I was going through some old stuff in my closet last night and dusted off this cd. When it first came out, I HATED it. After listening to it again today, I realized how progressive this project was (for 1993). A lot of the songs are straight hip-hop, others are pop (From The Back...which sounds like something from N'Sync's first album). What are your thoughts?

daPrettyman said:

i remember the song that starts off "no one even knows it, girl to me you just can't show it...." they even had a video 4 it but it wasn't on the album but think it's was called "gangster"...

diamondpearl1 said:

"Gangsta" wasn't included on this album. They were sued for that song because they didn't clear all of the samples. When that controversy hit, it was pulled from the album and all that was released was a single.

The official first single from this album was "Above The Rim", however, the hit from the album was "Something In Your Eyes" (which is a Babyface track).

Above The Rim:


Something In Your Eyes:


I wish they had released "Lovely" or "Ghetto Booty". They were better singles.

Really liked this CD! And you're right--pretty progressive.

At the end of 1992, Bell Biv Devoe performed for Dick Clark New Year's Rockin' Eve. I remember 2 songs:

-Gangsta (which I had the cassingle for, pulled from Hootie Mack, released later on the Greatest Hits)
-Boot Sneaker ( NEVER RELEASED! )


Damn, Boot Sneaker got me hype and was also sample heavy. I was expecting songs like this when I bought Hootie Mack in 1993 so I was disappointed in the album.

This was a good album with some great funk.

Cinnie said:

I was disappointed also, but now listening to it 15 years later, it was way ahead of its time. A lot of the songs on the album are very late 90s/early 2000s sounding.

daPrettyman said:

You still have your original CD? In 1993 I gave mine to my sister, who had it reshrinkwrapped and regifted it to her friend.

Cinnie said:

I still have it because I actually like a couple of songs on it (Lovely, Ghetto Booty and Something In Your Eyes). The rest is garbage.

I still have that cd.....along with Bell's solo effort.

I wasn't feelin' "Gansta" or "Above The Rim" so I never even wasted my time with this. "Somethin' In Your Eyes" was a'ight.

1993 was a transitional period for R&B and hip-hop.

Adisa said:

That's so true. It's like people went from dancing and having fun (with New Jack Swing) to either being in love (Boyz II Men, Jodeci) or being "hard". There was no middle ground (much like today).

Cinnie said:

u sure? i just read that it was on the japanese import.

daPrettyman said:

That's the song where BBD sampled their previous hit Do Me!.

daPrettyman said:

Until the fall of 1995, hip-house & miami bass was THE only other opinion. But hip-hop/r&b killed that genre off as well as all of the styles of rap (except gangsta).

Christopher said:

okay the japanese import too