L.V. - How Long (2000)

It's been years since L.V. brought his substantial vocal ability to Coolio's 1995 monster hit "Gangsta's Paradise." His menacing baritone was the highlight of that single, but on How Long, L.V. takes a decidedly smoother approach. While his name, L.V., stands for "large variety," one would think it stood for Luther Vandross after hearing him croon on track after track on How Long. The most successful song is the title track, "How Long," which features a catchy chorus and a sharp guitar line. On tracks like "Rain," he seems to try too hard, as he tests his vocal range beyond its limits and the results sound amateurish. As for how long How Long will be remembered, it is unlikely to linger in listeners' minds after a few listens, but it may be able to get them through a night or two.Tracks produced by Mario Winans,Steven Russell,Marc Kinchen,James Broadway,Billy "Blazin" Moss,Darryl "88" Young,The Characters,LV,Marc Gordon,Myron, Alex "Cat" Cantrall.

Larry Sanders (born November 21, 1960), better known by his stage name L.V. (which stands for "Large Variety"),is an American winning R&B singer. He is best known for his collaboration with rapper Coolio on the Grammy Award-winning single, "Gangsta's Paradise", and has been featured on multiple soundtracks since then. Having released four solo albums to date, he was also a member of the gangsta rap group South Central Cartel since their beginning, usually singing the vocals and chorus.L.V. grew up with a father who sang gospel music along with the radio every morning, and this helped hook him on singing. He won a high school talent contest by performing L.T.D.'s "Concentrate on You", joined the Los Angeles Trade–Technical College choir. He later joined the Los Angeles Southwest College music department where he studied voice, choir and performed in several stage musicals. He also contributed R&B vocals to a neighborhood rap group, the South Central Cartel.Following his success with "Gangsta's Paradise", L.V. landed a contract with Tommy Boy Records, which released his debut album I Am L.V. in 1996. This album spawned the hit single, "Throw Your Hands Up" which featured Treach from Naughty by Nature (Produced by Maurice 'DJ Moe' Thompson and Jay Supreme Williams for Barr 9 Productions). The single went on to sell over 400,000 units. The album also features a version of "Gangsta's Paradise" without rap lyrics.

L.V.'s follow up album was How Long, released on Loud Records in 2000. The record had a more soulful style, but also featured guest appearances by the likes of Raekwon and Shari Watson and was well reviewed in magazines such as Vibe and The Source.

In August 2012 L.V. released the album "STILL L.V" in Japan which is Executive produced by Meaku.He is the father to producer Larry Jayy