[1] Benét expressed an interest in music at an early age, but was initially encouraged by his father, a police officer who died of cancer, to attend college and pursue a "stable" career.

Individual songs from the album were successful, including the top-ten R&B hits "Spiritual Thang", "Femininity" and "Let's Stay Together", which originally appeared on the soundtrack of the film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate.

1 on the US Billboard R&B charts (for 3 weeks), was certified gold, and nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group".

With its musical direction representing Benét's homage to the sweet soul sound of the early to mid-1970s, the album featured duets with Faith Evans; Chrisette Michelle; Ledisi; and Eddie Levert of The O'Jays.

In 2013, Eric Benét's sixth studio album, The One, won him the SoulTracks Readers' Choice Award for Best Male Vocalist.

'[7] In April 2014, Benét signed R&B singer-songwriter Calvin Richardson and Goapele to his imprint along with BMG/Primary Wave Music to release their upcoming albums in the US.

[9] Later that year, he released an album of classic cover songs, exclusively distributed in Japan, titled, From E to U, Vol.

In 2001, he made his big-screen debut—alongside that of singer Mariah Carey—in Glitter; the film (which has elements of romance, drama, and comedy) was loosely based on Carey’s own life and early experiences within the music industry.

[13] In 2013, Benét appeared on the second season of BET's hit television show, the Real Husbands of Hollywood.

Benét's eldest daughter India Brianne Jordan was born on December 3, 1991, to his partner Tami Stauff, who died in a car accident on April 24, 1993.