UB Soul Friday: The Multi Talented RL Talks New Music + NEXT

This weeks “UB Soul Friday” spotlight’s a Twin Cities legend RL!

UB Soul Friday, spotlights artists, albums, singles and videos that left a mark in R&B and Soul music!

We kicked off this series this year with celebrating groups, such as Kool and the Gang and Full Force. Followed by celebrating R&B male artists, Johnny Gill, Carl Thomas and last week Freddie Jackson.

For our first UB Soul Friday Interview, singer/songwriter RL was our first choice!

Formed in 1992 by brothers T-Low and Tweety, aka Terrance Brown and Raphael Brown, respectively, and joined by RL ,aka Robert Huggar.

They were introduced by Tweety‘s uncle, James Greer.

The act had its first mentor in T-Low‘s godmother, legendary Ann Nesby, who trained and managed the group during its early days.

In 1994, NEXT was playing in its hometown of Minneapolis when it linked up with Low Key?‘s Prof. T and Lance.

“They saw us,” recalled Tweety, “and we started working with them and put a few songs on tape. Shortly after that, we went to a Naughty By Nature concert, we spoke to one of the road managers, and he asked us for a tape.”

Though they were advised not to give the music away, they took a chance, and with God‘s blessings everything worked out.

Within weeks, they were in New Jersey meeting with Naughty By Nature producer Kay Gee, who immediately expressed interest in signing the talented, streetwise trio to his Divine Mill label imprint (distributed by Arista Records).

Everyone knows the outcome of the story. In short: Paying dues singing at the Minneapolis Sabathani Community Center and St. Paul’s Arnelia‘s more than paid off for RL, Tweety and T-Low.

The group was still called Straight 4 Ward at that time, with four members. After it was down to three, the name was changed to NEXT; No one, Ever (e)Xpected This.

Soon after, the group collaborated on album cuts with Naughty By Nature, Adina Howard, and others.

The group was initially managed by Queen Latifah’s Jersey City, N.J. based Flavor Unit Management. “We’ve had a lot of people in our corner,” stated Tweety to Billboard.

“We can’t take all the credit for everything because of everything that’s been done not only by Divine Mill, but people back home and radio stations and the people buying the music. It’s been one big team effort, and being on the industry side of it, you start to realize how much more goes into an album than you ever realized.”

In September 1997, NEXT‘s debut single, the slow jam “Butta Love,” produced by Kay Gee, Lo-Key?’s Lance Alexander, Tony Tolbert, and Darren Lighty.

The song debuted on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart and eventually reached #4.

The push for “Rated NEXT” began with the success of the first single, “Butta Love,” which sold more than 1 million units. The album went 2× Platinum.

Released in August 1997, “‘Butta Love’ kept growing to the point where we had worked it from July through December,” stated Lionel Ridenour, Arista’s senior VP of Black Music. “Once we got it on in a market, it just locked in. It was one of those rare situations where the song was so good, it eclipsed who the group was in the beginning. Everyone knew ‘Butta Love,’ but they didn’t all know the group.”

“How many groups have a first single that goes platinum and a second one that goes gold and are still growing? We think we’ve got a nice run going, and as soon as that’s over, we’ll get them back in the studio and take it to a higher level, but right now, we feel there are at least two or three other nice cuts on the album.”

The follow-up singles “Too Close,” the breezy midtempo track that topped the Billboard R&B and Hot 100 charts and “I Still Love You,” another Top 5 R&B ballad.

NEXT amassed an impressive eight Billboard Music Awards for their debut album.

“Welcome II Nextasy,” released in June 2000, included “Wifey,” the group’s second #1 R&B single.

Predominantly written and produced by group members T-Low, RL and Tweety, in conjunction with album executive producer and group mentor Kay Gee, AllStar and newcomer Black Bonez, “Welcome II Nextasy” proved to be a worthwhile excursion, encompassing all the elements that made NEXT radio and video favorites.

