702’s album No Doubt is album that hardly ever gets mentioned when people bring up 90s music. The album seems to have been long forgotten and out of people’s heads. This is the album that will bring back nostalgic childhood memories or the fun times in college. For those who don’t remember, Las Vegas based group 702 put out sultry love ballads and soundtrack hits such as Steelo, All I Want, No Doubt, Get It Together, and Word Iz Bond. Overall 90's R&B/soul can never be touched! We need to bring back that vibe.
Get Down Like Dat has a very urban sound which meets sultry R&B/soul. The sound of the streets meets R&B. Missy Elliott raps and ad-libs all over the song.
Get Down Like Dat samples Barry White - Strange Games & Things and Suzanne Vega - Tom’s Diner. The funky bass line is what samples Barry White - Strange Games & Things. The instrumentation arrangement is perfect in timing to follow the used samples.
For those who did not know, Meelah sings and copies the musical notes from Suzanne Vega - Tom’s Diner as both her and Missy ad-lib over Da-da-da-da-da-da-da the verse. For the most part however, Meelah is one who is singing the musical notes from Tom’s Diner. Not everyone noticed that sample, recognized, or acknowledged it.
Steelo is the song that was a gold hit with a platinum sound. Their sultry soul sound with soothe your ears. The song was used as the introduction for the Nickelodeon TV show Cousin Skeeter. Missy Elliot is the one who produced Steelo and did the rapping. This is back when she had her hands on everything. Missy can do no wrong when it comes to production, rapping, and songwriting as well as singing.
Now the term Steelo refers to style as in “I like your style.”. Except in this case style is replaced with steelo. For example “I like your steelo.”. Steelo is slang for style. Missy Elliot is the one who coined the term steelo. Missy Elliott came up with this term during her weed smoking sessions back when she was a part of Devante Swing’s Da Bassment Crew and Swing Mob Productions back in the 90s.
All I Want is a song everyone can relate to. Everyone wants someone to talk to. Someone who will listen to what they have to say. People need and want is some special attention. Someone who will mention the special things in them. These are things we as human beings. We all want these things when being in a relationship from what 702 mentions. Chorus to this song sums that up pretty well.
The song was used in the soundtrack for the Nickelodeons’s Good Burger movie from 1996. The movie is what made this song into a hit with platinum sound. One thing is for sure is that All I Want will bring back nostalgic childhood memories. Overall this song has a retro nostalgic feel and vibe.
All I Want has that child friendly pop vibe to it which is no coincidence because the song samples Jackson 5 - It's Great To Be Here. Verse 1 uses the cadence of Rick James - Mary Jane. The cadence was inspired by Rick James - Mary Jane. The lyrics “He'll keep me going on/I’ll know him when he comes/He'll be my number one” are what follow the cadence of Mary Jane.
Get It Together is a 702 slow jam with a relaxing vibe and a calm mood. This song is what chills and calms the album’s mood down. Get It Together was written and produced by Donell Jones.
The song is about the questionability of staying or going into a relationship that is already troublesome. Getting it together in a relationship is important if you want to maintain a long lasting relationship. You wonder if you should stay or go. People take love for granted sometimes.
Round & Round has a hip hop vibe laced over a soulful soundscape. Missy’s ad-libs add to the hip hop vibe. So there is no coincidence the lyrics have a hip hop vibe laced with urban sound due to the fact this song samples Notorious BIG - Machine Gun Funk. Missy can do no wrong when it comes to singing, rapping, and songwriting.
Round & Round is another 702 song which should have been a single as well as Finding My Way. Motown dropped the ball on this song and Finding My Way by not making them into singles.
Word Iz Bond has a hip hop vibe which meets sultry R&B. A bit funk is added to the soothing mixture of R&B. Shyheim is featured on Word Iz Bond.
The song begins during morning time. Meelah woke up and called her girls as she didn’t want to wake her man. She says, “Let's chill today. Go out and play. Get in the car and let's cruise around the way in Las Vegas, Nevada.” The song Word Iz Bond is the lead song which is playing on the stereo system. The sound is so soothing. It’s got the kids on the block bumpin’. Got more funk in the trunk and it's funkin’!
Here Meelah is chillin' with her girls. Her and the girls know the time before they enter. Now they are flirting with the guys as they themselves cool with the girls. No members, just money. This is how 702 do. Cuz they keep it goin' on in Las Vegas, Nevada. 702 be chillin' to the break of dawn.
702 be chillin' with the hottest phat funk fashion. Donna Karen, that's the gear they be wearin’. 702 dedicated this song to all their peeps on the street. We gotta stay strong. Word iz bond.
Shyheim shine like diamonds on some straight Lariems. On the Benz glidin' through smoke foggy wind. Lay back in the Coupe. Peep Dom P's in the bright pink and white rover. Someone creeps up on the side of him. He is pointing to the nearest corner for a shorty to pull it over. She cracked a smile. He almost crashed the Benz. He blinked again and she was gone that fast.
Orish takes charge of being the lead on the song Not Gonna by taking charge and control over the lead vocals. This is one of the songs by 702 where Orish Grinstead takes charge instead of Meelah Williams.
Orish has to find her a new guy who is supa fly. Her previous companion had caused her too many problems. It was so stupid of Orish to take him back into her life so easily She is going out of my mind to take him back for the second time. Her previous companion had caused her so much heartache and pain. She wonders, “Why must you put me through so much heartache and pain?” “Tell me. Am I insane to let you do me this way?”
She is not gonna take him back because she don't play that. Because no matter what he says, he treats love like a game. How dumb could she be to think that he loved her?
Orish knows she has got to find a new guy. She can’t put up with his lies anymore. He broke her heart and put a burden on her. Orish feels so torn apart. She is not gonna take him back this time around. She don’t play that. No matter what he says, he treats love like a game.
Now Finding My Way was a good way to close out the album. The song has a calming mid tempo vibe. The song is straight up sultry in nature and sound! Not to mention relaxing. This is one of those songs that will have you nodding your head to the beat as the song plays. It's better to play this song at night. The song is perfect to play as a slow jam during midnight despite being mid tempo. The beats in this song will hit you every single time you hear this.
The “finding my way” sample portion of this song is appropriate enough to be used on an answering machine or for a voicemail message. “Please leave a message and I will be finding my way back to you.” Some people even used this song as their voicemail message on their answering machines.
The song Finding My Way serves as a reminder that life can be so simple before getting too complicated. Especially when it comes to love. Finding My Way is about moving your relationship to a higher ground by finding your way back to the person you love(d). Also this song about a woman who wanted a man that she could grow with and mature with over time.
For those who did not know, Meelah is that one who sings in the lead vocals and at the beginning. It is not Trisha singing the lead vocals.
I hate that Finding My Way never got any air play on the radio stations. Finding My Way had potential to be another gold hit on the radio as it had Babyface sound on top of sultry 90s R&B. Motown dropped the ball on this song by not making it into a single. The song could been spawned into a music video as well.
You know you want to move your relationship to a higher ground. Somehow you know we'll end up together. Yet all that comes into your mind is that there are so many feelings to deal with.
The chorus explains the emotions that come into you head.
[Chorus]
Where do we go from here
Can we face our fear
Into a love again, and remain friends
You wonder, “Where do we go from here?”. “Can we face our fear? Can we go get into a love again and remain friends?” You’ll be finding your way back to the person you love. You want to create a future and build a life that you can share with the person you love. That's what it's about. That's just what it will be. This song serves as a reminder that life can be so simple before getting too complicated.
I rate this album, 5/5*****!!
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