Nate Dogg featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg "Never Leave Me Alone"

Album: G Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 (Death Row; 1996/ Breakaway; 1998)
Songwriters: Nate Dogg, Ralph MacDonald, William Slater and Snoop Dogg
R&B Peak Position: #22

"I'll ask you one time only/....Baby, won't you be there when it's hectic/ When I don't have a hit record"

The explicit lyrical themes that dominated West Coast gangsta rap definitely made it a hard sell for older crowds; but when dressed in those satiny G-funk beats and blessed with the smooth crooning of go-to hook man Nate Dogg, the records became far more easier to swallow. Like the Akon's and T-Pain's of today, the placement of Nate Dogg somewhere in your song in the '90's almost guaranteed it becoming a universal favorite, no matter how mature the involved subject matter was (even if, as was usually the case, it was Nate, himself, dishing out the R-rated dialogue).

Already well-established with scene-stealing cameos on Snoop's "Ain't No Fun", The Dogg Pound's "Let's Play House", 2Pac's "All About U" and, of course, Warren G's "Regulate", by late '96, Nate was ready to transfer the adoration he received from his collaborations into his own solo career and plans were put in motion for the release of his long-awaited debut album, G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1: Ghetto Preacher.

The project's first single was the Kurupt-produced "Never Leave Me Alone", a laidback, "Where Is The Love"-sampling, summertime jam that finds Nate feeling all giddy inside after being shot with Cupid's arrow. Though he's caught a little off-guard by his bubbling romantic feelings ("D-O-G's ain't supposed to feel like this/...I don't even know what it is"), he can't resist what it does to his insides, resulting in him "singin' in the morning" and praying that the object of his affection will never ever leave his side.

By the second verse, life has gotten in the way of their fairy-tale union (read: he's got his third strike and is going to prison), and his plea for her undying commitment takes on a sadder meaning. Phoning his girl to "kiss my baby" and inform lil' Nate all about "his Daddy", he ends the call with one last request: "There's one more thing I really want you to do...Never leave me alone". A somber ending to a song that started off so happy.

As with anything Nate touched, the song benefited from the ear-coating comforts of his stoned "old soul" drawl and the way it made each line he sang sound like a mini-hook; throw in a slick (though equally sad) verse from Snoop centering on his own behind-bars worries ("I try to walk the yard with my head to the sky/ And hope my baby-boo ain't got somebody on the outside") and "Never Leave Me Alone" was sure to launch Nate's solo career in a major way.

Unfortunately, just as the single was picking up steam on radio, behind-the-scenes complications with Death Row forced Ghetto Preacher to be temporarily shelved. It wouldn't hit stores for another year and a half (this time via the independent Breakaway Records), to which it was then coupled with an entirely brand new album and released as the double-disc set, G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2. Despite the addition of new material, in between the lull, audience focus had been re-applied to the rap sounds of the East; as a result G-Funk ended up a commecial flop, critically deemed a decent, but sadly dated-sounding, premiere effort.

Best Moment: The circuitous vocal harmonies in the chorus.



DL: "Never Leave Me Alone" (YFH)

Mary J Blige "All That I Can Say"

Album: Mary (MCA; 1999)
Songwriters: Lauryn Hill
R&B Peak Position: #6

"I wish I had words to tell/ This feeling that I know so well/ But I don't, I don't..."

On her fourth effort, the simple-titled Mary, the Queen of Hip Hop-Soul saw it fit that she begin maturing a bit in her sound. De-emphasizing the 'hip hop' aspect of her media moniker, the set embraced a sleeker adult R&B sound and saw her trading emcee cameos for collaborators like Elton John and Aretha Franklin. First single "All That I Can Say" was a fitting intro to this new era.

Written and produced by Lauryn Hill, at the time one of the hottest urban acts in the world, "Say" was a big risk for Blige in that it didn't cast her in the signature role of the ever-depressed/ brokenhearted sobber. Instead, Mary was wrapped in the sunny throes of a new, promising romance.

"Loving you is wonderful/ Something like a miracle/ Rest assured I feel the same way you do," she pines, a striking calmness felt in her vocal. Yes, Mary has indeed found peace in this new partner and the effect is has in her makes for something that's oh-so inspiring to hear. She's so caught up in her current happiness that she can't even muster up sensible words to express her inner joy; in their place, she lets loose a series of spirited "I love you" wails, jazzy scats and "doo-doo-doo"'s that seem to flutter to the blue skies overhead, a kiss to God as thanks for allowing someone who "loves like me" to finally enter her life.

Meanwhile, Hill accompanies the song's beautiful lyricism by sculpting a lush, heavenly sonic-scape built from the playbook of '70's-era Stevie Wonder, incorporating a hint of hip hop influence in it's light bottom-end bump and a sprinkling of DJ scratches and stuttering rap vocal snippets that arise in the final third.

Managing a #6 R&B singles peak and Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, "All That I Can Say" presented a more positive direction in Blige's music that would be further fleshed out on later albums. The theme shift would definitely polarize fans (some appreciated her new outlook on love and life, others detested her move away from pained narratives), but it nevertheless strengthened her position as modern day soul royalty.

Best Moment: Lauryn's dreamy production work.

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DL: "All That I Can Say" (YFH)

Onyx "Slam"

Album: Bacdafucup (JMJ/ Def Jam; 1993)
Songwriters: Kirk Jones, Chylow Parker, Fredro Scruggs and Tyrone Taylor
R&B Peak Position: #11

"Duh-duh-duh, duh-duh-duh/ LET THE BOYS BE BOYS!!!"

Managing to squeeze a monster pop hook out of a compelling mixture of mosh-pit fury with East Coast boom-bap thuggishness is no easy feat, that's why Onyx' "Slam" deserves it's status as a seminal single of '90's hip hop.

The Queens-bred quartet, remembered for their bald heads, scratchy/ loud delivery and the menacing snarls that seemed plastered onto their faces, rattled the summertime airwaves with the '93 smash, a raucous celebration of macho male camaraderie amped up by an underground-tinged instrumental (co-supplied by Run DMC's Jam Master Jay) of restless scratching tricks and a seismic bass rumble.

Like street-baddies drunk off the Red Bull, the Onyx boys rip through the NY city blocks, cracking the pavement with rhymes that rep for the "the villains, crooks, biters and the fighters". Their wild b-boy grit can barely be contained in their vocals, producing some manic performances where the words are literally spat from their mouths. Yet even if they aim to present themselves as intimidating brutes who play "Russian roulette with an automatic", their rapport is far too joyful and infectious to scare anyone; Throw in a hyping, easy-to-mimic chorus that a little kid could love and a bit of rock-rage flavor and "Slam" had all the necessary makings to attract a wide array of music fans and earn some serious MTV support. A successful genre-mashing remix with hardcore metal outfit Biohazard followed soon after, helping re-trigger interest in a marriage of rap and rock that would grow quite popular throguh the late '90's with acts like Korn and Limp Bizkit.

