Monica "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)"

Album: Miss Thang (Rowdy/ Arista)
Songwriters: Dallas Austin, Willie James Baker, Derek Simmons and James Todd Smith
Hit #1: June 10th, 1995 (2 Weeks)

LL's post-Mama Said Knock You Out release, 14 Shots To The Dome, provided the first taste of his back-and-forth album success throughout the 1990's. Coasting a bit after "not announcing" his comeback on the aggressive title track of it's predecessor, initial reaction to Dome was that of distaste. Many balked that he was trying to keep up with the times by being too "gangsta", others felt it was just too lazy and weak sales seemed to justify all the criticism. In retrospect, though, the album had some great production to it's credit (and an underappreciated gem in the sexy single "Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings") and one young artist would benefit from one of it's beats only a couple of years later.

A modest chart success in the summer of '93, "Back Seat (Of My Jeep)" expressed the joys of automobile-set quickies over a soundtrack of intercourse moans, R&B piano bits and skeletal drum boom bap. Rapping with such a force he sounds like he's going to bust a...vein, an extremely horny LL ("You're putting on your lipstick/ I want to give you this big fat...") bypasses a trip to the crib bedroom to show his gold toothed date (he thinks she's "classy") what a thugged out screw session should be like.

Don't think he's lost all sense of romanticism, though. LL makes sure to take her out to dinner ("Drive through for chicken") and set the mood right ("I light a candle on the dashboard"), but from there-on-out, it's all about hitting the skins in the roughest way possible. With detailed scripting, LL salivates at the mouth in his latest victory ("We're bonin' on the dark blocks/ Wearin' out the shocks/ Wettin' up the dashboard clock/...Your kitty kitty cat cat was hungry/ So I fed it"). And just in case she was more terrified than turned on by his in-the-moment caveman fervor, he ends it all like a polite gentleman ("Give me a hug").

Whether or not 15-year-old Atlanta-born singer Monica Arnold was aware of the explicit subject matter of "Back Seat", by the time she got around to the beat, producer/ co-songwriter Dallas Austin had entirely flipped the script of the track's purpose.

Debuting less than a year after the like-aged Brandy, Monica was in all shape and form, the bubbly R&B princess' antithesis. She had a close-cropped 'do, the sultry Southern voice and neck-popping attitude of an older woman, called herself 'Miss Thang' and the topics she sung about were far heavier than teenybop puppy love woes. Case in point: her introduction single, and anthemic PMS advertisement, "Don't Take It Personal".

When women heard Monica begging her man to give her some space on the memorable hook ("It's just one of dem days/ That a girl goes through/ When I'm angry inside/ Don't wanna take it out on you"), they quickly deduced that she was an old soul. Part -warning/ part-apology, "Don't Take It Personal" found the young vocalist with the grown-up pipes at least having the decency to inform her man of the bitch that she could become during those times of the month. She promises that her love for him is stationary, but when she "swings back mood to mood" he doesn't want to be around and accidentally get caught in the crossfire.

Even the beat sounds agitated, adding all kinds of noisy hip hop traffic atop the LL sample. Despite the decidedly un-fluid production, the song's central theme was far too impressionable for females and it became a monster radio hit, launching a fan-fueled Brandy vs. Monica rivalry that would result in one of the biggest duets in R&B history.

Monica - Don't Take It Personal
Uploaded by hakim93200

DL: "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" (YFH)



DL: "Back Seat (Of My Jeep)" (YFH)

Method Man featuring Mary J Blige "I'll Be There For You/ You're All I Need To Get By"

Album: Tical (Def Jam)
Songwriters: Nickolas Ashford, Robert Diggs, Valerie Simpson and Clifford Smith
Hit #1: May 20th, 1995 (3 Weeks)

1968: After having success with previous entries (the legendary "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love" on Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's first duet album, songwriting/ production duo Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson were called upon to create the entirety of Gaye and Terrell's follow-up album, You're All I Need.

Being that Nick and Val were also partners in marriage, the records they crafted tended to focus on a spirited mutual appreciation between couples. "You're All I Need To Get By" was just that, with Gaye and Tammi gazing into each other's lovestruck eyes to sing each other's praises. With A&S subtly chiming the title in the background, G&T list the multiple reasons why they are a perfect match, sounding like some syrupy Hallmark card brought to life ("Darlin' in you I found/ Strength where I was torn down/ Don't know what's in store/ But together we can open any door"). Yeah, the lyrics are a bit hokey (especially the "stand by you like a tree" line), but when the verses stairstep their way to that magical, gospel-like apex, thrusting the clouds apart to let the golden rays of heaven shine down on their happiness, "You're All I Need To Get By" transcends it's gloopy sentiment to become this infectious declaration of love and support.

