Signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records in the late ’90s, R&B singer Carl Thomas shined bright with singles like 2000’s “I Wish.” • Thomas got his start in Chicago as a member of the vocal group The Fourmula. He later moved to New York City, where he was discovered by P. Diddy and signed to Bad Boy. • After a few years of singing backup for the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, and N.O.R.E., Thomas released his debut, Emotional, in 2000. Featuring the No. 1 R&B hit “I Wish,” the album went platinum. • In 2001, Thomas earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Can’t Believe,” a song he recorded with Faith Evans. • His second album, Let’s Talk About It, arrived in 2004 and went gold. It might’ve sold better, but Thomas pulled back on promotional efforts after his brother was killed. • Thomas—along with Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, and Gerald Levert—earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Everyday (Family Reunion),” off the soundtrack to Tyler Perry’s 2006 film Madea’s Family Reunion. • Since parting with Bad Boy, he’s released the albums So Much Better (2007) and Conquer (2011).