Onyx' success would taper off on follow-up recordings (members Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz would eventually earn more attention for their acting endeavors), but the distinguished mark they left on music in 1993 still earns raves to this day.

Best Moment: The hook, of course.

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DL: "Slam" (YFH)

R. Kelly "Gotham City"

Album: Music From & Inspired By The Motion Picture - "Batman & Robin" (Warner Bros.; 1997)
Songwriters: R. Kelly
R&B Peak Position: #9

"'Gotham City' for the ghetto-ghetto"

In an obvious bid to recreate the Grammy-winning pop triumph that was "I Believe I Can Fly", R. Kelly followed up that monster Space Jams rouser with "Gotham City", another similarly treacly soundtrack offering, this time attached to the critically trampled Batman & Robin film that saw TV doc George Clooney fitted into the Bat costume.

An awkward MOR standout from the typically "raunch & b" Kells catalogue, "Gotham City" had the Pied Piper in full-on Phil Collins' cheese mode, dictating the people's desire for a superhero to rescue them from their own crime-battled neighborhoods. The song once again proved that the singer/ songwriter/ producer had some solid pop-making skills, laying down a crisp keyboard ballad track here with the requisite gospel choir-enhanced climax for that added drama flair; but that didn't hide the fact that the record was corny, stiff and soul-less, diffusing all that had made R. Kelly the go-to guy when it came to getting that midnight grind on.

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DL: "Gotham City" (YFH)

We should be thankful for the creation of "Gotham City" though, if only for the way R deliciously flipped it's sappy premise on the more urban-rooted remix.

Doused in lurid '70's soul shadings offset by an anxious drum kick, "'Gotham City'...for the ghetto" focuses in on inner city life, where struggle and hopelessness is a common vibe (the first verse depicts one character mourning over his inability to get ahead financially) and the ones who aspire for a better reality are laughed off by those unable to wrap their minds around such a bleak-less existence.

Exposing a well-studied Curtis Mayfield influence, the remix' grittier musical context affords moments that would have read cold and plastic-y in the confinements of the slickened original, like Kelly pleading for Heaven to shine it's love down on the hood or featured guest rapper Strings' speedy narrative on her own lavish ambitions ("Fuck the rest give me the best/ Why should I have to settle for less/ When I could push the V-12's with finesse..."), to really pierce the listener's conscience.

Best Moment: In the remix video, when Kelly rides through the hood in the Bat-Mobile.



DL: "Gotham City (Remix)" (YFH)

Monie Love "It's A Shame (Hey Sister)"

Album: Down To Earth (Warner Bros.; 1991)
Songwriters: Lee Garrett, Monie Love, Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright
R&B Peak Position: #8

"Get him out your system/ Don't be another victim"

After spending much of the '60's struggling to launch a major recording career beyond a couple Top 10 R&B hits, Detroit's The Spinners saw their luck change with the arrival of the 1970's, thanks to the hit-crafting ability of a 20-year-old Motown labelmate named Stevie Wonder.

Wonder helped write and produced "It's A Shame", a catchy soul number fueled by an addicting guitar line and some lively big band theatrics that truly burst alive when the Spinners vocal magic was added to it. Sung from the perspective of a frustrated male lambasting the rude flip-flop ways of his girl ("It's a shame, the way you mess around with your man/ It's a shame, the way you play with my emotions..."), the record showcased the group's top-notch harmonies as well as the individual talents of certain members via some seamless lead shifts (the best being the falsetto "Why do use me/ Try to confuse me" cries).

"Shame" eventually landed as their biggest Pop hit to date, though the band's '70's heyday was still a couple years off. Switching from Motown to Atlantic Records, getting a new lead singer in Phillipe Wynne and hitting the studio with Philly soul maestro Thom Bell, The Spinners would really hit their stride starting in 1972, unleashing a string of immaculately-produced R&B classics (including "I'll Be Around" and "They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)") that helped define the era.



DL: "It's A Shame" (YFH)

The song was revived years and years later for hip hop audiences when London-born rappress Monie Love sampled it for her 1991 single, "It's A Shame (Hey Sister)".

Love was part of the Native Tongues Posse, earning much notice with her appearances on seminal hit "Ladies First" (with Queen Latifah) and the all-star NTP classic "Buddy (Remix)" which led to her becomine one of the first British emcees to nab a major record deal. Her debut album, Down To Earth, featured contributions from Afrikaa Bambaataa, Bootsy Collins, De La Soul and Ultra Nate, and prior to "Shame"'s release had already birthed a chart smash with lead cut "Monie In The Middle".

For her take on the Spinners' fave, Monie doles out advice for a whimpering girlfriend whose guy has been stepping out on her. "Oh no, this can not be accepted," she asserts, urging her fellow Sister to wipe away the tears and take hold of her self-respect. Forging a sturdy feminist bark out of her light, somersaulting flow, Monie escorts her pal through the best course of action: First, do a little sniffing around to make sure he's really cheating ("It's time for you to show you're not sleepin'/ A progress report on the two of you you're keepin'"); then, if the infidelity is confirmed..."That's it/ Pack it up".

Expertly produced with a hip-pop guise by Andy Cox and David Steele (of The English Beat/ Fine Young Cannibals fame), the duo took the original "Shame"'s guitar lick and hook (re-sung by girl group True Image), spliced in a few soulful vocal snippets, then gave it an updated sheen with a funky street beat foundation and the inclusion of a somewhat random sax solo to satisfy their love for jazz. The combination of these elements helped give "It's A Shame (Hey Sister)" a crossover tone that continued her major success on the Pop, R&B, Rap and Dance charts and nabbed her a second consecutive Grammy nomination in the Best Rap Solo Performance field.



DL: "It's A Shame (Hey Sister)" (YFH)

Nicole featuring Mocha and Missy Elliott "Make It Hot"

Album: Make It Hot (Goldmind/ Elektra; 1998)
Songwriters: Missy Elliott and Tim Mosley
R&B Peak Position: #2

"I got what you want/ Got what you ne-eed..."

The first signing to Missy Elliott's Goldmind imprint, seventeen-year old Nicole Wray became another beneficiary of Elliott and Timbaland's incredible musical chemistry as the two planted their revolutionary nu-urban sound over much of her '98 debut, Make It Hot. Yeah, their presence overshadowed Nicole's considerable teenaged chops, but she wasn't complaining, not when the disc's lead single and title track quickly earned ranking as one of the duo's sickest collaborations yet.