1995: In a bid to showcase his own stab at sensitivity, Method Man, the initial solo star of the rugged East Coast squad Wu Tang Clan, employs Mary J Blige to recreate the classic duet as a street-tough Valentine.

In place of the charming bird-like coo of the original, this revamp is dark and nightmarish, set in some post-Armageddon soundscape where drums hit like bombs and horn samples and synthesizers peak from the dark with an unsettling eeriness. The fact that romance could bloom from such dour surroundings at all is miraculous and a major part of the cut's odd beauty.

While Mary J mimics the classic title line with a dead-eyed, strung out mopeyness, Method Man opens his steely heart for his number one boo ("Nothin make a man feel better than a woman/ Queen with a crown that be down for whatever"). He cherishes her allegiance in keeping her privates private when he's locked away or giving him a back rub when he needs it the most. "You made a brother feel like he was somethin," he raps, paying her back with promises of one day living his version of the American Dream ("And I'm-a walk these dogs so we can live/ In a phat ass crib/ With thousands of kids").

A shocker that a Wu-Tang member would cross over into the mainstream market (and later nab a Grammy) with a devilish twist on a such an esteemed ditty, "I'll Be There For You/ You're All I Need To Get By" quickly erased the notion that a rap love song had to be schlocky and radio-friendly to be a Platinum smash.

Best Moment: The haunting, melody-free dissonance of Mary J's croon against a slasher movie soundtrack (0:05)

Method & Mary J. Blige -I'll Be There
Uploaded by zac-dx

DL: "I'll Be There For You/ You're All I Need To Get By" (YFH)



DL: "You're All I Need To Get By" (YFH)

Montell Jordan "This Is How We Do It"

Album: This Is How We Do It (Def Jam)
Songwriters: Montell Jordan and Oji Pierce
Hit #1: April 7th, 1995 (7 Weeks)

In 1988, a London-born, eyepatch-ed emcee named Slick Rick emerged as hip hop's greatest storyteller with the classic album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Though it's vulgar lyricism and misogynist themes derailed some, the album premiered one of rap's most entertaining entities, whose humorous tone and breaks into sing-song cadences would influence an entire generation. One of the album's highlights was also it's biggest commercial release.

Coaxed by his nephews into telling them a bedroom tale, "Children's Story" found Uncle Ricky relaying a nightmarish yarn about a teenager who decides to earn some dough with some friends by "robbin' old folks and makin' da dash.". Unfortunately, he doesn't know when to quit and when he attempts to make a victim of an undercover cop, we're led through an adventurous chase scene. As a villainous beat pummels forward, we follow the thug through abandoned buildings, flying bullets and meetings with shotgun-packing dope fiends, with Rick expertly detailing every frightened, feverish thought of a seventeen-year-old realizing the trouble he's now facing ("Deep in his heart he knew he was wrong"). By the time the single verse narrative has ended, the boy lies dead in the street and Uncle Ricky has left two young kids horrified, the thought of going nighty-night the furthest thing from their mind.

Cut to the spring of 1995 and Def Jam's latest stab at R&B, a rap-adoring Los Angeleno named Montell Jordan, has taken that classic beat and morphed it from a haunting tragedy into a feel-good hip hop-soul party banger.

A celebration of one man's ascension from broke artist to high-paid superstar in record time (", "This Is How We Do It" marked a break from West Coast rap's violent imagery allowing gangbangers a chance to forget about the drive-bys and just chill in their Kani. Leading the South Central festivities with one hand in the air and the other wrapped tightly around his trusty 40-ounce malt liquor, the velvet-voiced Jordan demands the DJ "flip the track" and "bring that old school back" to a crowd of willing participants, more than happy to let loose and enjoy life for the oncoming weekend.

Montell didn't only get the party started in the West, though, as "This Is How We Do It" quickly took over the entire globe as an obligatory club jam still cherished to this day. But busting out of the gate with a platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated smash ended up a double-edged sword for a new artist, overshadowing a successive catalogue that would bring him to #1 again, but wouldn't produce anything as instantaneously and universally adored as this one.

Best Moment: "You see the hood's been good to me/ Ever since I was a lower-case g/ But now I'm a big G/ The girls see I got the money/ Hundred dollar bills y'all" (1:38)

Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
Uploaded by classics007

DL: "This Is How We Do It" (YFH)

Slick Rick - Children's Story
Uploaded by wechkane

DL: "Children's Story" (YFH)

Soul For Real "Candy Rain"

Album: Candy Rain (Uptown/ MCA)
Songwriters: Samuel Barnes, Heavy D & The Boyz, JC Oliver and Terri Robinson
Hit #1: February 11th, 1995 (3 Weeks)

It had been a minute since a young sibling act had gotten the "next Jackson 5" tag, so when Long Island's four Dalyrimple brothers arrived via the sweetened charmer "Candy Rain", audiences were more than happy to embrace the teenaged quartet.

