"Word to the Mutha!" is a song co-written and performed by American

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhy ...

group

Bell Biv DeVoe Bell Biv DeVoe, also known as BBD, is an American music group from Boston, Massachusetts, formed from members of New Edition, consisting of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe. The band is best known for their debut album, the multi-p ...

and co-written and produced by Wolf & Epic (

Richard Wolf Richard "Wolfie" Wolf is an American Emmy Award-winning film and television composer, multi-platinum-selling music producer, songwriter, remixer, and author. Wolf got his start writing songs for his band and various artists before working for ...

and

Bret "Epic" Mazur Bret or BRET may refer to: People and fictional characters * Bret (given name), a personal name, including a list of people and fictional characters * Bret (surname), a list of people Other uses * a regional name for either the brill or the ...

). It originally appeared on their debut studio album '' Poison'' under the title "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny (Word to the Mutha)!", 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 A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 200 ...

'' WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album''. The song features vocals from

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

Ralph Tresvant Ralph Edward Tresvant (born May 16, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer, best known as the lead singer of R&B group New Edition. As a solo artist, Tresvant released the album '' Ralph Tresvant'' (1990). In 2008, he ...

and

Johnny Gill Johnny Gill Jr. (born May 22, 1966) is an American singer and actor. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has released e ...

. It was the first recorded song to feature all six members of

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 19 ...

. Brown, Tresvant and Gill are credited separately on the single, rather than collectively as New Edition. The song samples "A Star in the Ghetto" by

Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) are a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their album ...

and "The Jam" by

Graham Central Station Graham Central Station was an American funk music, funk band named after founder Larry Graham (formerly of Sly and the Family Stone). The name is a pun on New York City's Grand Central Terminal, often colloquially called Grand Central Station. ...

. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was filmed in and around the Orchard Park Housing Projects, in the Roxbury section of Boston, where five of the six (excluding Johnny Gill) New Edition members grew up.

Chart positions

References

External links

* * 1990 songs 1991 singles Bell Biv DeVoe songs Bobby Brown songs Johnny Gill songs MCA Records singles Ralph Tresvant songs Song recordings produced by Epic Mazur Song recordings produced by Richard Wolf Songs written by Ricky Bell (singer) Songs written by Michael Bivins Songs written by Ronnie DeVoe Songs written by Epic Mazur Songs written by Richard Wolf {{1990s-R&B-song-stub