Most of "Hot"'s appeal lied in it's "goth & b"-styled production, which centered on a chiming, doomsday-like thump thrown askew by bits of tribal percussion and what could best be described as an audio snippet of a thousand mini-Martians being burned alive. While the beat was forward-thinking, it's lyrical scenario was certainly planted in the typical "daytime TV" topic of the day: an unfaithful boyfriend.

Stuck in love with a beau that doesn't phone like he used to or even kiss her anymore, Nicole quickly begins to deduce that he's not being on the up-and-up. "Am I his fool?" she painfully wonders, thoughts of him bedding another woman creeping into her brain when he abbreviates another one of her calls ("Said to call him back") than cuts his cell off shortly after. While it's never affirmed if he's really cheating or if she's just being paranoid, Nicole is desperate to get back in his good graces regardless, pitifully requesting another shot to really win him over. Her sorrows are bookended by some slick raps from Missy and fellow protogee Mocha, neither of which adhere much to the subject at hand, while Kelly Price is brought in to contribute a few big-voiced ad-libs in the mid-section.

Thanks to it's powerhouse support, the Gold-certified "Make It Hot" was a major radio hit in both pop and urban formats, providing much initial promise for the newcomer. Since then, though, a steady stream of behind-the-scenes politics (label switches, shelved projects, etc.) has put her career in a lull, save for the occasional hook cameo or lone single/ mixtape release.

Best Moment: "I can fly like Kelly/ I glide like skates/ Me with no Timbaland/ Is like Puff with no Mase"



DL: "Make It Hot" (YFH)

Prince "Gett Off"

Album: Diamonds & Pearls (Paisley Park/ Warner Bros.; 1991)
Songwriters: Prince
R&B Peak Position: #6

"Let me show you baby I'm a talented boy"

Prince kicked off his thirteenth studio album, Diamonds & Pearls, with "Gett Off", a JB-ish dance-funk romp he had compiled together using bits and pieces of previously recorded songs. Highlighted by some memorable contributions from his New Power Generation team and featuring a heightened rap influence (a style he had only recently begun to flirt with), "Gett Off" was a grandiose creation, re-introducing fans to the randy weavings of his inner brain.

As with any other Prince creation, "Gett Off" served an exciting blending of various genres, slamming together metal guitar screams with titillating snake-charmer flute riffs and a muscular hip hop crunch with the soulful wailings of NPG diva Rosie Gaines. This busy melange of sound framed a lurid plot by the Tiny One to turn out a sex-starved beauty.

"There's a rumor goin' all round that u ain't been gettin' served/ They say that u ain't 'u know what' in, baby, who knows how long," he sings in her ear, the anticipation of what he's about to throw down (including jaw-dropping promises of public strip-downs and "Twenty-three positions in a one night stand") getting them both all hot and bothered. Then, quicker than one of his signature stage splits, he's got her in his "Paisley crib", offering her up some dinner (sans the ribs) before the X-rated festivities begin.

One of his sweatiest dancefloor workouts ever, "Gett Off" was an endlessly pleasing event that spotlighted his comedic side ("Tonight you're a star/ And I'm the big dipper...") and soundly asserted that very few could probably match his level of freak-rotica. It also seemed to hint (at the time, at least) that despite the many pop gifts he had given us in the '80's, we hadn't come close to the peak of his genius at all.

Best Moment: When he freaks an old James Brown line ("I like 'em fat/ I like 'em proud...") with a little Prince spin ("...Now move your big ass round this way/ So I can work on that zipper, baby") (2:32)

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Peep an unforgettable "Gett Off" performance from the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards:

Prince - Gett Off (Live MTV Awards 1991)
Uploaded by TuMnY

DL: "Gett Off" (YFH)

Zhane "Hey Mr. DJ"

Album: Roll Wit The Flava (Flavor Unit/ Epic; 1993)
Songwriters: Kaygee Gist, Zane Grey, Renee Neufville and Martyn Ware
R&B Peak Position: #3

"It's Friday night and the weekend's here/ I need to unwind with the party..."

A keyboard/ vocalist who contributed to albums from Stevie Wonder and Natalie Cole before signing a solo deal with RCA in the early '80's, Michael Wycoff only managed to score one Top 40 R&B hit throughout his brief solo tenure (1983's "Tell Me Love"), but vinyl junkies began seeking him out in the '90's when one of his album cuts became the basis for one of the greatest R&B tracks of the decade.

Featured on Wycoff's 1982 flop Love Conquers All, "Looking Up To You" had all the makings of being a dancefloor favorite in it's original entity. The song had strings, horns, piano and background female vocalists converging to create a slice of post-disco heaven, as Michael's robust tenor (think Jeffrey Osbourne or Howard Hewett) expressed the neck-hair raising ecstasy of "love at first sight". If the song had been released as a single, it could've definitely been a chart contender; alas, that never came to be, but it would earn some belated recognition when Naughty By Nature producer Kay Gee looped it as the foundation for Zhane's 1993 intro smash, "Hey Mr. DJ".

Zhane members Jean Norris and Renee Neufville had hooked up while both studied music at Philadelphia's Temple University. Impressing Kay Gee with their married vocals during a chance meeting, the duo earned a spot on the Flavor Unit compilation album, Roll Wit The Flava. That contribution was "DJ", a retro-styled R&B jam based around a thin storyline of two girls encouraging the DJ to set their weekend off right with a sweet tune ("Hey Mr. DJ/ You can get this started/ Everybody's ready to party/ All night (all night)").

"Hey Mr. DJ" became that record, representing the apex of music-aided happiness in it's sultry upbeat groove and Jean & Renee's spirited performance, and it quickly gained footing as a must-hear staple at house parties everywhere. Cracking the Pop and R&B Top Ten, the single went Gold, and during the height of it's popularity, helped nab Zhane a deal with Motown Records.

Best Moment: The escalating vocal path during the pre-chorus plea to "party til the break of da-a-a-a-wn".



DL: "Hey Mr. DJ" (YFH)



DL: "Looking Up To You" (YFH)

Digable Planets "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"

Album: Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time & Space) (Pendulum/ Elektra; 1993)
Songwriters: Digable Planets
R&B Peak Position: #6

"We be to rap what key be to lock"

Anyone who thought of themselves as "cool" prior to 1993 definitely had to re-examine that claim once their ears were lain on this cut, a breakout record for NYC rap trio Digable Planets that promised to (at least, briefly) launch a new crossover trend of laidback, jazz-based rap.

It's sample-woven production delivering little more than a doodling bassline, nimble drum loop and splashes of horns, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"'s sparse musical soundbed oozed a jazz-cat hipness that caught the attention of rap and non-rap fans alike. Emcees Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mary Ann "Lady Bug" Vierra and Craig "Doodle Bug" Irving add to the relaxed, bebop-influenced vibe given of the beat, dishing out casual verses thickened with ghetto-bohemian verve. Though their rhymes felt like they were talking some secret language only they could decipher, their colorful lyricism basically spoke of an undying adoration for hip hop music ("He touch the kinks and sinks into the sounds/ She frequents the fatter joints called undergrounds...").