The Heavy D protogees took radio and video waves hostage in the final weeks of the 1994-95 Winter with their debut offering, a youthful love letter that snatched a bassline from A Tribe Called Quest's "Check The Rhime" and asked the memorable question: "My Love/ Do you ever dream of/ Candy-coated raindrops?".

Holding a strained voice on it's last prepubescent legs, 14-year-old frontman Jason's cuddly delivery made mature pronouncements like "I never thought that I would find all that I need in life" that drew instant comparisons to a young Michael Jackson's similar wide-eyed perception of adult emotions. Yeah, he sounded like his voice would crack any second, but this edge-of-danger delivery added a striking sense of desperation, especially towards the end of his performance, where he's hollering towards whoever is listening in hopes that someone (ANYONE!) can relate to his initial association with love.

Scoring a second Top 20 hit with their Gap Band-sampling follow-up "Every Little Thing I Do", Soul For Real unfortunately lost their chart luster soon after as their voices grew deeper. But "Candy Rain" remains a favorite that continues to bring a smile across anyone's face every time it gets a spin.

Soul for real [kobra]-candy rain
Uploaded by malcomX13

DL: "Candy Rain" (YFH)

Peep the Heavy D-featured remix:

Soul For Real 'Candy Rain Remix'
Uploaded by banatchec

Brandy "Baby"

Album: Brandy (Atlantic)
Songwriters: Keith Crouch, Kipper Jones and Rahsaan Patterson
Hit #1: February 11th, 1995 (4 Weeks)

On first single "I Wanna Be Down" Brandy coyly confronted her crush with hopes that she could be a part of his life, even settling for friendship is he wasn't comfortable with anything more to that. It's follow-up, "Baby", traverses a similar angle, but throws out the bashful admiration and laidback cool for borderline-obsessiveness and upbeat R&B/ funk.

Unable to restrain her adoration any longer ("I can't keep my cool baby baby"), Brandy spews a confession of inner feelings that would have any person more than a little concerned. She constantly repeats that he's the only thing that she thinks of and asserts that the chemistry he unknowingly shares with her is the stuff legendary romances are made out of.

Illustrating her psycho-stalker mindstate is a restless strut delivered with a fierce dual guitar attack (one, a loose lick loop; the other, a sturdy bassline with heritage from the Parliament Mothership). Meanwhile, the teenaged singer provides a sleek vocal attack that grows from a deep growl to ecstatic bursts, making her sound more and more deranged as the track flows on.

With the one-two punch of "I Wanna Be Down" and "Baby" launching Brandy into an instant worldwide superstar at the tender age of fifteen, other labels began scrambling to find their own similar hit act. Within months, urban and pop radio was lit up with a large share of high-schoolers dominating it's playlists.

Best Moment: "Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah..." (3:20)

Baby
Uploaded by ice1906

DL: "Baby" (YFH)

TLC "Creep"

Album: Crazy Sexy Cool (Laface)
Songwriters: Dallas Austin
Hit #1: December 10th, 1994 (9 Weeks)

Though Oooooooh...On The TLC Tip helped establish TLC's unique make-up ("three so-so solo acts as one great tri-headed urban force"), spawning a handful of memorable hits and a new girl group phenom, it could be easy to dismiss them as a female BBD knock-off, more R&B-influenced take on Salt N' Pepa, or even worse, somewhat of a cartoon. Crazy Sexy Cool changed all that by blunting their wacky, sex-crazed antics with a more smoothed out sound, pushing T-Boz as the frontwoman and involving heavier use of socially conscious content. This "maturer" TLC were smartly introduced with CSC's huge lead single, "Creep".

Written and produced by Dallas Austin (who had sculpted "What About Your Friends" and "Hat 2 Da Back" from the first album), "Creep" retained the group's likable feminist anthem slant, but also embedded more of a polished R&B/ hip hop foundation. Anchored by a blaring horn hook, crisp drum beat, subtle scratch work and ascending keyboards-as-strings for the chorus, the production was of their richest yet.

T-Boz tackles over lead reins, complimenting the groove with her distinctive rugged alto as she tackles the perspective of a cheated-on woman who decides to get even. Marking the days of relationship trouble on her own personal calendar ("The 22nd of loneliness and we've been through so many things..."), Boz is tired of being ignored for his side dalliances. She opts to find the attention she craves elsewhere, but "Creep" doesn't just settle for an equal opportunity infidelity tale. In an effort to add a different layer to the situation, it's made very clear that T doesn't want to end the main coupling because she's too in love with him to be the one to call if off ("I'll keep give lovin' 'til the day he pushes me away/ Never go astray"). It's an interesting "Jerry Springer"-like twist that she's just as content allowing this un-official "open relationship" to continue.

