Forget about the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, true music fans know the real debate surrounds two covers of an iconic song by an even more iconic R&B diva.
This summer, fans are reigniting the battle between SWV’s Coko (Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble) vs. Keke Wyatt’s rendition of “If Only You Knew” by Patti Labelle.
In 1993, the Philly songbird released the original song on her sixth solo album, “I’m in Love Again,” on the Philadelphia International label. The song was released as the project’s first single and was so popular that it spent four weeks on Billboard’s R&B Chart in the No. 1 spot in the beginning of 1984 and No. 46 on the platform’s Hot 100 Singles chart.
SWV is currently on the “Queens of R&B” tour with Xscape, Mya, 702 and Total, and have incorporated the song in their set.
The Neighborhood Talk posted their West Palm Beach, Florida, performance of the track on July 14 and fans immediately lost their minds, with some torn between who did it better, Coko or Keke.
“Killed it!!! I literally have chills all over my body!!! My, God!!” one person wrote, as another said, “Still singing like the rent out … take notes newbies.”
A third comment said, “It’s the “F—k it up Coko” in the background for me!!!!! And she did,” and a fourth said, “I almost threw my shoe.”
One of the platform’s 1.9 million followers was bold and disagreed, “Coco is a very talented to singer but I don’t really get the hype. Personal Keke Wyatt has one of the best voices of all time. Her vocal range is unmatched.”
“Nobody can sing this song better than Keke sorry,” one person said, agreeing. “Patti finna say something about that! Yeah thinking 24 hours tops…tic toc Patti!”
At one point a virtual fight broke out with one person saying, “Keke bout to respond hold on.” Someone clapped back, “She better respond to them 12 kids!! everybody got a Twin in the world coco ATE down.” Someone else jumped in and said, “KeKe finna respond with 24 of them ran through runs she be doing!!!”
Eventually, the author had to admit, “She definitely ate.”
Many played the middle (throwing a little shade at the original poster) saying, “Coko and Keke Wyatt are going to forever own that song!!!! Auntie Patti just made it!!!”
The song has been covered and recorded by several young artists including, Phil Perry, Soul For Real, Tamia, Brian McKnight, and Ledisi on their own albums.
In 1998 at two major award shows, several artists tackled the song in tributes to the signature soprano.
On the Soul Train Awards, Rachelle Ferrell, Ron Isley, Peabo Bryson, and Tamia sang the song, with Ferrell, another Philly girl, hitting the escalating G5 note in the vamp.
The same year, at the Essence Awards, Mariah Carey sang the same song but stayed away from the high note.
Two singers that have permanently included the song in their repertoire and recorded on their own records are Coko and Keke, and they are never shy about the money mark at the end of the song.
Keke was the first to cover the song on her 2001 “Soul Sista” album on MCA.
SWV recorded the same song on their 2012 “I Missed Us” album.
Both albums received stellar reviews, but only the single that featured Coko’s vocals was nominated for a Grammy in 2013, losing out to Beyoncé’s “Love on Top.”
While Beyoncé got the Grammy nod, Keke got an Auntie Patti nod.
In an interview with Atlanta Black Star, KeKe said the OG called her and called her a “heifer” in a colloquial seal of approval.
“She called me a heifer,” Keke recalled. “She called me. She said, ’You listen here, little heifer.’ I said, ‘Who is this?’ She said, ‘Patti.’”
After humbling herself on the phone with the OG entertainer, Keke listened.
“She said … ‘I can never sing my song again because of you,’” the mother of 11 recalled.
According to Keke, she told Labelle that it was her song and that there was no way that she should stop. Labelle had a rebuttal, saying, “‘Well, you’re going to make it hard for me.’”
@7luckycharms7 That Corset had to come off!!! Singing downnn the house.. I don’t own the rights to this song .. #swv #swvchallenge #rnb #rnbvibes #fyp #realmusic #pattilabelle #ifonlyyouknewchallenge #weak #december ♬ original sound – Lucky
Both ladies’ versions are extraordinary, with Coko mirroring the original, and Keke adapting her own style to it, saying she sings it how she wants to “hear it.”
Fans agree: We want to hear it how both of them do it.
