Dru Hill (album)

Last updated
Dru Hill
Druhill-1996.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 19, 1996
Genre R&B [1]
Length59:29
Label Island
Producer Hiriam Hicks (exec.), Andre Bell, Stanley Brown, Terence Dudley, A. Islam Haqq, Hitman, Benjamin Love, Nokio the N-Tity, Darryl Pearson, Daryl Simmons, Allen "Grip" Smith, Keith Sweat, Tim Dawg, Janice Upchurch
Dru Hill chronology
Dru Hill
(1996)
Enter the Dru
(1998)
Singles from Dru Hill
  1. "Tell Me"
    Released: August 20, 1996
  2. "In My Bed"
    Released: December 17, 1996
  3. "Never Make a Promise"
    Released: July 28, 1997
  4. "5 Steps"
    Released: 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Muzik 8/10 [2]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg link
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Vibe (favourable) [4]

Dru Hill is the debut studio album from American boy band Dru Hill, released November 19, 1996, on Island Records. The album featured four singles "Tell Me", "In My Bed", "Never Make A Promise" and "5 Steps". All of the singles had music videos released. The album also features the So So Def remix of "In My Bed", which features Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat, as a bonus track, which also had a music video released.

Contents

The album peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard 200 chart. By June 1997 it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies in the United States.

Overview

All of the songs on the album are performed by Sisqó, Nokio, Jazz and Woody. Sisqó sings solo on the tracks "In My Bed", "Love's Train" and "Share My World", Jazz sings solo on "Never Make A Promise" and Woody sings solo on "April Showers". Nokio has no solos and is featured on "Satisfied" & "All Alone" which all of the members perform on both.

Release and reception

The album peaked at twenty-three on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached the fifth spot on the R&B Albums chart. [5] The album was certified gold in February 1997 and platinum by June of the same year. [6] Rob Theakston of Allmusic called the album "an impressive debut and a razor-sharp clue of the great things to come." [7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Anthem"Janice Upchurch; Andre BellStanley Brown, Janice Upchurch, Andre Bell1:00
2."Nothing To Prove"Tim Patterson; Terence Dudley; F. Rovira; M. Ellis Tim Dawg, Terence Dudley4:06
3."Tell Me"Stanley Brown; Myron; Alex CantrallStanley Brown, Benjamin Love4:13
4."Do U Believe?"Tim Patterson; Terence DudleyTim Dawg, Terence Dudley4:12
5."Whatever U Want"Stanley Brown; Mark Andrews; Larry Anthony; Myron; Saeida HallStanley Brown3:58
6."Satisfied"Nate "Phenomenal" Clemons; Tamir Ruffin; Mark Andrews; James Green The Clemons Brothers, Nokio the N-Tity 4:44
7."April Showers"James Green; Larry Anthony; Tamir RuffinA. Haqq Islam, Nokio The N-Tity3:34
8."All Alone"Tamir Ruffin; James Green; Mark Andrews; Larry Anthony; Gregory JonesA. Haqq Islam, Nokio The N-Tity3:35
9."Never Make a Promise"Daryl SimmonsDaryl Simmons5:27
10."So Special"Tamir Ruffin; Darryl Pearson; James Green; Larry Anthony; Mark AndrewsDarryl Pearson, A. Haqq Islam, Nokio The N-Tity5:24
11."In My Bed"Raphael Brown; Ralph Stacy; Daryl SimmonsDaryl Simmons4:45
12."Love's Train" Michael Cooper; Felton Pilate Keith Sweat, Allen Smith4:20
13."Share My World"Keith Sweat; Bobby Crawford; Jerome LaneKeith Sweat4:28
14."5 Steps"Tamir Ruffin; James Green; Wendi MillerStanley Brown, Nokio The N-Tity5:43
15."In My Bed (So So Def Mix) [EU Bonus Track]" (featuring Jermaine Dupri & Da Brat) Jermaine Dupri4:02
16."Tell Me (Bounce Version) [JP Bonus Track]" (featuring Big Dex) Stanley Brown & Benjamin Love4:16
17."This Christmas [JP Bonus Track]" Stanley Brown4:12

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [6] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Information taken from Allmusic. [15]

Notes

  1. 1 2 link
  2. Jones, Bob (February 1997). "Dru Hill: Dru Hill" (PDF). Muzik . No. 21. p. 114. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  3. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  260. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone dru hill album guide.
  4. Mayo, Kierna (February 1997). "Dru Hill: Dru Hill". Vibe. p. 105 via Google Books.
  5. "Dru Hill: Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "American album certifications – Dru Hill – Dru Hill". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  7. Theakston, Rob. "Dru Hill: Review". Allmusic . Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Dru Hill – Dru Hill" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  9. "Dru Hill Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  10. "Dru Hill Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  11. "Dru Hill Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  12. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  13. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  14. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  15. "Dru Hill: Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved February 3, 2011.

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