The combination of soapy songwriting and elevated new jack sound made "Creep" an irresistible morsel that brought TLC back onto the charts in a major way. A #1 Pop smash, "Creep" took home the Grammy for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group, but was oddly the only single from the album to peak at the apex of the R&B charts. Crazy Sexy Cool, which would take a Best R&B Album Grammy Award, also featured mega-hits "Waterfalls" (a sobering reflection of inner-city violence and AIDS over a Sly Stone-ish funk-soul track), "Diggin' On You" (a cutesy, summertime flirtation ditty) and "Red Light Special" (a raunchy, cunnilingus-fixated slow jam) that all held chart-topping potential.

In 1996, the soul-influenced punk rock act Afghan Whigs covered the song for their Honky's Ladder EP, instilling a gender switch and sleazier alt-rock aesthetic that miraculously works.

TLC - Creep
Uploaded by hakim93200

DL: "Creep" (YFH)



DL: Afghan Whigs' "Creep" (YFH)

Barry White "Practice What You Preach"

Album: The Icon Is Love (A&M)
Songwriters: Barry White
Hit #1: November 19th, 1994 (3 Weeks)

Utilizing pillowy, decadent orchestrations and his crotch-stimulating bass voice to birth classy romantic soul pleas (and assist in the conception of millions of children around the world), Barry White, or the "Sultan of Smooth Soul" as many called him, found consistent success throughout the 1970's with lengthy-titled tunes like "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby", "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me". By the next decade, though, White suffered from the rise of electronic-based production and uninspired material which weakly imitated his previous success.

Thanks to rap artists sampling his work and a contribution to Quincy Jones' all-star slow jam "The Secret Garden", White became highly relevant again in the 1990s, and saw his commercial appeal re-ignite. The newly heightened appreciation of his work and style culminated in the biggest selling album of his career, 1994's The Icon Is Love, fueled by the Gerald Levert co-produced smash single, "Practice What You Preach".

Opening with the dual rumblings of a killer bassline and White's growling mack talk ("So what do you want to do...?"), "Practice What You Preach" doesn't waste time in it's announcement that things are about to get naughty real quick. That is if homegirl would stop talking about the things she can do and actually do them. "Once I've been with you/ You'll never go back," she teases, but White is tired of her endless wordplay. He quickly throws back, "You say there's a lesson that you wanna teach?/ Well, here I am baby/ Practice what you preach," his distinctive drawl ticking the track's simmering slow funk groove.

The sexual charge between Barry and the faceless vocalists playing the female vixen is both playful and intense leaving Barry so aroused he even sheds his cool swagger for a second, furious ad-libs damn near ordering her to break em off a piece before he explodes (and with his considerable size, she should want to do anything he says).

The Grammy-nominated "Preach"'s overwhelming success marked the perfect birthday present for the then-fifty year old, and his appeal didn't fade after the cut's radio play began to diminish either. Icon pulled out another Top 15 R&B hit with "Come On" and collaborations with Quincy Jones ("Slow Jams" alongside Babyface and Tamia) and Tina Turner ("In Your Wildest Dreams") garnered attention as well. His next album, 1999's Staying Power, would get him his very first (!!) Grammy's. Sadly, the world would lose one of it's music greats when White passed away in 2003 from kidney failure.

Best Moment: "Aww, you just keep...Aww, you just keep..." (3:50)

Practice What You Preach
Uploaded by ice1906

DL: "Practice What You Preach" (YFH)

Brandy "I Wanna Be Down"

Album: Brandy (Atlantic)
Songwriters: Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones
Hit #1: October 22nd, 1994 (4 Weeks)

Armed with a bubbly smile, wholesome persona and a deep groove-invested urban twist on puppy love, fifteen year old actress/ singer Brandy Norwood was a no-brainer selection for America's new sweetheart. Both parents and kids could relate to her music's doe-eyed romantic scenarios, and the adults could get extra pleasure from tight productions based in subdued funk and soul textures from their own era.

In the midst of recording her first album, Brandy was already collecting a paycheck as a supporting player on the short-lived ABC sitcom "Thea", but the girl wouldn't taste major success until the release of her intro single, "I Wanna Be Down".

A hip updating of "Do you like me? Check yes or no", "I Wanna Be Down" finds Brandy all about being under the arm of her newest crush. "I would like to get know if I could be/ The kind of girl that you could be down for," she coyly asks, double tracked vocals giving her smoky pipes an almost alien-like tone. She sells herself well, even promising to be a dedicated buddy if he's not all that interested in being her boyfriend ("Maybe all you need's a shoulder to cry on," she offers, thoughtfully).

