HONORARY HOLIDAY RESOLUTION FOR JEWELL CAPLES FIRST LADY OF THA ROW RECORDS (QUEEN OF HIP-HOP BACKGROUND RUNS)
WHEREAS: Jewel Lynn Caples a native of Chicago, IL was bom on June 12, 1968, a world class vocalist, singer, songwriter, author, entrepreneur and known as "THE FIRST LADY OF THA ROW RECORDS" and QUEEN OF HIP-HOP BACKGROUND RUNS, exited this world on May 6, 2022, and,
WHEREAS: Jewel was the lead singer in the Choir at Free Holiness Church in Chicago. She sung gospel songs to promote the love that Jesus had for all mankind and,
WHEREAS: Jewel joined her mother Eula Caples traveling ministry at age 9 and for 2 years, sung on the comer of 63rd & Ashland in the Englewood Community. People would gather to listen making statements; "Wow you sound like Mahalia Jackson" and "What a big voice for such a little girl" some would offer her money to sing at birthday parties, but her mother would not allow that and,
WHEREAS: Jewel and her mother relocated to Los Angeles California and Jewel continued singing in her mother's traveling ministry and passed out "Come to Jesus Tracks" with her mom and other siblings and, Jewel attended several elementary schools and in the 5th Grade her teacher Mrs. Sawyer sent a note home saying, "One day I may have to pay hundreds of dollars to hear Jewel sing, but for now can you please convince her to stop bursting out singing in class" and,
WHEREAS: Jewel sang in her high school choir and in 1988 began to sing in recording studios, Jewel gained notoriety as a recording artist with "Tha Row Records" under the stage name Jewell and, Jewell made her motion picture soundtrack lead vocal debut on the hit track "Love or Lust" from 1992 film "Deep Cover". The soundtrack peaked at number 9 on Billboard's Top R &B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and,
WHEREAS: In the Fall of 1992 Jewell performed for President-elect Bill Clinton at a Bloods & Crips Summit hosted by former Crip Charles Rachal and former Blood Leon Gullet who were running a small outreach program at the Community Youth Gang Services. The purposes of the summit was to discuss ways to curb the violence and increase peace in the community. Jewell was honored to lend her voice to such a great cause and,
WHEREAS: Jewell made history singing lead on "Above the Rim" motion picture soundtrack "It's Not Deep Enough". The album shipped over 2 million copies and won "The Soundtrack of The Year Award at the 1995 Source Awards. The success of "Above the Rim" soundtrack album was unheard of for a motion picture soundtrack in the hip hop genre and,
WHEREAS: Jewell became the hip-hop queen of background runs lending her voice to many tracks for legendary rap stars, just to name a few including but not limited to Tupac's "Thug Passion* from his last album recorded before his death "All Eyez on Me" which was certified diamond selling over 10 million copies and listed in Rolling Stone's magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,
WHERAS: Jewell's infectious runs on Dr. Dre's "Dre Day" from "The Chronic Album" which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard US Hot Dance Music/Maxi Singles Sales chart and certified gold selling over 800 thousand copies, there were also UK and German 12-inch vinyl's of "Dre Day. Jewel sang lead on the "Dre Day Remix" and made it her own with the lyrics "ONLY YOU CAN HANG WITH MY G GIRL SWANG" and,
WHEREAS: Jewell followed up her signature vocals on Dr. Dre's "The Chronic's "Let Me Ride", a sample of Parliament Funkadelic's Mothership Connection (Star Child). The chorus was sung by Jewell and Ruben, Dr. Dre won a Grammy for the track in 1994 for Best Rap Solo Performance. Let Me Ride peaked at number 3 on Billboard's Hot Rap Songs Chart and peaked at number 1 on Billboard's Hot Rhythmic Chart and,
WHEREAS: Jewell took singing Snoopy Dogg to a whole new level when she created the vocal runs gospel style for Snoop Dogg's "Who am I What's my Name". Jewell was heard all over the world when the
song charted in over 12 countries including Australia, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, France, Switzerland and many more.
WHEREAS: in 1994 Jewell produced her own rendition of "Shirley Brown's hit Woman to Woman, Jewel's version peaked at number 16 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
WHEREAS: From 1994 to 2004 The Row Records sponsored an annual Single Mother's Day Luncheon which featured the dynamic vocals of Jewell and Tupac and after Tupac's death in 1996 Jewell performed solo and with other various artists, and
WHEREAS: In October 2011, Jewell published her own memoir My Blood My Sweat My Tears,
Soundtrack which was on the Amazon Best Sellers list in 5 categories, CDs, Vinyl, Soundtracks, R&B, and Pop and
WHEREAS: Jewell always put the needs of her family above her own. In 2016 she had a medical emergency, but her faith caused her to refuse treatment because she did not want to leave her 17-year- old son. This act of sacrifice prompted family and a community of people to raise the funding she needed to persevere on with the treatment which prolonged her life just a little while longer and,
WHEREAS: In February of 2022 Jewel was in a podcast development project titled "Words of Wisdom from Mama G" it would feature short messages of inspiration and,
WHEREAS: Jewel, a beloved daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother was a real-life example of overcoming extraordinary circumstances and being humble to the Most High and,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this thirty-first day of May, 2023, do hereby declare that June 12, 2023 shall be known as JEWELL THE FIRST LADY OF THA ROW RECORDS AND QUEEN OF HIP-HOP BACKGROUND RUNS DAY in honor of the 55lh Anniversary of the birthday of Jewel Lynn Caples aka Jewell, in the City of Chicago; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family of Jewel Caples as a sign of our honor and respect.