There was nothing about "Rebirth" that was blatantly commercial, but it's indisputable freshness led to it being a surprise crossover hit and everybody knew somebody who found a way to endlessly embed it's hook in everyday conversations; it also led to a boost in interest in other jazz-flavored 1993 rap releases from De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest and Us3; sax icon Branford Marsalis even jumped on the trend, collaborating with DJ Premier for the Buckshot LeFonque album.

None of those projects produced a super pop success like "Rebirth" though, which eventually landed a Grammy for Best Rap Performance By A Duo or Group and earned the group Gold sales for their critically heralded debut album, Reachin'.... More lauding was given to their 1994 follow-up LP, Blowout Comb, which saw them incorporating more live instrumentation (rather than just relying on samples) and upping their lyrical game. Unfortunately, lacking a "Rebirth"-like hit, it ended up a sales disappointment and the group split up soon after to focus on various solo endeavors.

It would be a decade later when DP finally reunited, hitting the stage for a slew of live dates and dropping the compilation effort, Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles. They've since begun work on a new album.

Best Moment: "I'm Black like dat": Such a powerful statement in only four words.

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DL: "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" (YFH)

Michael Jackson "Jam"

Album: Dangerous (Epic; 1991)
Songwriters: Michael Jackson, Rene Moore, Teddy Riley and Bruce Swedien
R&B Peak Position: #3

"It ain't too hard for me to jam"

Leave it to Michael "Heal the world/ Make it a better place" Jackson to take a blistering street-funk groove co-supplied by the great Teddy Riley, infuse it with not-so-crazed proclamations of a looming societal Armageddon and still make it sound so damn cool. That was what was achieved with "Jam", a single from Dangerous, that lit B-boys around the world into a pop-lockin' frenzy.

"What has come of all the people/ Have we lost love, what it is about?" cries Jackson in a staccato vocal that seems to convey a puttering sense of hope. His heart sinks as he watches the masses grow increasingly selfish around him ("I asked my neighbor for a favor/ She said 'Later'"), at one point, seeming to target religious confusion as a part of the blame ("She pray to God, to Buddha/ Then she sings a Talmud song..."). Still, with one gloved hand swipe and the power of music's universal language, he tirelessly yearns to bring the people together and make the pan-global unison of his fantasies come true, or in his own clenched teeth words, "jam".

More in the mood to be enlivened rather than enlightened? Omit the lyrics' message and there's more than enough here to get your toes (and any other part of your anatomy) a-boppin'. The production barely gives you enough time to take a breather, it's relentless, rapid-pace pounding of New Jack rhythmic sweat filling up every second of the track's five minute-plus length while a cameo appearance from good-guy rapper Heavy D two-thirds of the way in D helps realize it's hip hop undertone.

"Jam"'s most memorable contribution had to be it's accompanying music video. Another one of Mike's great star-filled, mini-film extravaganzas, the "Jam" clip paired the King of Pop MJ with King of Court MJ Michael Jordan, with both icons painfully attempting to teach one another their signature moves. Unsurprising diagnosis: Both men should stick to their day jobs.

Best Moment: "Jam"'s extended instrumental break.

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DL: "Jam" (YFH)

Kelis "Caught Out There"

Album: Kaleidoscope (Virgin; 1999)
Songwriters: Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams
R&B Peak Position: #9

"This song is for all the women out there, that have been lied to by their men..."

Rocking a rainbow-toned fro and "alternative" spirit and backed by the galactic R&B-funk beats of the Neptunes, Kelis provided a welcome deviation from the urban contemporary female norm when she debuted in the tailend of the '90's; she also presented a challenge to radio programmers always hesitant in giving something "a little different" some airwave attention (a battle she would continue to endure over most of her career). Thankfully, her introductory single "Caught Out There" was quickly, and widely, embraced from the moment it premiered, getting listeners sweaty with excitement over it's blaring hook and "fed-up girlfriend" message.

A sort of nu-soul blending of Bjork and Alanis Morissette (at least the fiery Alanis of the Jagged Little Pill days), Kelis' loopy "Caught Out There" pumped some much-needed raucousness in the typical "no-good boyfriend" scenario. In between an intergalactic fireworks shuffle seemingly built from old arcade game sound effects, Kelis slowly evolves into a nutcase, pulling chunks of hair out of her scalp over her man's constant infidelity. He never comes home at a decent hour anymore, and when he does walk through the door at the crack of dawn, she's sickened at the sounds of half-truthful declarations of love whispered in her ear.

Spotting his mistress' clothes sends her over the edge, leading to her setting his precious truck aflame ("How you gon' see her now," she cackles maniacally as it blows apart) and crumbling to pieces over all the "Why?" inquiries floating about in her mind ("She's so raunchy, so vulgar/ Not me?/ Why the hell her?"). The frustrating part is that despite all his cruel behavior, she still loves him dearly. This stirring emotional mixture of love and hate reaches it's peak during the hook, an explosive outburst of "I HATE-YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!!!...AAAAAAAAARGGH!!!" that would send chills down any cheater's spine and set the soul ablaze of any woman that's been cheated-on.

Eventually cracking the R&B Top Ten (a major feat for somebody like Kelis in the States) and earning tons of spins on video stations (thanks to Hype Williams' stunning lens work), "Caught Out There" became the first of a string of hits (and very under-valued, yet still superior, "non-hits") that made the singer a top singles' act in the early years of the new millennium.

Best Moment: The heated Future Kelis interjections, while reflecting on Past Kelis' misjudgment during the nightmarish relationship's tenure.

Kelis - Caught Out There
Uploaded by ineptique

DL: "Caught Out There" (YFH)

Nas featuring Lauryn Hill "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)"

Album: It Was Written (Columbia; 1996)
Songwriters: Samuel Barnes, Nasir Jones, Jean-Claude Olivier and Kurtis Walker
R&B Peak Position: #17

"And we will walk right up to the sun/ Hand in hand..."

Nas received much flack upon the release of his second album, It Was Written. Based in slicker production styles and featuring the birth of his mafioso alter-ego Nas Escobar, Written confounded fans who had anticipated a more allegiant continuation of the jazz-baked beats, sharp ghetto-life narratives and concise length found on his widely heralded classic of a debut, Illmatic. The comparison was blatantly unfair (rappers spend most of their teenage and young adult lives crafting their debuts, and a small fraction of that time creating successive releases), but it would take years before purists' dissatisfaction with Written waned.

Nevertheless, despite all the critical balking, the album managed to become Nas' biggest commercial success, mostly thanks to a lead-off single that effectively blended intelligent lyrical heft with a wider-appealing sound.