The sentiment may be innocent but Brandy and her handlers are smart enough not to strictly confine her to the teen crowd, allowing the lyrics to convey a much more universal message. The production, on the other hand, is all grown-up: A snaky keyboard line maneuvering through shimmering chords and a crisp drum beat, making this a syrupy seduction in sound.

The star-studded hip hop remix brought together three of the day's top raptresses: MC Lyte, Yo Yo and Queen Latifah, who push Brandy to the side for hook duties to give the song a more mature twist. Riding the laidback groove with bulletproof diction, the trio engage in their own playful banter with the opposite sex, Latifah stealing the prize for the jazzy-cool final verse.

Brandy I Wanna Be Down
Uploaded by chirine

DL: "I Wanna Be Down" (YFH)

Brandy - I Wanna Be Down (Remix)
Uploaded by hakim93200

DL: "I Wanna Be Down (Remix)" (YFH)

Janet Jackson "Anytime, Anyplace"

Album: janet. (Virgin)
Songwriters: James Harris III, Janet Jackson and Terry Lewis
Hit #1: June 11th, 1994 (10 Weeks)

Extending the breathy sensuality of "That's The Way Love Goes" into fetish freakdom, "Anytime, Anyplace"'s enchanting dose of exhibitionist pleasure laid the groundwork for her slinkiest slow jam ever.

"I don't wanna stop just because/ People walkin' by are watchin' us/ I don't give a damn what they think/ I...want...you...now," she sighs, so clouded in in-the-moment heat, she could care less of the laws of public decency. And honestly, you couldn't blame her, not with the sticky throb of Jam & Lewis' 1970s-era, smooth jazz-funk arrangement seductively swirling around her. The production giants orchestrate a killer, passion-evoking candlelit setting with booty smacking finger snaps, whistles that sound like chirping creatures echoing through the wind and strutting piano chords that illustrate a swaying forbidden dance, all set to the calming ambiance of a brewing thunderstorm.

So enraptured in the combination of danger and intimacy, Janet's paper-thin pop vocal, usually best served when emoting effervescent glee ("When I Think of You") or youthful attitude ("What Have You Done For Me Lately", even makes an attempt at soul belting. Her efforts are poor compared to what constitutes the real-deal, but the challenge to her own limitations plants her into more of an involved contributor here, offering her own multi-tiered textures to Jam & Lewis' silky layers.

For those not all that in love with the dramatized theatrics of the original production, R. Kelly instilled more of a standard R&B backing on the equally steamy urban remix. Either way, you're moved to smoke a cigarette when it's all over.

Best Moment: A spoken word break into lip-biting coquette ("I was thinking maybe we could...well, you know") (2:53)



DL: "Anytime, Anyplace" (YFH)

DL: "Anytime, Anyplace (R. Kelly Remix)" (YFH)

Aaliyah "Back & Forth"

Album: Age Ain't Nothing But A Number (Blackground/ Jive)
Songwriters: R. Kelly
Hit #1: May 21st, 1994 (3 Weeks)

The beginning of R. Kelly's ubiquity within the contemporary R&B scene (he would later rival Sean "Puffy" Combs for the ridiculously high number of simultaneously successful records bearing his name in the credits), "Back & Forth" also proved that he didn't necessarily keep his best songs for himself.

A Detroit-raised 15-year-old whose ambition for solo fame was aided with early on-stage duets with legendary aunt Gladys Knight and a stint on "American Idol"-parent "Star Search", Aaliyah was fascinating for how much of an old soul she seemed. Granted, she did have the much older R. Kelly writing and producing her entire first album, but in her own individual choices (that sly, snake-charmer vocal stamp; her mysterious, sunglasses-reliant image; the title of the album) it was obvious that this was one teenaged singer with no interest in the bubblegum route.

Likely aware of that trait, Kelly builds a pleasantly old school soundbed out of "Back & Forth"'s mellow, house party groove, fusing a feelgood hue in it's simple celebration of a weekend's relaxation ("It's Friday and I'm ready to sang..."). With understated grace, the "L-I-Y-A-H" makes her presence known without taking focus from her surroundings, almost melting into the track like another layer of it's lush makeup. Taking on a hypeman role, R. proudly supports his protegee, relishing in the glory of a great artist/ producer chemistry being born.

While it's sad that the much-documented relationship behind the music would cut their lovely collaboration short (with their jeep-friendly cover of The Isley Brothers' "At Your Best (Your Are Love)" standing as their greatest achievement together), it must be noted that without their breaking up, we might never have become privy to the revolutionary shift in Black pop her future material would afford us.

