Your favorite solo effort of NEW EDITION members? Why isn't Ralph a bigger star?

[Spiritual Stratocaster]

By 1990 all the members of New Edition have dropped a solo album.

Bobby Brown of course with Don't Be Cruel, he won a Grammy for 'Every Little Step', and would go onto tour Japan in 90 going into 91.

I expect Bobby to win this poll so I kinda want to shift this into why Ralph didn't become a bigger star.

Bel Biv Devoe released Poison which was a smash hit that I don't think people expected to be so huge...the album dropped in March of 1990 and by the end of May they were certified platinum.

They had 'Poison' and 'Do Me!' as the biggest singles on the album.

Johnny Gill released his second solo album Self Titled a month after Bel Biv Devoe's album and had two smash hits 'My My,MY' and 'Rub You The Right Way' ( )

Ralph was the last to drop with 'Ralph Tresvant' ..this featured the smash hits 'Sensitivity' and 'Stone Cold Gentleman' . He was feeling the pressure too check the interview from Video Soul around the time Poison dropped





I will say that looking at New Edition and Ralph's voice, and his dancing ability...and even now...would he have been bigger if he left New Edition back in 88?

BBD kinda made their mark and lane with that 'Hip-Hop smoothed out on the r&b tip' ..Bobby was already a Superstar, and Johnny the balladeer ,and his LSG work.

Also I think his image was lacking...behind scenes we later find out he was on drugs and doing dirt just like Bobby but was his "Gentleman" gimmick too late for the time?

 

[cozy carl]

SCG was a cool song but it wasn't a smash like everyone else's second single.

Plus new jack swing was in full effect, nobody was tryna hear that slow gentleman shyt in '91.

MJ couldn't even save that album.

 

[smokeurobinson]

BBD counts as solo?




That Bobby Brown wave was serious at one point. And I was caught up in it so Bobby is my answer.

 

[King Poetic]

Ralph first LP is underrated as a motherfukker

 

[Spiritual Stratocaster]

BBD counts as solo?




That Bobby Brown wave was serious at one point. And I was caught up in it so Bobby is my answer.

For them, it counts as solo..

SCG was a cool song but it wasn't a smash like everyone else's second single.

Plus new jack swing was in full effect, nobody was tryna hear that slow gentleman shyt in '91.

MJ couldn't even save that album.

True...his content was some shyt Tevin Campbell could've easily been singing.

Bobby is on stage dry humping, and is actually being a bad-boy

BBD talking about smacking up big booties in the jacuuzi

Johnny talk about stroking ya down and rubbing em all over, then serenading the hoes out they dress...

Ralph on some sensitive shyt

The album went hard but I think having Sensitivity, and Stone Cold Gentlemen solidified him as some soft bubblegum type shyt.

 

[Rawtid]

I refuse to choose.

 

[Here Comes the Pain]

He shouldn't have waited to go solo. Timing is everything. When it's time to go it's time to go.

Had he dropped his solo album back in 87/88 like he was supposed to he would've been bigger, but the game had changed when that first album

R&b was taking a more provocative direction & he came thru tryna be suave & gentlemen like.

Meanwhie the rest of the group was going edgier/more sex driven.

Johnny Gill had the quietstorm voice so he didn't need to gyrate on stage.

 

[Taadow]

I mean...if it's a group album...it ain't a solo effort...so iono why BBD on here.

But if they count, I'll put 'me in order by my favorites

Bootcity...the Remix album
Ralph Tresvant
Bobby
Don't Be Cruel
Johnny Gill

 

[hayesc0]

I choose dont be cruel but Ricky Bell did alot of the work for BBD. These are basically solo songs lol.

 

[hayesc0]

Ralph first LP is underrated as a motherfukker

I think ralph wasnt that interesting thats why he didn't reach the same success as some of the others but he still did well.

 

[Sbp]

No it wasn't Ralph's image like people seem to always say now. At that time there was plenty of male RnB singers who were on the gentleman tip. The reason wasn't a massive solo superstar was because while sensitivity was a great song, he didn't have a smash hit on the album that transcend the Rnb genre.

 

[Taadow]

And, Ralph ain't a bigger star because he waited too long to come back with the second album.

It could be because he got married.
It could be because he had to wait in line for Jimmy and Terry to get free to work with him again.

...either way, it took to long for him to come back with the second joint.
And when he did, it was so different from the first one. That first one is too underrated.

 

[Sbp]

And, Ralph ain't a bigger star because he waited too long to come back with the second album.

It could be because he got married.
It could be because he had to wait in line for Jimmy and Terry to get free to work with him again.

...either way, it took to long for him to come back with the second joint.
And when he did, it was so different from the first one. That first one is too underrated.

He also should have let Jam and Lewis produce the whole first album he was at his best working with them

 

[cozy carl]

And, Ralph ain't a bigger star because he waited too long to come back with the second album.

It could be because he got married.
It could be because he had to wait in line for Jimmy and Terry to get free to work with him again.

...either way, it took to long for him to come back with the second joint.
And when he did, it was so different from the first one. That first one is too underrated.

wasn't he tryna go the bad boy route but since Bobby already did that he had to go sensitive ? lol

the second album was 95% written & produced by him. Jam & Lewis did like 2/3 tracks on there & it flopped crazy. The second was album was more darker & sex driven compared to the first one.

plus this nikka waited 4 years to drop another album



but this is my shyt

 

[Taadow]

He also should have let Jam and Lewis produce the whole first album he was at his best working with them

No no, I can't agree...it was like Illmatic for that album...all the producers who was hot at the time was giving him tracks because everybody knew the chit was gonna hit, and it did.

...and again, that's part of the reason the second one flopped. Word to BBD, he thought it was him (lol) and was trying to produce his own records and he wasn't dope at it.