group members. Maybe one day we’ll see Melvin permanently rejoin the group, but in the meantime it’s great seeing his son, Jason Edmonds, carry that torch in his place.

https://www.facebook.com/After7Music/videos/708497372694545/

Keeping a group together is something just short of a miracle in the music game and the typical problems we usually hear are either money issues, one member getting too much of the group’s shine, or drug problems. Although Kevon Edmonds said that drugs weren’t the reason that Melvin actually left, I’m willing to bet that it contributed at least a little to his departure. Think about it, if Melvin’s reason for leaving was because he couldn’t handle the pressure and not having a steady flow of income, but he also had addictive tendencies, what does someone with an addiction problem typically do during stressful times? They oftentimes self-medicate. So it’s probably safe to assume that his addiction only made his ability to accurately handle the pressure 100 times worse. We certainly wish Melvin Edmonds the best with his health.