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5. New Edition Is The Most Important Singing Act Of The Rap Era
There has to be one vocal group representing the hip-hop age in the Rock Hall, so why not New Edition? During their Garden show it became overwhelmingly apparent just how much rap shaped the group’s sound, attitude and look. As they earnestly rhymed the pubescent lines to their debut 1983 single “Candy Girl,” it was a sobering reminder that during those days hip-hop still was still viewed as a fad. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5’s landmark statement “The Message” had not even been on the shelf for more than a year. Most of New Edition’s up-tempo material included some reference to rap. And let’s be real. Were that any other R&B acts more hip-hop than Bobby Brown and the trio of Bell Biv DeVoe during their Gumby-rocking, starter jacket, fitted cap wearing, pants sagging runs? Nope.
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4. Longevity Counts
Sure there were middle-age women shamelessly waving signs that read “Team Tresvant” and wearing Candy Girl-stitched T-shirts. But there was also a large influx of 30 and 20-somethings as well as a few kids not even old enough to go to an R-rated flick by themselves. New Edition’s legacy runs deep. A near 30-year career is not easy to come by these days. Whether by retirement, untimely death or mutually agreed break-ups, rarely do we see a successful music act boast their full lineup. For a unit that has had a top 10 Billboard pop and R&B chart presence during three different decades, that alone is praise-worthy.
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3. Bobby Brown Is A True Rock Star
“They call me a lot of shit…but I only go by the name of bad ass Bobby Brown!” And with that, the most controversial member of New Edition displayed as much I-could-care-fucking-less swagger as Hall of Famer Mick Jagger. Brown got the biggest response of the night when he performed his post N.E. hits “My Prerogative” and “Roni.” He shook off a mountain of charisma—suggestively sticking out his tongue, cocking his black Fedora hat and dropping such laugh-inducing lines as, “I keep thinking about the time the group kicked me out the group.” And there were also moments of humility as the turbulent Brown thanked fans for their prayers following the untimely death of ex-wife and best-selling pop diva Whitney Houston. “I’m celebrating seven years being off narcotics,” he proclaimed. Who knows if the redemption of Bobby Brown will last? We all just want to see a happy ending, even for the resident bad boy.
2. They Proved There’s Life After Boy Bands
Outside of the Beatles (no, really), there hasn’t been another music group that has enjoyed the soaring levels of solo stardom than the alumni of New Edition. It started with the abrupt departure of Brown in early 1986. Following the pedestrian reception of his debut lone wolf project King of Stage, Bobby was catapulted to world-beating status as his landmark follow up Don’t Be Cruel moved over seven million copies, an astounding crossover for a hardcore R&B performer who symbolized the New Jack Swing era. Johnny Gill, the gruff, church-tailored prodigy picked to replace Brown, went double platinum on his self-titled 1990 set and found similar chart acclaim as a member of the super group LSG in 1997. N.E. lead vocalist Ralph Tresvant produced his own self-titled platinum 1990 triumph. And BBD perhaps pulled off the most unlikely coup in music folklore (remember, Bell, Bivins and DeVoe were often regulated to third-billing status in New Edition), pushing more than four million albums of their game-changing 1990 debut Poison. Meanwhile, N’Sync (see entry no. 1) is still waiting for anyone other than Justin Timberlake to go wood. We see you Lance Bass.
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So what's the no. 1 reason why N.E. should be in the Hall? Check it out...
http://www.vibe.com/photo-galleries/5-reasons-new-edition-should-be-rock-and-roll-hall-fame-137624
GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....
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