AALIYAH-BACK AND FORTH
Uploaded by pierrot77

DL: "Back & Forth" (YFH)

Aaliyah Feat R Kelly - At Your Best(rmx)
Uploaded by hakim93200

DL: "At Your Best (You Are Love)" (YFH)

R. Kelly "Bump N' Grind"

Album: 12 Play (Jive)
Songwriters: R. Kelly
Hit #1: February 26th, 1994 (12 Weeks)

It's interesting to note how "Bump N' Grind"'s classic intro basically defines R. Kelly's post-Public Announcement artistic scope and own internal strife. Not since the days of Marvin Gaye and Al Green had we heard a R&B male straddle the line between his spiritual morals and beneath-the-belt urges so simply and effectively ("My MIIIND'S TELLING ME NOOOO/ BUT MY BOOOOO-DY/ MY BOOOODY'S TELLING ME YEEES!") and with such an overdramatic, yet earnest, approach that hints at his later absurdest extremes.

Ridding himself of his background flunkies to emerge as this unstoppable one-man hit machine, R. Kelly had carefully studied the clever efforts of his early loverman influences, figuring out that if you blunt the explicitness of man's most carnal desires with a buttery-smooth soundtrack, the public would respond rewardingly and it would give him limitless freedom as to what he could say and do. Yet while his official solo debut, 12 Play, found a permanent spot in bachelor stereos around the globe, the album only really accomplished Kelly soundly perfecting the trends of the day.

Beyond the aforementioned opening soundbite, the rest of "Bump N' Grind" is actually fairly formulaic R&B stuff. His throbbing production choices work, but essentially remain within the slow jam restrictions of the day's sound, and he hadn't quite shaken the raging ghost of Aaron Hall from his vocal style. Here, he only further emphasizes the arrogance ("Girl you need someone/ Someone like me/ To satisfy your every need") and carefree promiscuity we had sort of gathered from his previous album, the only difference being that since it was now clear that he's the sole man behind his output, he was recognized more as one of the few leaders amongst an endless number of "do as you're told" record industry puppets.

A better taste of what was to come was "Bump N' Grind"'s remix. Like Mariah, Kelly became obsessed with tweaking his every release, not only revamping the beats, but re-writing the entire song with only passing nods to the originals. These were embraced as even more of a treat to his followers as they often found him in a deliciously twisted headspace.

The "BNG (Remix)" applied Ronald Isley's early '80's feathery cool and a more seducing aural template with a nastier lyrical bite. Taking melodic cues from Mad Cobra's "Flex" and the 5 Stairstep's "Ooh Child" ("Oooh child/ Things are gonna get a little freakier"), Kelly invited more whimsy into his bedroom mythisms ("We'll start right here and work our way around/ I won't stop until I hear the 'ooh ahh' sound/ Don't front, you know about the rodeo show") and unknowingly cast a sense of irony over his later infamy with one memorable line ("So show me some ID before I get knee-deep into ya"). Such fanboy-like appreciation for his peers and straight-faced, off-the-cuff wit would eventually spread Kelly's fanbase far beyond just the R&B world.

Released during a period when "freak you up" testimonials were all the rage, "Bump N' Grind" stormed the charts as his biggest Pop hit to date, it's three month reign as a #1 R&B single nagging him the honors of creating THE biggest R&B record of all time.

R Kelly - Bump N Grind
Uploaded by jade274

DL: "Bump N' Grind" (YFH)



DL: "Bump N' Grind (Remix)" (YFH)

Xscape "Understanding"

Album: Hummin' Comin' At Cha (So So Def/ Columbia)
Songwriters: Manuel Seal, Jr.
Hit #1: February 12th, 1994 (2 Weeks)

Xscape had it all figured out on their previous single, informing their fellow women on how to balance the homie/ lover aesthetic of a romantic relationship. But there was a bump in their set-up: what happens when the guy isn't as willing to be as involved in the union as the girl? That conundrum forms the basis of the group's second number one hit.

While connecting the quartet to their church roots with the track's crying organ and their shimmering vocal harmony, "Understanding"'s preachings of the importance of communication found the ladies' painted in a more mature light. Each member gets a chance to show off their stuff as lead, illustrating the fact that this is a dilemma all kinds of different women face. Yeah, it's true that guys tend to avoid expressing their every thought and feeling to their significant other, but it's hard not to sympathize with this assertive plea ("I don't mean to be demanding/ But I want some understanding") to help build a stronger coupling.

This two-week chart-topper would influence a lot of their later more ballad-heavy material.

Xscape - Understanding
Uploaded by SPKillah

DL: "Understanding" (YFH)

Toni Braxton "Seven Whole Days"

Album: Toni Braxton (Laface)
Songwriters: Babyface and LA Reid
Hit #1: January 29th, 1994 (5 Weeks - Airplay Only)

When Anita Baker's pregnancy caused the soul-jazz chanteuse to pass up on the Babyface-penned "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" as contribution for the "Boomerang" Soundtrack, LaFace decided to try their luck with the unknown, similar-sounding singer on the demo. With that one move, the career of one of the biggest selling female artists of all time was born.

