"Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns. It was originally recorded by the Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Brothers in 1962. The song has been covered by several artists, including the Beatles, Salt-N-Pepa, and Chaka Demus & Pliers, who experienced chart success with their versions.
Age Ain't Nothing but a Number is the debut studio album by American singer Aaliyah. It was released on May 24, 1994, by Blackground Records and Jive Records. After being signed by her uncle Barry Hankerson, Aaliyah was introduced to recording artist and producer R. Kelly. He became her mentor, as well as the lead songwriter and producer of the album. The duo recorded the album at the Chicago Recording Company in Chicago periodically from January 1993 until early 1994.
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" is a song by British jazz-rap group Us3, originally released in October 1992 by Blue Note Records as the lead single from the group's debut album, Hand On the Torch (1993). The song was recorded as a demo a year before the group's first release and features a sample of Herbie Hancock's song "Cantaloupe Island". Another sample, the announcement by Pee Wee Marquette, is taken from the Blue Note album A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 by The Art Blakey Quintet. "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" did not chart in the group's native UK, but in the US, it reached No. 9 and 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, becoming the group's only top 40 single. It was subsequently re-released in UK where it peaked at No. 23. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 25, 1994 for selling over 500,000 copies.
"U.N.I.T.Y." is a song by American hip-hop artist Queen Latifah from her third studio album, Black Reign (1993). The single was released on November 9, 1993, in the United States, and on January 6, 1994, in the United Kingdom. "U.N.I.T.Y." focused on confronting disrespect of women in society, addressing issues of street harassment, domestic violence, and slurs against women in hip-hop culture. The chorus of the song interpolates "Unity" by Tenor Saw.
"It Was a Good Day" is a song by American rapper Ice Cube, released on February 23, 1993 by Lench Mob and Priority as the second single from his third solo album, The Predator (1992). The song was written by Ice Cube and produced by DJ Pooh, peaking at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 27 on the UK Charts. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at No. 15, making it Ice Cube's highest-charting single on the chart to date. Its music video was directed by F. Gary Gray. The song's lyrics describe a generic pleasant day from his life; according to Ice Cube, he had no specific date in mind, though several attempts have been made to identify one.
"Bump n' Grind" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer-songwriter R. Kelly. It was released on January 28, 1994 by Jive Records, as the second single from his debut solo studio album, 12 Play (1993). The track became a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100, and it also spent twelve weeks at number one on the US Hot R&B Songs chart as Kelly's third number-one R&B hit, becoming the longest-running number-one of 1994 in the US, and the longest-running R&B single at that time. The song also reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart, following the massive success of his previous single, "She's Got That Vibe".
"(At Your Best) You Are Love" is a song by R&B group the Isley Brothers. It was originally released on their album Harvest for the World. The song was dedicated to their mother, Sally. Although not a single, the song was a radio hit in 1976, and later became a hit for R&B singer Aaliyah in 1994.
Mission to Please is a studio album by the Isley Brothers, released on May 14, 1996, on Island Records. It was a return to commercial glory for the group in the years following their platinum-certified album Between the Sheets (1983). Mission to Please also went platinum based on the strength of the charted singles "Let's Lay Together," a new duet with R. Kelly after the success of "Down Low " (1995); the Babyface-composed ballad "Tears"; "Floatin' on Your Love," with Angela Winbush ; and the mid-'90s quiet-storm radio staple "Mission to Please You." Some of the album's success was due to Ronald Isley cultivating a new image as the character of "Mr. Biggs" in a series of R. Kelly videos, starting with "Down Low," helping to introduce the music of the Isley Brothers to a new generation of R&B fans. Mission to Please is the last Isley Brothers album to feature youngest brother Marvin Isley, who left the group in 1997 because of complications from diabetes; he died on June 6, 2010. Mission to Please also helped relaunch the Isley Brothers' label, T-Neck Records.
"Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" is an R&B song about infidelity by American singer and songwriter R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers, released in 1995 from Kelly's second and self-titled album (1995). The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart for seven weeks, making it Kelly's fifth single to do so on the latter. It also gave the Isley Brothers their first Top 40 pop record since 1980's "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)", and was Kelly's third top 5 pop record. The lyrics are from the perspective of a man who has an affair with another man's woman and tells her to keep their relationship a closely guarded secret.