A song that found Nas scripting out his version of a Utopian environment if he had the ultimate power, "If I Ruled The World" had everyone pausing to ponder over his epic vision. A world where jealousy is nonexistent and everyone is living like billionaires ("Imagine everybody flashin'/ Fashion/ Designer clothes, lacing your click up with diamond rolls")? Coretta Scott King is Mayor? Political prisoners are "set free/ stress free"? Some of his ideals feel a little too materialistic, self-serving ("It sounds foul but every girl I meet would go downtown") or crude ("If coke was cooked without the garbage, we'd all have the top dollars"), but due to the frivolous additions, Nas had found a way to project his message beyond the usual, capturing the attention of both the corner hustler and the kids.

Alas, you can't speak of "World" without applauding the potent soul voice of Miss Lauryn Hill. While she's only credited as the featured guest, she's probably the main reason towards the song's uber-success, re-interpreting the track's swiped lines from Kurtis Blow's "If I Ruled The World" and The Delfonics' "Walk Right Up To The Sun" with a gut-wrenching, inspirational fervor that would only heighten fans' anticipation for her eventual solo project.

Best Moment: The vivifying bridge section and the track's robust, Whodini-sampling beat.

Nas & Lauren hill - If I ruled the world
Uploaded by kmel

DL: "If I Ruled The World" (YFH)



DL: "Walk Right Up To The Sun" (YFH)

Maxi Priest "Close To You"

Album: Bonafide (Charisma; 1990)
Songwriters: Gary Benson, Maxi Priest and Winston Sela
R&B Peak Position: #2

"Tellin’ mi lies when the truth was clear/ I think she knew what I wanted to hear..."

London-born Maxi Priest spent much of the '80's serenading his fellow Brits with a seducing brand of reggae-inflected R&B/ Pop, but it wasn't until his lively 1988 cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" that he started garnering increased attention in the States. Only a couple short years later, Priest returned an even bigger American success, reaching the top of the US Pop chart with the 1990 romancer "Close To You".

Pure soul intoxication (it's slow jam groove envelops your entire body in a kinky essence), "Close To You" sees Maxi caught under a fatal attraction spell with some luscious, "Brixton queen": "I just wanna be close to you/ And do all the things you want me to," he silkily sighs on the chorus.

Girl must be quite a fox to render him submissive to her every desire by him just breathing her breath. The power she holds over him is so strong that Maxi can't help but admit to being a little freaked out, going so far as too conclude that she has to be some kind of Devil spawn to be able to trap him in such a tizzy ("With the full moon rising, I was scared/ I think I must be possessed").

Released as the lead-off cut from Maxi's fourth album, Bonafide, "Close To You" delivered another fine dose of the much-appreciated sophisticated R&B sound the UK was dishing out on a regular basis at the time (Listening to it, it wouldn't be hard to imagine it being the type of material Marvin Gaye would have recorded if he was still alive). While Priest would never achieve another American hit of it's stature, the singer didn't necessarily disappear from the US airwaves, either. Over the next few years, he scored winners through collaborations with Shabba Ranks ("Housecall") and Roberta Flack ("Set The Night To Music") and in 1996, climbed into the US Top 20 one last time with the Shaggy-featured "That Girl".

Best Moment: The hurried bits of strings that flicker in and out of the track.



DL: "Close To You" (YFH)

Mase "Feels So Good"

Album: Harlem World (Bad Boy/ Arista; 1997)
Songwriters: Ronald Bell, G. Brown, Lawrence Dermer, Joe Galdo, Robert "Spike" Mickens, C. Smith, D. Thomas, Rafael Vigil and Richard Westfield
R&B Peak Position: #5

"Bad bad bad bad boy, you make me feel so gooooooood..."

While Harlem World was Mase's official debut solo project, he was already a well-established hip-pop superstar by it's release, thanks to cameo gigs on a slew of hit singles from the Bad Boy camp ("Mo Money, Mo Problems", "Only You", "Been Around The World"). Not wanting to muck up his successful chart ride, for Harlem's first single "Feels So Good", the artist formerly known as 'Murda Mase' stuck close to the Puffy crossover formula that had made him such a popular musical figure in less than a year's time; that essentially meant the track was another huge jiggy anthem, helped out by familiar hooks and beats stolen from cherished pop smashes of decades prior (in this case, a looped sample of the brassy funk extravaganza of Kool & The Gang's "Hollywood Swingin'" and the chorus from Miami Sound Machine's hokey favorite, "Bad Boy").

Weighted heavy in materialistic braggadoccio (Puffy & Co.'s sole M.O. at the time), "Feels So Good" offered a slick serving platter of lavish life excess, celebrating a VIP world of supermodel chicks, bottles of Cris, celeb-filled soirées and the most expensive threads known to man. Mase's mush-mouthed mumblings grasp onto a nice flow as he happily boasts of his newfound fortune and elevated ladies' man status ("Now I be the cat that be hard to meet/ Gettin' head from girls that used to hardly speak"), while mocking the envy of baller wannabes ("Niggas talkin' shit/ They oughta quit/ Unfortunate, they don't see a fourth what I get").

Is it all depth-less flash? Well, there's some awed reflection of his rags-to-riches journey and he does rally for an end to the East Coast/ West Coast rap feud fueling so many media stories at the time, but these moments are very brief as Mase and Puff would rather spend bars advertising high-priced wardrobes and big toys than strive for any stab at substance.

"Feels So Good" did little to soothe the anger of hip hop purists sick of hearing about how big ballers rolled against re-heated disco grooves; unfortunately for them, the majority couldn't get enough of that glittery Bad Boy sound (or those god-awful shiny suits), as the single quickly became another Platinum-certified notch on the team's belt.

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DL: "Feels So Good" (YFH)

En Vogue "Runaway Love"

Album: Runaway Love EP (EastWest; 1993)
Songwriters: Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy
R&B Peak Position: #15

"Runaway love/ Feels good without a doubt/...Have to stop before it turns me out"

Rising to the forefront of Pop and R&B popularity with the triple platinum hit nest that was 1992's Funky Divas, En Vogue seemed intent on not being forgotten, dropping the six song EP Runaway Love a year later. The mini-release collected Divas' remixes, their "girl power" Salt N Pepa collabo "Whatta Man" and a brand new song in the title track, a smooth little R&B number that once again highlighted the incredible unity within their supple harmonies.

Having already proven that they could handle whatever songwriting/ production duo Foster and McElroy threw at them (be it hard rock, old-school soul or hard-hitting New Jill funk), En Vogue bear little sweat making "Runaway Love" ooze pussycat sensuality as they struggle against their overwhelming attraction to a no-good fella.

