Another Bad Creation "Iesha"

Album: Coolin' At The Playground Ya Know! (Motown; 1990)
Songwriters: Dallas Austin and Michael Bivins
R&B Peak Position: #6

"Ieshaaaa/ You are the girl that I never had/ And I want to get to know you bettaaah..."

A quintet of rappin', singin' and dancin' tykes hailing from Atlanta, GA that exploded on the music scene in the early '90's, Another Bad Creation were taken under the wing of Michael Bivins who saw an opportunity to create a new teen sensation that could impact the market much in the same way he had did a decade prior as one-fifth of the uber-popular R&B boy band, New Edition. Just like New Edition had managed to re-fashion the Jackson 5 sound for their era, Another Bad Creation took the urban-bubblegum template and modernized it for their time, incorporating a heavier degree of hip hop with chaotic new jack beats supplied by Bell Biv Devoe producer Dr. Freeze and future hitmaking heavyweight Dallas Austin (who had previously worked with another teen male group, Perfect Gentlemen).

ABC, as they would popularly be referred as, were introduced via the single "Iesha", their requisite schoolgirl ode. To an energetic street-pop soundtrack, we get to view a brewing romance for the munchkin set, complete with the initial meeting at the playground ("On the monkey bars/ We climbed up to the top and/ She touched my hand that's when I fell in love") and a first date consisting of Nintendo-playing and cereal-eating that's unfortunately cut short 'cause "her mother told her to be home at nine".

The boys' infectious camaraderie and cutesy rap verses coupled with a sturdy R&B hook and tireless choreography pieces in the video made this an instant favorite for listeners of all ages, and lead the way for two more hits (the Top 5 smash "Playground" and "Jealous Girl", a cover of a New Edition ballad) from their eventually Platinum-certified debut.

Sadly, the promising musical dynasty they resided in alongside Bell Biv Devoe and Boyz II Men ("Boyz II Men/ ABC, BBD/ The East Coast Family") couldn't sustain it's dominance. By the time their second album rolled around, 1993's It Ain't What U Wear, It's How U Play It, ABC had been replaced in the hearts of young girls by Kris Kross and following a featured role in Robert Townsend's superhero comedy "The Meteor Man", the young men disappeared from the scene. It would be thirteen years before the group attempted a comeback, dropping their R&B-leanings for the 2006 straight rap EP, Grady Baby Compilation released from their own label.

Best Moment: The dance breakdown towards the end that had everyone busting out their dopest Running Man. (3:17)



DL: "Iesha" (YFH)