Favorite 90's R&B group

The NZA · April 18, 2008

let's not fuck up this poll like the last R&B one where everybody named shit they didnt vote for anyway; dont you tell me you want Xscape, High-Five and Brownstone up here 'cause we both know youre lying. :hulk:

Oh yeah, and im considering Destiny's Child more 2000-ish myself. Anyway, i think Boyz II Men and Jodeci will ride the popularity ticket, especially since many might not be familiar with a lot of those names (though i assure those of you who live in the states, youve likely heard a song or two by most of them), and i can almost garuntee Panch'll lose sleep over this poll. Anyway, im actually a fan of most of these groups (as opposed to modern R&B, which i agree with the RZA being largely "rap & bullshit", personally...) so i gotta mull it over.

archangel · April 18, 2008

c'mon, you KNOW this is going to end up being Dru Hill vs. Boyz II Men: why even bother with the others?

The NZA · April 19, 2008

you think Dru Hill, really? see, this is why i posted this. surprises all around.

Aartemys · April 19, 2008

I personally liked En Vogue.

Free Your Mind, Givin' Him Something, Whatta Man (duet w/salt n'pepa)...loved 'em all.

The NZA · April 20, 2008

they were good, and for a while there too. last single i remember was "never gonna get it", i think.

i kinda miss the female R&B thing, since i dug SWV, TLC and the lot of em. we dont even really get Destiny's Child anymore, just a lotta solo artists that look like (and sing as bad as) ashanti or something.

alive she cried · April 20, 2008

my favourite rhythm and blues band of the 90's?....oh wait,

you meant the bastardised r&b did'nt you?

of that list i've only ever heard of boys ii men, and a pleasant experience it was not.

Da Cap'n · April 21, 2008

Good thread, Nick. Here we go... Dru Hill dominated towards the end of the 90s. While they were still a super-group, no doupt (and one of my favorites), you really can't put them in the same thread as Jodeci or New Edition. After all, they were MOSTLY influenced by Jodeci. They were Jodeci wannabes. Sisqo almost blatantly stole K-Ci's style. Shai was good, but they had their biggest hit early (93 I think) with "If I ever fall in love". Bel Biv Devoe also revolutionized the R&B game with their soulfull-ness (along with Tony! Toni! Toné!). They are also credited with discovering Boyz II Men. Boyz, of course, became the most worldwide of those listed (next to Sisqo and Dru Hill). Girl groups were big too, but you forgot Total (who featured early Timbaland production). Silk did come out with hits in the 90s, but it was 2000 beyond that they REALLY got big. Their albulm Tonight was huge! H-Town (interestingly enough discovered by Luke Campbell: Miami's booty King) really only had 2 hits. Az Yet only had one. There's others that I really can't think of now, but they'll come to me. To be totally honest, 90s R&B is a dead genre and could never really make a return. Some groups have tried: Jagged Edge, 112, BlackSTREET (wait, BlackSTREET WAS from the 90s). Only Destiny's Child has made it. Guys like Jamie Foxx and Bobby Valentino are the only ones to come close soundwise.

Another group you missed: Guy.

archangel · April 21, 2008

I thought babyface discovered Boys II Men?

and why isn't he on that list?

Da Cap'n · April 21, 2008

Groups. And Michael Bivens of Bel Biv Davoe descovered Boyz. I think babyface wrote most of their songs. I could be wrong though.

archangel · April 21, 2008

hm...time for wiki! brb

yup, you were right.Babyface did most of their writing and Bivens inspired AND signed them.

Da Cap'n · April 21, 2008

Hey, I didn't know that Marc Nelson (lead singer of Az Yet) was actually an original member of Boyz II men! I was a big fan of his! Some other groups Nick missed:

Next and Ideal (man, I LOVED Ideal)

But those guys were mostly new millennium.

Reverend Jax · April 21, 2008

I do not deny general ignorance of the genre, but between Do Me and Poison, my pick is Bel Biv Devoe.

The NZA · April 21, 2008

haha, panch owned it. few quick things:

Dru Hill dominated towards the end of the 90s. While they were still a super-group, no doupt (and one of my favorites), you really can't put them in the same thread as Jodeci or New Edition. After all, they were MOSTLY influenced by Jodeci. They were Jodeci wannabes. Sisqo almost blatantly stole K-Ci's style

you can see where i ran into that problem here; some of these guys (BBD etc are so much earlier and again, influential its odd putting them next to later acts. obviously, i just kinda went for a big umbrella.

oh yeah, and youre right about shai's single but i really dug "Place Where you Belong".

Girl groups were big too, but you forgot Total (who featured early Timbaland production).

i honestly threw that one around, but the names confuse my ass: i thought it was just that one chick, and even then, i can only think of like 1-2 songs. which, to be fair, is true of some of the groups i went with anyway.

H-Town (interestingly enough discovered by Luke Campbell: Miami's booty King) really only had 2 hits.

totally didnt know that, that's funny. i wonder if they got ripped like Trick Daddy & some others've accused Luke of!

oh yeah, totally didnt know the Az Yet thing either, that's crazy.

Some groups have tried: Jagged Edge, 112, BlackSTREET (wait, BlackSTREET WAS from the 90s).

yeah, shit....theyre prolly the biggest group i left off here. :doh: saddens me to hear you say its a dead genre but considering all the use of synthesis & the like now it does feel that way.

wait, Jagged Edge is a group? i was so sure it was that one guy.

Another group you missed: Guy.
Next and Ideal (man, I LOVED Ideal)

i cant remember, what'd Guy sing? and hey, i wanted to include PM Dawn but there's only like 3 songs i (or likely most others) know by em, good as they were. Hell, i was this close to tossing Groove Theory, Zhane and others up that uh, woudlnt be anyone's favorites.

ps you aint said who you voted for!

archangel · April 21, 2008

still: no Babyface?

The NZA · April 21, 2008

didnt panch already answer that one? babyface is highly influential & wrote like half of what might be up there, but the poll's for groups, not individuals, is the thing.

Da Cap'n · April 22, 2008

Total was a group and they had some singles. They where featured on songs with Mase (which was on of the biggest rappers at the time). SWV did a song with Wu Tang, but you probably knew that.

Yeah, Jagged Edge is a group. 4 guys and two of them are twins!

Guy had a BUNCH of songs, but for some reason I can't remember one. HAHA!! Guy was big cause they had Teddy Reilly. Of Wrecks and Effects and BlackSTREET fame.

And I voted for Jodeci of course.

The NZA · December 2, 2009

fuggit, for lack of a proper R&B thread (we were on about groups & individuals here anyway), here's me shamelessly stealing another man's efforts and posting up most err'body's favorite 90s (ish) R&B! yeah, you can tell when the hip-hop merger started, around the time Meth & Mary got together it started to become a default. anyway, enjoy!

TLC - Baby Baby Baby