With nine albums under his belt and his 10th, 'Double Back: Evolution of R&B,' releasing on July 2, it's safe to say that Joe has been a strong mainstay in the genre. So when he wanted to give people a taste of what he has to offer on the new album, fans and industry folk alike were buzzing at a private event hosted by Last.fm in the Living Room in New York City's Lower East Side on June 7.

Dressed in a grey suit with matching trilby hat, Joe sat comfortably in his stool holding a red Taylor guitar and serenaded the crowd with six old and new tracks. His signature R&B sound is something that's important to the artist and he promises that it's something he won't water down despite the changes in the music industry.

"For me, it's about continuing to do what I love," he told the crowd. "I look at the music industry now, and it's downgraded a bit. The industry is not what it used to be in the '90s. The focus is not there. Everybody is jumping ship on us. They want to make money. They want to make some pennies. So they go the pop route. I have nothing against pop music. I love dance music. I love that Miami sound. I dance to it, have parties to it, but I will never alienate my core audience."

While fans, especially the ladies, loved his live renditions of 'More & More' as well as his latest single, 'I'd Rather Have Love,' he did want to show fans another side of himself by performing songs that are bit edgier like 'Baby' -- a tune about falling in love with two women. Another track he premiered at the show was 'Magic City.' Possibly inspired by the Atlanta gentlemen's club of the same name, he explained that it was based on some crazy times he has as a younger man, namely those he's had at strip clubs.

"It's a bit edgy because I'm talking about life and those moments," he said.

Despite some of the racier moments during the gig, Joe brought it back home by inviting his sister, Chiquita, to come onstage and sing 'I Wanna Know' with him -- a rare moment that was special to both the audience and the artist.

"I learned from her. When we were younger, she'd do a riff then I'd do a riff," he explained. "She was always a better singer than me. She just came to town to hang with her brothers. She's the best big sis."

Check out the photos from the special concert.

Joe
Emily Tan, TheDrop.fm
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Joe
Emily Tan, TheDrop.fm
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Joe
Emily Tan, TheDrop.fm
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Joe
Emily Tan, TheDrop.fm
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Joe
Emily Tan, TheDrop.fm
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