By the time "Seven Whole Days" had hit radio stations as the fourth release from her self-titled debut (becoming her first #1 without even being commercially available in stores), Braxton had already smashed the charts with "Another Sad Love Song"'s seducing exercise of R&B agony and "Breathe Again"'s studied pop grandeur. Tales of heartache was definitely her niche, especially when delivered with that distinctive low-range tone of hers.

Already proven that she was no amateur when it came to pop and R&B on her previous singles, "Seven Whole Days" focused more on Braxton's classy, smooth jazz influence. Anchored in the depressive content that had become her signature, she purrs all over the song's plush, Laface-handled composition, schooling her boyfriend on why she's kicking him to the curb. Her man too busy stroking his own ego around his buddies ("You told your friends you had me wrapped around your finger") and being MIA for an entire week dallying with other girls, Toni decides that it's time to hit the road, lambasting him for not appreciating her dedicated love ("You coulda had anything you wanted/ But you messed it up/ You had to be tough").

On her voice alone, Braxton takes you on a journey of emotions. The verses open with her sounding strong and ready to be independent again, almost-flirting with him as she cruelly flaunts what is no longer his. But it doesn't take long before the anger and pain she's struggling to keep hidden bubbles to the surface, like she's suddenly come to the realization that her self-esteem has reached an all time low. By the time the song begins it's fade to black, she's reduced to sorrowful cries punctuated with sad, self-directed inquiries ("What am I to do?"), her future pointing at the uncertain single-folk climate she thought she wouldn't have to worry about being a part of any longer.

Bringing a dose of grown woman classiness back into the R&B world, Toni Braxton earned a near-instantaneous widespread fanbase that crossed the race, age and gender lines most of her peers had little chance of ever reaching. By the time, her debut album's ride had ended, it had sold over twelve million copies worldwide and earned her first three Grammy Awards, including the Best New Artist trophy.

Toni.Braxton.-.Seven.Whole.Days
Uploaded by val6210

DL: "Seven Whole Days" (YFH)

Jodeci "Cry For You"

Album: Diary of A Mad Band (Uptown/ MCA)
Songwriters: DeVante Swing
Hit #1: January 15th, 1994 (4 Weeks)

Released on the heels of "Lately"'s crossover success and with DeVante Swing studio chops better than ever, Jodeci's all-too-important second album, Diary of A Mad Band, should have continued their stratospheric rise. Unfortunately, while the group were getting their strongest reviews, beef with their own label (at one point it seemed like they were going to be shifted over to Death Row Records) resulted in poor promotion for the LP. Label sabotage couldn't take away from their core audience's loyal support, though, as Band's lead single quickly reached the singles penthouse.

"Cry For You" positions Jodeci in their comfort zone: extremely emotive slow jam balladry. Their girl has only been gone for an hour (maybe she went grocery shopping?) and frontmen K Ci & Jo Jo are lying in a flood of salty tears, begging for her to walk back through the door. Atop DeVante's liquidy canvas, K-Ci literally sounds like he's in the midst of a breakdown, his wavery vocals doused in fragility as he's forced to lean on his groupmates' sterling harmonies for support.

Following it's month-long reign at #1, Jodeci would never chart as high again, yet don't take that for meaning their successive output was lacking in any way. Until their "hiatus" in 1996, the group's brand of sex-and-romance-drenched soul remained in high demand; "Feenin'", "Love U 4 Life" and "Freek'n You" ranks amongst the best in 90's R&B while the largely overlooked "Get On Up" is one of the most feel-good summer records ever put to wax. Single song reunions and group cameos have been sporadically released over the past decade, but promises of a new album have so far remained unfulfilled to the frustration of their fans.



DL: "Cry For You" (YFH)

Tevin Campbell "Can We Talk"

Album: I'm Ready (Qwest/ Warner Bros.)
Songwriters: Babyface and Darryl Simmons
Hit #1: December 25th, 1993 (3 Weeks)

An revered R&B force long before he could legally vote, Tevin Campbell's appeal only grew stronger as he got older. His sophomore album, I'm Ready, scored top-notch material from the best songwriters and producers the urban world had to offer, including the finest gem of his career with it's beloved lead single, "Can We Talk".

Coinciding with his status as a hormonal young man, "Can We Talk" saw him attempting to shed his youthful shyness to woo a girl, but his lack of confidence keeping him from fully going through with it. As well as sculpting the cut's rich R&B base, songwriter/ producers Babyface and Darryl Simmons impressively tap into Tevin's mindset with tender songwriting tailor-made for Tevin's earnest persona ("Just like a baby I couldn't talk/ I tried to come closer but could not walk") and a great hook that winningly conveys the bold person Campbell wishes he could be ("Can we talk for a minute/ Cause I want to know your name," he recites in his daydreams).