Over a midtempo Southern soul stew that instantly brings to mind sticky-hot summer afternoons, EV emit lustful woes concerning a dangerous obsession that's just too hard to shake. The man is consistently disrespectful, but everytime they muster up the nerve to bounce, they're treated to another dose of top-notch pipe game that brings their exit strategy to a screaming halt. "I can't walk away, fade away/ Everyday my love grows and grows," a defeated Terry admits, comparing herself to a drug addict unable to resist the "high" her abusive man gives her; "It's a sickness/ Or is it a weakness?", she later self-ponders.

Their intricately-arranged performance deftly illustrating a boiling internal conflict of agony and ecstasy and pain and pleasure, it ultimately becomes hard to fault them for remaining in such a Lifetime TV-movie-styled cycle of torture.

A sorely overlooked R&B entry from one of the decade's greatest.

Best Moment: A writhing, gospel-tinged bridge that sees the girls attempting to gather strength from faith to break them of their spell. (2:30)

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DL: "Runaway Love" (YFH)

A Tribe Called Quest "Electric Relaxation"

Album: Midnight Marauders (Jive; 1993)
Songwriters: Jonathan Davis, Ronnie Foster, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Malik Taylor
R&B Peak Position: #38

"Relax yourself girl/ Please settle down..."

Two emcees smoothly trading off mack lines towards a dimepiece over a subdued soundtrack of mellow jazz-hop sonics might read a tad sleepy on paper, but "Electric Relaxation" is far from dull, absorbing the ears in a dry energy that crackles with the boundless imagination and artistry of a rap group that succeeded in their impressive stance against how hip hop was "supposed" to sound at the time.

Found on 1993's Midnight Marauders, the last of a supreme Tribe Called Quest LP triad, "Relaxation" showed that yes, even the male members of the bohemian rap sect shared an appreciation for booty-watching. Playfully performed in a lyrical tag team form atop a laidback, plucked-bass-dominant groove (mainly based off a sample of Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew"), horny young bucks Phife and Q Tip try to warm up an assorted array of eye candies into participating in their "only vice". Their approach is extremely audacious: "Honey check it out, you got me mesmerized/ With your black hair and your fat-ass thighs," rhymes Q in the opening line while Phife relates mother/son role-playing fantasies and his wish to "pound up the pootang until it stinks" in the backs of Jeeps. Unsurprisingly, the women at the opposite end of these 2 Live Crew-ish lines aren't so turned on and the gossip mill stirrings of the duo's bed-hopping adventures doesn't help matters.

But even if frat-boy pleas to "knock the boots like the group H-Town" aren't all that triumphant with the ladies, it helped make for one of the group's (and the genre's) best tracks ever. From the seamless way the two rappers pass the mic back-and-forth, to their flow's ever-pleasant conversational tone (cleverly taking the edge off some of the more...ahem...forward lyrics) to the way the simmering beat gently nudges it's way under your skin, "Eletric Relaxation" definitely lived up to the languid promises of it's title (Recent years has seen several artists (like Kanye West, Joe and Marco Polo) bite off it's magic).

Best Moment: "I like 'em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian" (0:44)

Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
Uploaded by klmbaby

DL: "Electric Relaxation" (YFH)

All-4-One "So Much In Love"

Album: All-4-One (Blitzz/ Atlantic; 1994)
Songwriters: Billy Jackson, Roy Stragis and George Williams
R&B Peak Position: #10

"So in love are we too/ Just can't wait to say 'I do'/ So in love/ In a world of our own..."

Classic doo-wop staple "So Much In Love" began as a 1963 #1 Pop charter for Philly vocal quintet The Tymes, before re-emerging as a modest hit single in 1982 by Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit for the Fast Times At Ridgemont High Soundtrack. For it's third trip to the charts, the song was revived by boy band All-4-One, a Californian four piece whose members (Jamie Jones, Delious Kennedy, Alfred Nevarez and Tony Borowiak) had first come together after all being contestants at a local karaoke contest. The quartet eventually scored a single deal with small label, Blitzz Records, and a cover of "So Much In Love" would end up as that recording.

What made the song so special in the first place? Mainly the fact that it perfectly honed in on the youthful innocence and sweet harmony and melody elements that made pop music of the '50's and '60's so endearing. The song documents a young love's precious beginnings to it's eventual trip down the aisle, and it was the couple's adorable harping of their union along the journey, especially expressed through the intricate vocal interplay of The Tymes' in it's original take, that affirmed it as a number to be treasured over for all time.

Like Boyz II Men, another wholesome doo-wop-influenced group enjoying a career high in 1994, All-4-One did a commendable job bringing that old barbershop sound into the modern times, their boyish voices and expert harmonics seeming tailor-made for "So Much In Love"'s timeless romance script. While not everything about it was great (the whole "Baby, I hope you realize that you mean so much to me..."-talked portion is quite cheesy), the a capella-performed tune stood out as a fine bridging to yesteryear that folks of all ages could enjoy, and it made A4O instant pop stars.

Within the span of a year, the group would continue their rapid ascension into a worldwide music sensation, achieving a mega-sized #1 with follow-up single, "I Swear". Originally a country smash for singer John Michael Montgomery (these boys lucked out with covers), All-4-One's take ended up another major success and earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group. More albums would follow into the new millennium, but the attraction of their admittedly stale MOR sound soon waned (at least with most of the world; they continued to score hit singles in Asia).



DL: "So Much In Love" (YFH)

Bob Marley with Lauryn Hill "Turn The Lights Down Low"

Album: Chant Down Babylon (Tuff Gong/ Island; 1999)
Songwriters: Bob Marley
R&B Peak Position: #49

"Turn your lights down low/ And pull your window curtain..."

Originally found on Bob Marley's much-heralded 1977 opus, Exodus, an album recorded in London while the reggae legend recuperated from an assassination attempt on his life, "Turn Your Lights Down Low" saw the reggae legend taking a break from the charged political themes that dominated his musical output to indulge in a little romance.

"I wanna give you some love/ I wanna give you some good, good lovin'" he croons, signaling his lady to set the mood for an evening of pleasure that's been long awaited. Dutifully framing his amorous poetics in a candlelit ambiance, backing band The Wailers pull together a feline-esque slow groove out of guitar curlicues and subtly-plodding percussion, while his trio of female backing vocalists, The I Threes, accent the chorus' erotic urges.

Sticky goodness, "Lights" might not have been released as an official single (or ever really given full credit as a Marley essential), but it certainly stuck as a midnight favorite between lovers'.



DL: "Turn Your Lights Down Low (Original)" (YFH)

Twenty-two years later, the record was re-introduced to the masses for the tribute album, Chant Down Babylon, a project that saw Bob Marley's music revamped with appearances from Erykah Badu, Chuck D, The Roots and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry among others. The album wasn't completely well-received but it housed at least one gem in it's updating of "Turn Your Lights Down Low", which was transformed into a duet with Lauryn Hill, who also happened to co-parent Marley grandchildren with Bob's son Rohan.

