Carl Martin

Carl "Groove" Martin (born 29 August 1970; Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American vocalist, songwriter and producer, best known as a founding member of the R&B and soul quartet Shai.
 

Early Life

Martin attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he studied English and became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. It was through his fraternity connections that he first began singing informally with fellow students, laying the groundwork for what would become his professional musical career.
 

Career

In 1990, Martin formed an a cappella group at Howard University alongside fellow Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers Marc Gay and Darnell Van Rensalier. After two other founding members departed, the trio invited fellow student Garfield Bright to join, forming the line-up that would become Shai, a name drawn from a Swahili word meaning "personification of destiny." None of the members had professional singing experience, and the group initially performed around campus for fun before winning a Howard University talent show, which prompted them to pursue a record deal.

After an unsuccessful attempt to secure a contract in New York City, Martin gave a demo cassette of his original song, "If I Ever Fall in Love," to Washington, D.C. radio personality Paco Lopez at WPGC, who began playing it on air; the song's growing local popularity soon attracted national attention. In September 1992, Shai signed with Gasoline Alley/MCA Records and released their debut album later that year. "If I Ever Fall in Love" became a major hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album was certified double platinum, also producing the top ten hits "Comforter" and "Baby I'm Yours."

In early 1994, the group made a guest appearance on the sitcom Family Matters, and later that year released "The Place Where You Belong" from the soundtrack of Beverly Hills Cop III, which became their final top 40 single. Shai's second album, Blackface, followed in late 1995, featuring the R&B top 20 single "Come with Me." The group's last chart appearance came with a 1996 remix of "I Don't Wanna Be Alone," featuring Jay-Z and drawing inspiration from Belinda Carlisle's 1987 hit "Heaven Is a Place on Earth."

Martin departed Shai following the release of the group's second album amid internal creative conflicts within the group, going on to build a career as an award-winning songwriter, producer and executive, including a stint as Director of Production at independent distributor Goldhil Entertainment.

He continued to release solo material independently over the following decades, including the singles "Incredible" (2009), "The Way You Move It" (2011), "Dali," "For You" and "Save Myself" (2015–2016), "Gotta Be Love" (2017) and "Daddy's Legacy" (2024).

In recent years, songwriter and producer Savan Kotecha, known for his work with One Direction, Ariana Grande and the Weeknd, invited Martin to Stockholm to collaborate on new material inspired by his early songwriting style, reconnecting him with the contemporary pop and R&B songwriting world.

As Shai's principal songwriter during its commercial peak, Martin is widely credited as the creative force behind the group's signature ballad style, and "If I Ever Fall in Love" remains one of the most recognised R&B singles of the 1990s.
 

Current Activities

Carl "Groove" Martin continues to write, record and release music independently, most recently the single "Daddy's Legacy" (2024), with further standalone singles planned rather than a full-length album.