If Tevin hadn't yet achieved the inner strength to communicate with his crush, he showed little restraint vocally, an increase in age taking no luster out of his warm tenor. When he hits the song's breakdown and starts fooling around with some playful ad-lib banter, only the soul-less could resist succumbing to his masterful vocal display.

I'm Ready opened the doors for a bigger commercial impact and more Grammy nods. It's #2-charting title track and a couple radio-supported album cuts kept the album selling well into the next year. Tevin dropped two more respected adult-R&B albums throughout the nineties', '96's Back To The World and '99's eponymous release, but with hip hop-oriented acts trumping traditional singers, his "old-fashioned" style wasn't as appreciated. Besides, by the new millennium, more were interested in his personal life (read: long-rumored homosexuality), especially after a '99 incident in which he was arrested for soliciting lewd acts from an undercover male police officer.

In 2005, Campbell emerged from the shadows for a supporting gig on the Broadway version of Hairspray.

Tevin Campbell - Can we talk
Uploaded by welcomeback

DL: "Can We Talk" (YFH)

DRS "Gangsta Lean"

Album: Gangsta Lean (Capitol)
Songwriters: Tracey Carter, Chris Jackson and EJ Turner
Hit #1: November 13th, 1993 (6 Weeks)

Now THIS is interesting.

Before Bone: Thugs N Harmony amassed huge popularity by blunting rap's bite with intricately sung harmonies, five-part Sacramento hip hop troupe DRS (musical aliases: Endo, Pic, Jail Bait, Deuce Deuce and Blunt) were tearing down the walls between R&B and gangsta rap. At the time, the concept seemed a bit strange, but no matter your reservations at the interesting angle, if you were a R&B fan during the fall of '93, you couldn't escape "Gangsta Lean".

Think BTNH's "Crossroads", Coolio's "C U When I Get There" or Master P's "I Really Miss My Homies", omit the rappers and put Jodeci in their place and you have "Gangsta Lean". Dedicated to fallen homies, the track borders "SNL" parody, especially with lyrics that are sung rather than rapped ("I tip my 40 to your memory/ Take a drink and I start to think/...I know one day soon/...We'll be hangin' out."; "My God/ Won't you pass a message for me/ Tell him put down those dice for a second Lord/ And listen to his homies"). Yet regardless of DRS' odd choice of performance, their soulful mourning is sturdy and moving, spotlighting an all-too-real tragedy many families were unfortunately far too familiar with at the time.

Despite spending six weeks at #1 and earning a heralded response from critics and fans alike for bringing attention to a sobering aspect of the dominant gangsta rap scene, "Gangsta Lean" was DRS' sole hit and they quickly faded back into obscurity. They've barely been mentioned about since.



DL: "Gangsta Lean" (YFH)

Xscape "Just Kickin' It"

Album: Hummin' Comin' At Cha (So So Def)
Songwriters: Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, Jr.
Hit #1: October 16th, 1993 (4 Weeks)

A successful producer at the age of eighteen thanks to his platinum-coated work with teen rap phenomenon Kris Kross, Jermaine Dupri soon after launched his own Atlanta-based label, So So Def Recordings, with the first signees being female vocal quartet Xscape. Like En Vogue, all of the members of Xscape were capable female leads, but like SWV, their brand of R&B held a street-smart grit that made them a hit with young urban audiences (especially girls).

As if to justify their wearing tomboy-ish attire, "Just Kickin It" stressed the importance of women being able to be their man's pal as well as lover. Settled in a sultry midtempo groove, the curdly-voiced Kandi Burress (a future Grammy-winning songwriter for girl groups TLC and Destiny's Child) explains the dichotomy of what men view as the perfect girlfriend ("Every man wants a woman/ That can cook him up a good meal/ A woman he can trust like his homie/ And take her out on the Ave. and just chill"). Though the lyrics try to twist the submissive woman role into being a good thing (because telling your man to take off his shoes and relax his feet is SO empowering), the fact that the song was written and produced by male handlers (and featured the line, "This is for the niggas/ Strictly for the niggas") makes this more of a testosterone-fueled fantasy than anything else.

Nevertheless, the single was a breakout smash for the newcomers, striking Platinum and beyond topping the R&B chart, reaching the runner-up position on the Pop listings. A remix built on a sample of The Staple Singer' sensual classic "Let's Do It Again" would also garner heavy airplay.

Best Moment: LaTocha Scott's pointless, yet expressive ad-libs.



DL: "Just Kickin' It" (YFH)