New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre that fuses the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop with the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle, new jack swing was most popular from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the New York club scene. The sound of new jack swing comes from the hip hop "swing" beats created by drum machine, and hardware samplers, which were popular during the Golden age of hip hop, with contemporary R&B style singing.
SWV is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City, New York whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. Formed in 1988 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here ", "I'm So into You", and "You're the One". The group disbanded in 1998 to pursue solo projects and reunited in 2005. SWV has sold more than 25 million records worldwide.
Bell Biv DeVoe, also known as BBD, is an American music group formed from members of New Edition, consisting of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe.
Michael Lamont Bivins is an American singer, rapper, manager and producer, and a founding member of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe.
New Edition is an American R&B group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity in the 1980s when it was re-imagined as a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5 boy band. During the group's first experience with fame in 1983, its members were Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant. Johnny Gill joined the group in 1987 to add continued success after Brown's departure in 1985. Early hits included "Candy Girl," "Cool It Now," and "Mr. Telephone Man". Tresvant was the lead singer on most of the songs.
Color Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by Bryan Abrams, second tenor Mark Calderon, second tenor Sam Watters and baritone Kevin Thornton. Color Me Badd broke up in 1998 before reuniting in 2010, with various lineups since.
"The Best Things in Life Are Free" is a Grammy-nominated duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film, Mo' Money, starring Damon Wayans. The song was composed by Jam, Lewis, as well as Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe. Additionally, the song was remixed by David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, and CJ Mackintosh. The duet became a major hit in several countries, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom, number six in Ireland and New Zealand, number eight in Canada and Germany, and number 10 in the United States.
"Poison" is the debut single by the American vocal group Bell Biv DeVoe. This song, in the style of new jack swing, a late-1980s/early-1990s hybrid of R&B, hip hop and swing, was the group's most successful. The lyrics, written by Elliot Straite, describe the dangers of falling in love with a deceptive woman. The song's swing sample is similar to "Taking U Out" by Rockwell Noel & The Poet. "Poison" was the first single taken from Bell Biv DeVoe's debut album of the same name.
Subway was an American contemporary R&B group, which featured Keith Thomas and his brother Trerail Puckett, and their close friends, Eric McNeal and Roy Jones. The group was signed by Michael Bivins to his Motown-distributed label Biv 10. They debuted in 1995 with the hit single "This Lil' Game We Play" featuring labelmates 702 that reached #15 on the Billboard charts. The song was produced and written by Gerald Levert and Edwin Nicholas and was billed as "Subway featuring 702". The single set the group off to a good start, going gold and selling nearly a million copies.
Home Again is the sixth studio album by American R&B/pop group New Edition. Released on September 10, 1996, it is the only album to date to feature all six members of New Edition—Bobby Brown, who'd left the group in 1985, rejoined the lineup—and was their final recording for MCA Records. Highly anticipated, and being their first album since, Heart Break (1988), the album debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number one, becoming the group's first album to open at number one, selling 441,000 in its first week sales. It also topped the Irish Albums Chart, and the US Billboard R&B Albums Chart as the group's first album in twelve years to do so since their self titled album in 1984. The album's success spawned four singles which collectively received moderate Billboard chart success. It was certified double platinum by the RIAA, for sales and shipments of over two million copies on February 4, 1997.
Poison is the debut studio album from American R&B/hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe, released March 20, 1990 on MCA Records.
WBBD - Bootcity!: The Remix Album is a remix album released by R&B group, Bell Biv DeVoe. It was released on August 27, 1991 through MCA Records and was composed of remixes of songs from the group's debut album Poison. The album reached No. 18 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B Albums chart and was certified gold on October 23, 1991.
Hootie Mack is the second studio album released by R&B group, Bell Biv DeVoe. It was released through MCA Records on June 1, 1993, and featured production from the group itself and some of R&B's top producers such as Chris Stokes, L.A. Reid and Babyface. As the follow-up to the group's quadruple platinum debut album, Poison, expectations were high. Although Hootie Mack was not as successful as Poison, the album peaked at 19 on the Billboard 200 and 6 on the Top R&B Albums. Two singles made it to the charts—"Something in Your Eyes" and "Above the Rim", the former making it to 38 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified gold on August 25, 1993.
"Do Me!" is a song by hip hop/R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe. The song was released in 1990 as the second single from the group's multi-platinum debut album, Poison. A remix is included on the group's WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album, released in 1991.
"When Will I See You Smile Again?" is a song performed by American contemporary R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe, issued as the fourth single from the group's debut studio album Poison. The song peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991, while reaching number three on the American R&B charts.
"She's Dope!" is a song performed by American contemporary R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe. It is the opening track on the group's debut studio album Poison and serves as the album's fifth single. In early pressings of Poison, the song was simply titled "Dope!", but the title was changed due to the increasing drug epidemic among children at the time. The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1991. The EPOD Mix version of the song is the version used in the music video & released as a single.
"Word to the Mutha!" is a song co-written and performed by American contemporary R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe. It originally appeared on their debut studio album Poison under the title "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny !", but the title was shortened and a remixed version of the song was issued as the only official single from the group's remix album WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album. The song features vocals from Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill; and it was the first recorded song to feature all six members of New Edition; although Brown, Tresvant and Gill are credited separately on the single rather than collectively as New Edition.
"Above the Rim" is a song co-written and performed by American contemporary R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe, issued as the official lead single from the group's second studio album Hootie Mack. The song contains a sample of "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions and "Blind Alley" by The Emotions. and it peaked at #81 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1993.
"Something in Your Eyes" is a song co-produced and performed by American contemporary R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe, issued as the second single from the group's second studio album Hootie Mack. It was the only song from the album to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #38 in 1993.
Ricardo Bell, is an American singer best known as one of the founding members of R&B/pop group New Edition, and the lead singer of Bell Biv DeVoe. As a solo artist, Bell released the album Ricardo Campana in 2000.
