New Jack's 2nd girl group! (3.5 stars)
A. Lawson | Washington, DC | 01/28/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"In late 1988, new jack swing was in full effect. Predominately male, Riley & Co. decided to give the genre a different look. What was that look? Women. The race was on! The first team to form a group was Kyle West and Al B. Sure in The Gyrls. Consisting of three back-up singers, the trio manufactured an LP titled Love Me or Leave Me. A decent record, it produced no chart entries and failed commercially. A year later, Teddy Riley and Gene Griffin took a stab at it with another group named Abstrac'.
Also consisting of three back-up singers, the trio produced a minor hit in their lead single "Right & Hype", a new jack staple featuring a cameo ad-lib by new jack pioneer Bernard Belle. Subsequent singles followed, but did not launch. The rest of the album follows the lead single; rump-shaking, light-hearted funk that favors the classic G.R. sound. My favorites include: "Sleaze", "Buggin Over You", and "Make You Sweat". The midtempo numbers ("I'll Be Your Friend", "Trust Me", "Strategy) are not quite as convincing, but still enjoyable.
In conclusion, Abstrac' is arguably the first successful new jack girl group. They were blessed with the famous G.R. sound and paved the way for countless other girl groups (En Vogue, TLC, Salt 'N Pepa) to follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, shortly after their release, G.R. severed their partnership due to irreconcilible differences. As a result, Abstrac's hit potential all but flourished and they quietly disbanded. That being said, I recommend this album for nostalgia purposes. It's also a great record featuring the last of G.R.'s creative juices. A must-have for new jack fans and recommended for avid R&B followers."
