Cheers 2 U
| Cheers 2 U | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | March 24, 1998 |
| Recorded | July 1997 – February 1998 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | Contemporary R&B |
| Length | 1:05:42 |
| Label | Def Soul |
| Producer |
|
| Singles from Cheers 2 U | |
| |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Cheers 2 U is the only studio album by American R&B group Playa. It was released on March 24, 1998, through Def Jam Recordings subsidiary Def Soul. Recording sessions took place at Manhattan Center Studios, Soundtrack Studios and Axis Studios in New York City, at Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach and at Scream Studios in California. Production was handled by member Smoke E. Digglera, Timbaland and James Earl Jones, with Derrick "D-Man" McElveen and Static Major serving as co-producers. It features guest appearances from Magoo, Aaliyah, Foxy Brown and Missy Elliott.
Background
[edit]The album was originally going to be named eponymously, and release was planned for October 1997. Later, Static named the album Cheers 2 U after one of their songs. All three members share lead vocals on most songs, with Static dueting with Aaliyah on "One Man Woman", Black leading "Everybody Wanna Luv Somebody", and Black and Smokey handling leads on the title track.
Commercial performance
[edit]In the United States, the album debuted at number 86 on the Billboard 200 and number 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album was supported with three singles: "Don't Stop the Music", "Cheers 2 U" and "I Gotta Know". Its lead single made it to number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 26 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The second single off of the album reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The album's third and final single previously appeared on Def Jam's How to Be a Player soundtrack.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro (Interlude)" (featuring Magoo) | Smokey | 1:39 | |
| 2. | "Don't Stop the Music" |
| Timbaland | 4:45 |
| 3. | "All the Way" |
| Timbaland | 4:56 |
| 4. | "Everybody Wanna Luv Somebody" |
|
| 5:18 |
| 5. | "Together" |
| Smokey | 3:55 |
| 6. | "Derby City (Interlude)" (featuring Magoo) |
| Smokey | 2:24 |
| 7. | "I-65" |
| Smokey | 4:36 |
| 8. | "Cheers 2 U" |
| Timbaland | 5:11 |
| 9. | "Ms. Parker" (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) |
| Timbaland | 5:02 |
| 10. | "Top of the World" |
| Timbaland | 4:58 |
| 11. | "One Man Woman" (featuring Aaliyah) |
| Smokey | 4:30 |
| 12. | "I'll B 2 C U" |
| Timbaland | 4:25 |
| 13. | "Push" |
| Smokey | 4:01 |
| 14. | "Buggin' Over You" |
|
| 3:51 |
| 15. | "Gospel Interlude" |
| 2:12 | |
| 16. | "I Gotta Know" (featuring Foxy Brown) |
|
| 3:59 |
| Total length: | 1:05:42 | |||
- Sample credits
- Track 1 contains a sample from "The Girl from Ipanema" written by Norman Gimbel, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius De Moraes as recorded by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto.
- Track 2 contains interpolations of "Thank You" written by Sylvester Stewart and "Don't Stop The Music" written by Yarbrough and Peoples.
- Track 12 contains interpolations from "Baby" written by Keith Crouch, Rahsaan Patterson and Kipper Jones and "Bad Girls" written by Joe Esposito, Edward Hokenson, Bruce Sudano and Donna Summer.
- Track 16 contains an interpolation of "Message to B.A." written by Lorenzo Patterson and Andre Young.
Personnel
[edit]- Jawaan "Smoke E. Digglera" Peacock – vocals, vocal arrangement (tracks: 10, 13, 14, 16), arrangement (track 15), producer (tracks: 1, 4-7, 11, 13, 14), A&R
- Stephen "Static Major" Garrett – vocals, vocal arrangement (tracks: 8, 10, 13, 14, 16), arrangement (track 15), co-producer (track 14), A&R
- Benjamin "Digital Black" Bush – vocals, vocal arrangement (tracks: 10, 13, 14, 16), arrangement (track 15), A&R
- Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff – vocals (tracks: 1, 6)
- Melissa "Missy" Elliott – vocals (track 9)
- Aaliyah Dana Haughton – vocals (track 11)
- Inga "Foxy Brown" Marchand – vocals (track 16)
- Bill Pettaway – additional guitar (track 3), guitar (track 10)
- Kerie Cooper – keyboards (track 16)
- Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – producer (tracks: 2, 3, 8-10, 12), co-producer (track 4), recording (track 3), mixing (tracks: 2, 3, 8, 10, 12)
- James Earl Jones III – producer & vocal arrangement (track 16)
- Derrick "D-Man" McElveen – co-producer (track 16), additional programming (tracks: 13, 14)
- Jimmy Douglass – recording (tracks: 1-3, 6, 9, 15), mixing (tracks: 1-6, 8-10, 12, 15)
- Steve Sola – recording (tracks: 4, 5)
- Wayne Allison – recording (track 7), engineering assistant (track 13)
- Rob Paustian – recording (tracks: 13, 16)
- Conley Abrams – recording (track 14), mixing (tracks: 7, 13, 14, 16)
- Todd Wachsmuth – engineering assistant (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 9, 11)
- James Rosenthal – engineering assistant (tracks: 7, 13)
- Victor Bruno – engineering assistant (track 13)
- James Cruz – mastering
- Barry Hankerson – executive producer
- Jomo Hankerson – executive producer
- Jonathan Mannion – photography
- The Drawing Board – art direction, design
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[2] | 86 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[3] | 19 |
References
[edit]- ^ Stanley, Leo. "Cheers 2 U - Playa | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 15. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 11, 1998. p. 106. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 15. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 11, 1998. p. 25. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Cheers 2 U at Discogs (list of releases)