With the chilled-out Twin Cities-styled harmonies, plush R&B; arrangements, energized hip-hop party beats, all put down with the most suggestive of lyrics. “I wrote about eight or nine songs on the album,” stated RL. “And I wrote one, and co-wrote another one,” Tweety added at the time. “T-Low got three tracks of his on there. We’re all starting to find our niche and what we like to do most. RL loves to sing and he loves to write. In fact, he writes extremely fast. Like in twenty minutes, you’ve got a full song, ready to record and everything. And T-Low produces quickly, just as fast as RL writes. And I’m a writer, but I’m also like the entertainer/business person of the group.”

“It’s like a place where not everything is all good or all bad,” RL said. “It’s just our world, with our minds put together. We’ve put our brains together with Kay Gee’s and come up with our own planet. The first album was like our movie, and now this one is our world.” “Let me nextplain,” T-Low jokingly adds; “Rated NEXT was the first one, now it’s time to welcome you to Nextasy. We’re giving you the nextended version.”

Coming off of the monster sexually charged “Too Close,” RL made the distinction between sexual and sensual. “There’s a difference between the two. Sexual is like `Lick me.’ Sensual is like `I want you to taste me.’ It’s just me being playful. There are things that I want to get out, and things that I’d like to experience. A lot of people may think because we’re artists and out on the road that we mess with a gang of women. But that’s not really true. A lot of times we just have to use our imaginations. I’m thinking all the time. Once I get a pen and pad, it just all comes out. It’s just being a little creative, and the funny thing is to be able to walk the line and say things that everybody thinks. Music that sells is the music that people can relate to. I guess it may come from my rap background; I just flip things the way a rapper would.”

The album reached gold status.

While the group took a break, RL recorded “RL:Ements” for Clive Davis new J Records label. Featuring the slept-on “Good Man.”

The group also went to J, where they released their third album, “The Next Episode,” in December 2002.

Featuring the single “Imagine That,” they briefly aligned with 50 Cent’s G-Unit and with Matthew Knowles’ Music World, and as they kept busy with solo activity, they plotted the making of a fourth album, tentatively titled “Music 101.”

NEXT topped the Billboard charts as well as receiving Soul Train Awards and American Music Award nominations. However, that was only the beginning. Venturing out and making his debut as a solo artist, the Minnesota native collaborated with Deborah Cox on her single “We Can’t Be Friends”, as well as a single on the Best Man Soundtrack entitled “Best Man” collaborating with Ginuwine, Tyrese, and Case.

The songwriter is responsible for such songs as; ‘Bring Your Heart To Mine’ – Luther Vandross, ‘Come Here’ – J. Holiday, ‘Forecast’ – Jamie Foxx, ‘U R The One’ – Usher, ‘Just In Case,’ ‘Anything’ – Jaheim, and ‘Valentine’s Girl’ – Mindless Behavior.

Others include Big Pun, Tupac, Keith Sweat and Destiny’s Child.

While taking a hiatus from the group he continued to maximize on his craft alongside producers like Jazze Pha, B. Cox, Kaygee, Battleroy, The Underdogs, Soulshock & Karlin, Oak & Pop, Saint Nick, Battlecat, Walter Milsap, DJ Quik, Allstar, Teddy Riley, Chad Elliot, Shep Crawford, The Ambassadors, and Tim & Bob.

As RL continues to tour with NEXT and prepare to release new solo music, his main priority in recent years has been family.

In a rare sit-down RL continues his tradition of giving UB a no holds barred interview.

An, unfiltered, hour-long interview with UB‘s Tishelle, a good friend of his.

RL discusses his career and humbled beginnings.

With the group NEXT short of their 30th Anniversary in a few years, RL shares stories of their early days.

From performances at Arnellia‘s, to former members, to being signed.

Plus with the 20th Anniversary of RL‘s viral song “Hater N U,” approaching next year, he clears the air on the aftermath. Regarding the song and the accompanying UB interview that went viral and caused riffs between him and members of Jagged Edge and 112.

If that’s not enough, of course he gives UB the scoop on new music, which includes a joint NEXT project with the group Silk and a new solo RL album.

RL plays a hilarious edition of the UB Lyric Game and in the process, shares a story of a reworked song (with a clip) he wrote for Ginuwine.

In this heartfelt conversation, RL also gets candid about his insecurities he has faced since a child. Including a failed suicide attempt.

And his disappointment on the lack of support from his home state of Minnesota (UB can relate).

Plus RL drops gems on how music is consumed today and so much more!

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