Ralph Tresvant, aka Rizz (born Ralph Edward Tresvant Jr., on May 16, 1968 i… Read Full Bio ↴Ralph Tresvant, aka Rizz (born Ralph Edward Tresvant Jr., on May 16, 1968 in Roxbury, Massachusetts) is an American tenor singer, best known as one of the lead singers in R&B act New Edition.
Tresvant sang lead on many of the New Edition lead singles including "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now" and "If It Isn't Love". Tresvant led the group from 1983 to 1989.
Despite the success of groupmates Bobby Brown, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Johnny Gill, Tresvant was cautious about his own solo career. Signing to MCA Records, Tresvant let his apprehension be known in several interviews.
Nevertheless, well-known producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis were confident in his abilities after having worked with him on the album Heart Break. They wrote the song "Sensitivity" for him which hit #1 on the R&B charts, #4 on the Hot 100 and it went gold. His self-titled album released shortly after in 1990 and went platinum as well, topping the R&B charts. The album scored two more hits with "Stone Cold Gentleman" reaching #3 on the R&B charts and "Do What I Gotta Do" which reached #2.
Tresvant appeared in the movie House Party 2 in 1991 and the play, "The Man Of Her Dreams" in 2002. In 1993, he released his second album, It's Goin' Down. The album gave Tresvant greater involvement as he produced many of the tracks himself. However, perhaps due to limited promotion, the album failed to perform commercially as well as the debut.
On September 18, 2004, he married Amber Serrano.
Ralph's third solo album, Rizz Wa Faire, was released March 7, 2006. The first single from the album was "My Homegirl".

Sex-O
Ralph Tresvant Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sex-O (ooo)
Sittin' here all alone
The studio at night
Waiting for inspriation
For a song I get to write
Suddenly the lights dim
And I strain my eyes
I see to silhouettes lookin' fine

Well any friend of yours
Can be a friend of mines

Sex-O, stereo
You know the scenario
Lights low, studio
Intr(o) to Rizzo
Sex-O, stereo
Come slow, ya body glow
Down low, video
Smooth flow, now here we go

Four hands (rub me)
Four arms (hold me and)
Four lips (kiss me)
Four legs (wrapped around me)

I'm not a freaky man
But I want you both all to myself
There's more than enough of Riz to go around
One girl high, the other low
I'm in the mood for love
Twos a crowd but threes the kind of company
It's better to give than to receive
I'll give endlessly share our sexualities
S (sexy)
E (erotic)
X (rated over and over)

Four hands (rub me)
Four arms (hold me and)
Four lips (kiss me)
Four legs (wrapped around me)

Sex-O, stereo (stereo)
You know the scenario (uhhh)
Lights low (get it now), studio (studio)
Intr(o) to Rizzo (whatchu gonna do)
Sex-O (sex-o), stereo (stereo)
Come slow (come slow), ya body glow (oooh)
Down low (mmm), video (mhmm)
Smooth flow, now here we go

S (sexy)
E (erotic)
X (rated over and over)

Sex-O (come here), stereo (you too)
You know (you right here) the scenario (and you right here)
Lights low (yea), studio (it's on)
Intr(o) (hello) to Rizzo (whose the mack)
Sex-O (yea), stereo (can you feel it baby)
Come slow (I can), ya body glow (come on)
Down low (say ahh), video (you smile)
Smooth flow (here it comes), now here we go (yea)

S (sexy)
E (erotic)
X (rated over and over)
S (yea)
E (ayyee)
X (over and over)

Four hands (rub me)
Four arms (hold me and)
Four lips (kiss me)
Four legs (wrapped around me)
Sex-O, stereo (you feel it babe)
You know (take all night) the scenario (give it to me)
Lights low (lights low), studio (stuudioo)
Intr(o) (oooh) to Rizzo
Sex-O (aye), stereo
Come slow, ya body glow
Down low (four legs), video (wrapped around)

Smooth flow, now here we go
All over babe

Overall Meaning

The song is a tale of a man at the studio, waiting for inspiration to write a song but he suddenly glimpses two women standing in front of him, and he's attracted to them both. Ralph Tresvant sings about the idea of having a threesome with them. The song title “Sex-O” is a nod to the word “sex” while the O at the back could signify any random series of events.

The lyrics of this song are quite explicit and may not appeal to everyone. Ralph Tresvant tries to make light of the situation by rhyming sexy with the first letter of the alphabet followed by an iconic R&B style, "Come slow, ya body glow, Down low, video, Smooth flow, now here we go." He isn't trying to be erotic but is just depicting his sexual thirst. Tresvant is comfortable with his sexually fluidity and is not shy about it.

Overall, Sex-O comes across as a fun song, which is probably why it wasn't a big hit as its message didn't quite resonate with a broad audience. But the infectious beat and overall musical arrangement make it a fun-loving song that was popular among fans of R&B music.

Line by Line Meaning

Sittin' here all alone
I am alone in the studio, waiting for inspiration to strike.

The studio at night
It's nighttime and I am in the recording studio.

Waiting for inspiration
I am waiting for an idea to come to me so I can write a song.

For a song I get to write
I am hoping to receive inspiration for a new song.

Suddenly the lights dim
The lights in the studio have dimmed, catching my attention.

And I strain my eyes
I am trying to see what is happening in the dimly lit studio.

I see two silhouettes lookin' fine
I can make out the outlines of two people who look attractive.

Well any friend of yours
If you know either of these people, I wouldn't be opposed to meeting them.

Can be a friend of mines
I am open to expanding my social circle to include friends of my crushes.

I'm not a freaky man
I am not someone who is typically into unconventional sexual experiences.

But I want you both all to myself
I am intrigued by the idea of having both of these people all to myself.

There's more than enough of Riz to go around
Riz is my nickname and implies that I have enough of myself to share with others.

One girl high, the other low
One person can be on top while the other is on the bottom, creating a threesome dynamic.

I'm in the mood for love
I am feeling romantic and open to sexual experiences.

Twos a crowd but threes the kind of company
Typically, having two people together would be too much for me, but in this case, having three is more desirable.

It's better to give than to receive
I am willing to give pleasure to others before expecting it in return.

I'll give endlessly share our sexualities
I am open to exploring and sharing our sexual desires with one another.

S (sexy)
S stands for the word sexy.

E (erotic)
E stands for the word erotic.

X (rated over and over)
X stands for the word rated, implying sexual activity.

Four hands (rub me)
I am describing a sexual situation where four hands are touching my body.

Four arms (hold me and)
There are two people holding onto me with four arms.

Four lips (kiss me)
Both people are kissing me with two lips each.

Four legs (wrapped around me)
Both people have their legs wrapped around me in a sexual embrace.

Sex-O, stereo
I am mixing sexual activity with the production of music.

You know the scenario
You likely know what I'm talking about when I mention this situation.

Lights low, studio
It's dimly lit in the recording studio.