Album: Where I Wanna Be Artist: Donell Jones Release Date: February 29, 2000 Genre: R&B, Hip-Hop

Donell Jones has since released albums like Life Goes On (2002) and Forever (2023), but Where I Wanna Be remains his benchmark.

How to listen legally

Donell Jones ’ sophomore album, Where I Wanna Be, is a platinum-certified R&B classic released on October 12, 1999, by LaFace and Arista Records. Known for its smooth production and "no-skip" reputation, it remains a definitive project of the late '90s R&B era, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard 200. Album Overview & Impact

Critical reception

  1. "Intro"
  2. "Where I Wanna Be"
  3. "Fortunate"
  4. "U Make Me Wanna"
  5. "Shorty (Got No Name)"
  6. "If You Leave" (feat. Ginuwine)
  7. "Where I Wanna Be (Reprise)"
  8. "Don't Ever Think (Heaven's Not Hard to Find)"
  9. "I Refuse"
  10. "The Truth"

3. Deep Cuts That Slap

Beyond the singles, tracks like "I Hope" (a letter to an unborn child) and "When I Was Down" (about loyalty and betrayal) show Jones’ range as a storyteller. Fans searching for a "full album zip" often do so because these deep cuts aren’t always on casual playlists.

  1. Legal purchase/streaming links – The album is available on platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, and YouTube Music.
  2. Backstory & track breakdown – I can write a detailed retrospective on the album’s creation, its impact on R&B in 1999, and the meaning behind key tracks.
  3. Lyric analysis – A deep dive into songs like “U Know What’s Up,” “Where I Wanna Be,” and “Shorty (Got Her Eyes on Me).”
  4. Similar artist/album recommendations – If you enjoy this album, I can suggest other late ’90s/early 2000s R&B albums with a similar vibe.
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