We were extremely saddened to hear the news today of the passing of Ife Mtume, daughter of legendary music man James Mtume (who died in 2022) and chair of the Mtume Foundation, has died at age 54.
James Mtume’s estate posted the bad news on Instagram today, and included the following information:
As President and Board Chair of the Mtume Foundation, Ms. Mtume led the charge to preserve the legacy of her father James Mtume. This included his vast discography (which includes the classic hit, “Juicy Fruit”), involved activism throughout life as well as his political acumen in support and development of artists, which included arts organizations.
Ms. Mtume’s commitment to underserved communities was rooted in her prior leadership role with the New Jersey-based Maplewood and South Orange After-School Programs (subdivisions of the South Mountain YMCA). Her mission was to promote health and wellness, self-esteem, confidence, social skills, and a safe environment for school aged children to learn and grow.
Family, friends and colleagues remember Ms. Mtume for her friendly and cheerful outlook on life, while maintaining a firm, no-nonsense approach to business and work.
Ms. Mtume is survived by her daughters Sukari, Yamani and son Mazi; mother Kamili Mtume; sisters Benin, Eshe; brothers Richard, Faulu as well as many nieces and nephews.
When it came to talent and influence in multiple genres, they didn’t get much bigger than James Mtume. As musician, producer and songwriter, he was responsible for all-time classics in both soul and jazz. Mtume recorded two early 70s albums that expressed his intended melding of jazz and black identity, and he quickly established himself as an artist worth watching. A multi-instrumentalist, over the course of the 70s, Mtume worked with many of the jazz greats of the time, from Miles Davis to Gato Barbieri to McCoy Tyner.
But Mtume’s fame increased dramatically when he began to focus more on songwriting and production for R&B artists, alongside frequent collaborator Reggie Lucas (d. 2018). Their song “Never Knew Love Like This Before” was a monster for Stephanie Mills, and opened the door for production work for The Spinners, Phyllis Hyman, Teddy Pendergrass and many more. It also won a Grammy Award.
Another Mtume/Lucas product, 1977’s “The Closer I Get To You,” turned into a #1 smash for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, becoming Hathaway’s last big hit. Mtume continued to be in demand as a producer through the end of the 90s, with credits including hits from Mary J. Blige, K-Ci and Jojo and R. Kelly.
Mtume also created a series of hit albums as a bandleader of his eponymously named act, which also included noted singer Tawatha Agee. The group’s biggest album was 1983’s Juicy Fruit, a tasty melding of adult soul and jazz, the title track of which became a #1 hit, but they also won over fans with the popular albums In Search of The Rainbow Seekers, Theater of The Mind, and the top 5 You, Me and He.
We send our deepest condolences to the Mtume family for this loss, and wish the Mtume Foundation continued success in doing its great work.
By Chris Rizik