At the time, Hill was still riding off the critical acclaim and commercial success that was her multi-Grammy-winning acclaimed master-work The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill released a year prior, and any new material she graced was instantly swarmed with worldwide affection. That adoration was especially deserved for the contemporized "Lights" redux, to which her soulful vocals were seamlessly planted in response to Bob's followed by a rapped verse that impeccably summed up the celebration of adult love that the original brought to light ("Loving you is a like a song I replay/ Every three minutes and thirty seconds of every day/ And every chorus was written for us to recite/ Every beautiful melody of devotion every night...").

Un-surprisingly, the tranquilizing semi-remake scored Hill yet another Grammy nod in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.

Bob Marley | Turn Your Lights Down Low
Uploaded by phatt

DL: "Turn Your Lights Down Low (Version 2)" (YFH)

MC Lyte "Ruffneck"

Album: Ain't No Other (First Priority; 1993)
Songwriters: Aqil Davidson and MC Lyte
R&B Peak Position: #10

"He's a rudeboy, a ragamuff/ Ready to bag another brother that he ranks not ruff enough"

Long before Missy Elliott was throwing heaps of horny praise towards her cherished, gat-strapped "Hot Boys", rap icon (to both female and male emcees) MC Lyte was turning attention to her favorite type of dude on "Ruffneck", the 1993 Top Ten single that brought back fans who had been turned off by the overt crossover-leanings of her preceding album, Act Like You Know.

Over a brazen hip hop instrumental brewed up by Wreckx-N-Effect member Aqil Davidson, MC Lyte spills rhymes with hardened excitement as she reveals the street-tough credentials a man must have to get her lickin' her lips. Forget those prissy wimp boys with the office 9-to-5's and the closets fulf of preppy gear. Naw, Lyte craves a non-snitchin', gold grill havin', dark corners at night pissin', spliff-lightin' thug who shows "little respect" and has a daily routine that only consists of "Eat, sleep, shit, fuck/ Eat, sleep, shit" when they're not on the block trying "to make a quick buck" or dodging 5-0. And when it comes to sex? "He knows exactly how I want my flow, and that's slow," she swoons.

Like the best tunes from Lyte, "Ruffneck" excels from the rappress' clear and sturdy flow. Never once do you strain to understand what she's rhyming and each line holds weight within the topic. Throw in a sealed tight beat that has radio appeal without sounding too sellout-ish and the track exudes rap perfection. The public and industry agreed, helping "Ruffneck" become Lyte's first Top 10 R&B single and garner her her first Grammy nomination. She also took the honors of being the first female solo rap artist to earn a Gold single.

Best Moment: When she describes her idea of the perfect male visual: "Drinkin' a beer, sittin' in his chair/ Hands in his pants fiddlin' with his dick hairs" (Ewwww...) (1:33)



DL: "Ruffneck" (YFH)

Snap! "The Power"

Album: World Party (Arista; 1990)
Songwriters: Benito Benites, Toni C. and John "Virgo" Garrett III
R&B Peak Position: #4

"It's gettin', it's gettin', it's gettin' kind of hectic..."

One simple exclamation ruled the music world in the summer of 1990: "I'VE GOT THE POW-WAH!!!". Those four words were the centerpiece of "The Power", a monster electronic -based jam that introduced the masses to a German production team known as Snap!. Consisting of Frankfurt beatsmiths Michael Muenzing and Luca Anzilotti under the alias of Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III (to throw off those they felt would be hesitant in supporting a German musical act), Snap! was fronted by rapper Turbo B and a revolving door of big-voiced female singers, and unleashed a slew of dance/ pop smashes that earned international success throughout the '90's.

"Power" was their first hit, though in it's original release it courted tons of controversy. The track was initially constructed as a mincing of several other songs. A drum loop was swiped from Mantronix' "King of The Beats", the rap and sung parts were illegally pilfered from bits of Chill Rob G's "Let The Words Flow" and Jocelyn Brown's "Love's Gonna Get You" (home to that irresistible four-word hook). Even though the samples weren't authorized, the track blew up in Germany and soon caught the attention of American labels trying to push the record Stateside. For the US version, permission was granted to use the Jocelyn portion, but the rap was re-recorded by Turbo B. Soon, the track was a bonafide American dancefloor smash.

Swarmed with a handful of lyrical hooks, the mostly instrumental track was a truly undeniable house/ hip hop force. It's ringing beat, synth tickles, screaming sax fragments and those pummeling electro bits brought anyone and everyone to their feet, rhyming along to Turbo's hard-hitting boasts of being "the lyrical Jesse James" and the incredibly scandalous line, "Copywritten lyrics so they can't be stolen". Peaking in the Pop and R&B Top Five and hitting #1 on the Rap and Dance single charts, Snap's "Power" struck Platinum and yielded worldwide sales of it's parent album, World Party, into the millions. The record wouldn't be the band's only major hit, though. "The Power"'s followup "Ooops Up" (based on The Gap Band's "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)") also zoomed up the charts as did the global club staple "Rhythm Is A Dancer" a couple years later.

Snap I've got the power
Uploaded by joel44

DL: "The Power (Snap)" (YFH)

At the same time Snap!'s "Power" was dominating airwaves, Chill Rob G released his own version of the tune for his album, Ride The Rhythm. Chill's "Power" wasn't as big of a mainstream hit but it did reach #3 on the Rap charts.



DL: "The Power (Chill Rob G)" (YFH)

Ginuwine "What's So Different?"

Album: 100% Ginuwine (550 Music/ Epic; 1999)
Songwriters: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Elgin Lumpkin and Tim Mosley
R&B Peak Position: #21

"You're tellin' me it's different/ But what the hell is different/ If you cheated on him you'll do it to me..."

Ginuwine's 1996 debut Ginuwine...The Bachelor may have went triple platinum, pushed out a certified smash with "Pony" and earned critical heralding as a modern-soul triumph, but much of it's success and acclaim had less to do with the singer behind the mic as much as it did the producer behind the boards. Gin proved to be a solid vocalist, but it was Timbaland's zany, electro-R&B workouts that truly made that album sparkle.

For his sophomore effort, 100% Ginuwine, the performer was still, for the most part, creatively tightknit with Timb, but Gin's presence seemed to gain more prominence this time around. Silky slow jams like "So Anxious" and "None If Ur Friend's Business" only had a tinge of that oft-kilter bite Tim was famous for, planting more of a spotlight on the singer's loverman persona. The "Mad Scientist" production-trumping vibe that dominated Bachelor wasn't completely lost, though; first single "What's So Different?" pushed Ginuwine in a supporting role once again in one of Timbaland's most extravagant (non-Aaliyah-associated) sonic frames yet.

