"Right and Hype" by Abstrac'

Song#:  4145

Date:  12/23/1989

Debut:  93

Peak:  89

Weeks:  6

Genre:  R&B, New Jack Swing

Pop Bits:  This vocal trio from NYC consisted of Mary Brown, Marsha McClurkin, and Topaz Del Bettis. Formed via Teddy Riley (Guy, Bobby Brown) and Gene Griffin, the trio got signed to Reprise Records and work began on a self titled debut album. Griffin would co-write and co-produce the majority of the album with Riley doing some side work. This first single would be issued out. It would be a minor hit at R&B reaching #23. The tune would cross over to Pop, but only spend a few weeks near the bottom. In turn, the album would get little attention and disappear quickly. Afterwards, Del Bettis would depart the trio leaving Brown and McClurkin to carry on. The pair would rename themselves M&M and record an album titled Get Ta Know Ya Betta for Atlantic Records. The title track would scrape the bottom of the R&B chart and that would be it for the duo.

ReduxReview:  While female vocal groups were more entrenched in freestyle at the time, there was potential for one to break through on the new jack scene and Reilly gave it a go with Abstrac'. The song was catchy, the production solid, and the vocals good. However, it just didn't have that little extra something needed to make it a memorable, standout track. I've read that Reilly and Griffin may have been going through a breakup of their partnership at the time and that may have affected the progress and promotion of artists they were handling like Abstrac'. The trio had potential, but in the end it just didn't work out.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Abstrac' member Mary Brown would step out of the limelight after M&M failed and begin working behind the scenes as a background singer and songwriter. Although prior to 1998 Brown would sell songs to a few artists including SWV, it would be a song that she co-wrote for a new vocal group that would truly kick off her career. Brown co-wrote "No, No, No," which would be the first single released by Destiny's Child. It would be a hit getting to #1 R&B and #3 Pop in 1998. The track would appear on the group's self-titled debut album. Although it would be her biggest hit as a writer, songs that she co-wrote would appear on albums by Diana Ross, Wyclef Jean, Kelly Rowland, Patti LaBelle, Queen Latifah, and others. In between she would provide background vocals for artists such as LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, TLC, and Michael Jackson.

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