"I Wanna Be Down" is the debut single of American recording artist Brandy from her self-titled debut album (1994). It was written by musicians Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, with production helmed by the former, it was released on September 5, 1994, by the Atlantic Recording Corporation. The song is a mid-tempo track that features a thunderous beat and light synth riffs. Lyrically, "I Wanna Be Down" describes a flirt with a boy, who Norwood tries to convince of her loveliness.
"Back & Forth" is the debut single performed by American singer Aaliyah for her debut studio album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994). The song was written and produced by R&B singer R. Kelly, and lyrically the song is about a teenager's excitement for partying on the weekend with friends. "Back and Forth" has been described as being a dance/pop/R&B and new jack swing song. Aaliyah sings in a "laid back" style. Blackground and Jive released the song as the album's lead single on April 8, 1994, to generally positive reviews with many critics praising the song's lyrical content and Aaliyah's vocal delivery on the record.
"Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah for her debut studio album of the same name (1994). It was written and produced by R. Kelly and is lyrically about a young girl wanting to date an older man. Containing a lyrical interpolation from the song "What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell, the "soulful" ballad opens with a guitar-piano interplay, with Aaliyah's spoken voice noting her daily diary entry. Blackground Records and Jive Records released "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" as the third single–and final single in the United States–from Age Ain't Nothing but a Number on December 6, 1994.
"I'm So into You" is a song by American R&B vocal trio SWV from their debut studio album, It's About Time (1992). Written and produced by Brian Alexander Morgan, the song was released in January 1993 by RCA Records as the second single from the album. It was commercially successful, becoming their first top-10 single in the United States, peaking at number six on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. It also reached number two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales and streaming figures exceeding 1,000,000 units.
"Sex Me" is the first solo single by American R&B singer and songwriter R. Kelly, released in August 6, 1993 by Jive Records as the first single from his solo debut album, 12 Play (1993). The song became Kelly's first solo success, reaching number two on the US Billboard R&B chart and numbers twenty and nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. It was also certified Gold in the US.
"Don't Look Any Further" is a song by American singer Dennis Edwards featuring American singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett, released in April 1984 by Motown from the singer's debut album by the same name (1984). The song is written by Franne Golde, Dennis Lambert and Duane Hitchings, while Lambert produced it. It peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Black Singles chart and No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, the song peaked at No. 45.
"The Right Kinda Lover" is a song by American singer and actress Patti LaBelle. It was written by Ann Bennett-Nesby, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, and James "Big Jim" Wright, while production was helmed by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Wright as co-producing. The song was released as the first single from her LaBelle's 12th album, Gems (1994), and appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Beverly Hills Cop III, starring Eddie Murphy.
"She's Got That Vibe" is the debut single of American R&B singer-songwriter R. Kelly and Public Announcement from Kelly's debut studio album, Born into the 90's (1992). It was written and produced by Kelly. The song was released as a single on Jive Records in November 1991.
"Heaven Knows" is a song by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released in September 1993 by Epic and Sony as the second single from his eight studio album, Never Let Me Go (1993). The song was written by Vandross with Reed Vertelney and produced by Marcus Miller. It peaked in the top 30 on both the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles and Hot Dance Club Play charts, and also at thirty-three on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Singles chart. "Heaven Knows" was nominated for Best R&B Song alongside "Little Miracles " at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards in March 1994, losing to "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson.
"A Deeper Love" is a song written by American producers Robert Clivillés and David Cole, and performed by them as Clivillés & Cole featuring vocals by Deborah Cooper. Released by Columbia in 1991, the song was the duo's fifth number-one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. On other US charts, "A Deeper Love" peaked at number 83 on the soul singles chart and number 44 on the pop chart. Overseas, especially in Europe the single charted higher, going to number 15 in the UK and number eight on the Dutch Top 40.
"Street Dreams" is a 1996 single by American rapper Nas. The song was It Was Written's second single, following "If I Ruled the World ". "Street Dreams" contains an interpolation from the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams " and a sample from Linda Clifford's "Never Gonna Stop". A remix, including an appearance by R. Kelly, was released shortly after the original. It featured samples from The Isley Brothers' "Choosey Lover" along with some elements from Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me." The remix version was performed live on an episode of the Nickelodeon series All That in February 1997.