It's premise ripped straight off a soap opera script, "Different" casts Gin as the "other man" in a love triangle. The woman in the middle is promising that she's going to leave her main dude for him, but this announcement has gotten Gin understandably wary; she obviously has a problem staying faithful, who's to say she won't cheat on him as well. Unwilling to be setup for a disappointment, he delivers an ultimatum: either she 'fess up to her adulterous ways to her at-home guy or lose any chance of being in an official relationship with him. His reasoning: "If you don't tell him/ Me and you can't be/ Cause tell me how I'll know/ You won't do that shit to me?".

The fact that it's a intriguing plot at all doesn't even matter, though; not with Timbaland working overtime to create something as poly-rhythmically amazing as Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?", his last major project. Here, he crafts an endlessly dazzling R&B recipe that throws together medieval piano licks with digitized bass funk riffs, blink-and-you-miss-them flickers of Spanish guitar and his climaxing surprise: chopped Godzilla roar samples.

Surprisingly, with all the left-field genius found in it's musicality, "What's So Different" wasn't the huge jump-off joint it seemed destined to be. It barely cracked the Pop singles' Top 50 and peaked at an underwhelming #21 on the R&B side. Meanwhile the comparably more traditional "Anxious" and "Business" managed Top 10 R&B positions, in turn spearheading more of a focus on less listener-challenging midtempo balladry on later (non-Timbaland-produced) singles like "In Those Jeans", "Differences" and "Stingy". By Ginuwine's 2003 fourth set The Senior, Timbaland was nowhere to be found in the album credits.

Best Moment: The fiery bridge when Gin lets loose on his secret lover (2:21)

What's so different - Ginuwine
Uploaded by caribbean-gaijin

DL: "What's So Different?" (YFH)

Bell Biv DeVoe "Do Me!"

Album: Poison (MCA; 1990)
Songwriters: Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Carl Bourelly and Ronnie DeVoe
R&B Peak Position: #4

"Take a look at me/ Tell me do you like what you see..."

In between the Poison album's two #1's (it's crazy beloved title track and comparably forgettable third single "BBD (I Thought It Was Me)"), the introductory Bell Biv DeVoe project produced the group's second most cherished single with "Do Me!", a New Jack staple that re-enforced the mass appeal of young male horniness.

Like "Poison", "Do Me!" mined a stunning common ground of R&B, hip hop, funk and pop, it's Roger Rabbit-friendly, grunt-heavy groove equally complimenting to both Ricky Bell's randy soul-man romancing and Michael Bivins and Ronnie Devoe's saucy rap dialogue. While Rick moans with delight over the X-rated adventures about to take place between him and some random girl ("Would you mind if I looked at you for a minute/ Before I make sweet love to you?"), his rhyming bandmates interject with their own backstage groupie adventures.

It's not much of a song really, at least as much as it's just one long string of sex-on-the-brain hooks dictating how "doin' it" can best be had at any point of the day ("You can do me in the mornin'/ You can do me in the night..."). It wasn't like the people cared that they weren't being offered much meat here, though; all they needed was a workable new-school R&B beat and another reason to giddily sing about sex, two things that "Do Me!" sufficiently supplied.

Best Moment: "Smack it up, flip it, rub it down!/ OH NOOOOOO!!" (2:38)

Bell Biv DeVoe - Do Me
Uploaded by Stylz

DL: "Do Me!" (YFH)

Wu-Tang Clan "C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)"

Album: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud/ RCA; 1993)
Songwriters: Robert Diggs, Jason Hunter, Lamont Hawkins, Clifford Smith, Corey Woods, Dennis Coles, Russell Jones, Gary Grice, David Porter and Isaac Hayes
R&B Peak Position: #32

"Cash Rules Everything Around Me/ C.R.E.A.M./ Get the money/ Dollar, dollar bill y'all"

In the '60's, Stax Records and it's many subsidiaries launched the careers of a slew of notable soul figures (including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Booker T & The MG's), mainly with the assistance of the songwriting/ production duo Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Girl group The Charmels weren't one of the label's successes (none of their singles charted), but their 1967 release "As Long As I've Got You" would end up being a classic recording of sorts, when it was sampled decades later on one of the '90's major hip hop tracks.

In 1993, the rap world found excitement in a up-and-coming ensemble known as Wu-Tang Clan. Initially attracting attention through the independently released "Protect Ya Neck", the rugged nine-man team soon emerged as a hip hop phenomenon with their posse-like line-up, haunting East Coast production style and a self-mythology influenced by Asian kung-fu culture and a Five Percenters' belief.

"C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)" was the biggest hit to come from their critically heralded debut, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Based around an eerie looping of the opening seconds of The Charmels' record, the record offered a consummate slab of New York grime, with featured emcees Raekwon and Inspectah Deck reciting gritty narratives revolving around their cash-obsessed younger selves.

For the opening verse, Raekwon recalls his days as a gat-toting, drug-slinging teen. Spending his time "sticking up white boys in ball courts" and "doing hits for high stakes/ Makin' my way on fire escapes", he vividly remembers the lengths he would go all for the pursuit of that important dollar, dollar bill. In direct opposition to the Chef's glamorized perspective of the life ("Catchin keys from across seas/ Rollin in MPV's/ Every week we made forty G's," Raek looks back fondly), Deck's succeeding contribution, representing the regret of a youth lost, would end up as the record's highlight moment and one of the most poignant rap verses in hip hop history.

He, too, was "a man with a dream with plans to make cream", but goals of a lavish lifestyle beyond his poverty-stricken beginnings quickly dissipated when he ended up in jail at the tender age of fifteen. "Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough," he laments, his later realization that life is just as hellish outside of jail as it is in sending him into a dark state of mind only alleviated through drug use. Eventually he manages to get his life back on track, taking it upon himself to try to steer young kids away from the dead-end path he once traversed; but he soon learns how difficult of a task that might be ("Shorty's running wild smokin' cess, drinkin' beer/ And ain't trying to hear what I'm kickin' in his ear").

Interspersed with a catchy, Method Man-helmed hook, "C.R.E.A.M." accelerated the spreading of Wu-mania around the world while planting a new seed of inspiration for the future of the East Coast rap scene. Embraced as a hip hop classic, the record would spawn numerous references in other rap cuts over the years, with one of the most notable occurrences falling on Wyclef Jean's 2007 single, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)". A Top 20 Pop hit, the track featured Akon reviving the "C.R.E.A.M." chorus ("See I'm-a tell you/ Like Wu told me/ Cash rules everything, around me...") and led to a remix that re-sampled the Charmels' beat and invited Raekwon into it's roster.

Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
Uploaded by Blacktip

DL: "C.R.E.A.M." (YFH)



DL: "As Long As I've Got You" (YFH)