Manuel Seal has died at the age of 66. He not only produced the Mariah Carey hit "We Belong Together," but also collaborated with Janet Jackson, Usher, and Aretha Franklin.
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Manuel Seal Created a Sound
The news of Seal's death was reported by VIBE and announced by the songwriter's longtime friend and collaborator, Jermaine Dupri. His cause of death has not been publicly revealed.
The Chicago native was integral in creating the sound that defined the label So So Def Recordings, and his skills as a musician, songwriter, and producer are apparent on albums from Xscape and Da Brat. Dupri founded the label in 1993. The 54-year-old rapper paid tribute to his friend on Instagram on Sunday, Sep. 27.
"Today I lost the first person to really understand me musically," Dupri wrote. "He had an answer for every one of my ideas; he had a spirit and a presence that I never wanted to leave me."
"I used to try to do as much as I could when he was there because the one thing he taught me was that the more you know, the better it's gonna sound," he added. "Every time we spoke, we always ended the conversation by saying I love you, so at least I know he knew, and he knows. I'm so hurt, but I also thank God for blessing me with the experience. May your soul rest in peace, Big E."
Seal Also Co-Wrote "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey
In addition to his credits on So So Def Recording's own releases, Seal was credited as a songwriter on TLC's CrazySexyCool. He also co-wrote "Always Be My Baby," a 1995 hit for Carey.
Seal also wrote several songs for Usher, including his breakout hits "You Make Me Wanna" and "Nice and Slow." In addition, he worked on albums by Destiny's Child, Tyrese, Alicia Keys, and Gerald Levert.
Seal earned 13 Grammy nominations. He won Best R&B Song for Carey's 2006 hit "We Belong Together." The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 non-consecutive weeks. At the time, it was the second-longest-running Number 1 song in the chart's history.
