Case

Case Woodard, born October 4, 1971, in New York City, began his musical journey as a child, performing concerts within his family home. Despite initial discouragement from his family, particularly his mother, he pursued his aspirations in singing, leading him to leave home as a teenager. His early career involved co-writing and singing background for artists such as Usher and Al B. Sure. Case’s talent was eventually recognized by Russell Simmons, who signed him to Def Jam Records, marking a significant turning point in his career.

His solo career advanced in 1996 with the release of “Touch Me, Tease Me,” featuring Foxy Brown and Mary J. Blige, which achieved gold status and appeared on *The Nutty Professor* soundtrack. This success was followed by his self-titled album, also released in 1996. In 1999, Case released *Personal Conversation*, which went gold and featured hit singles “Happily Ever After” and “Faded Pictures.” His third album, *Open Letter*, released in 2001, included his only number one single to date, “Missing You.” This period also saw him earn two Grammy Award nominations for “Missing You” and “Livin’ It Up” with Ja Rule. Over the years, Case’s music has been prominently featured on numerous movie soundtracks, including *Rush Hour* and *The Best Man*, further solidifying his presence in the music industry.

After a period of focusing on his family, Case reappeared in 2008 with the track “Face to Face” on the *Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns* soundtrack. He continued to release albums, including *The Rose Experience* (2009), *Here, My Love* (2010), and *Heaven’s Door* (2015). In 2018, he released *Therapy*, which included the single “Make Love” featuring Teddy Riley and Tank. Case has demonstrated artistic progression from a street-based hip-hop style to a smoother R&B and soul sound, inspiring the creation of the Def Soul subsidiary at Def Jam.