The group, originally comprised of then adolescent; Aqil Davidson, Brandon Mitchell, Markell Riley, and Keith "K.C." Hanns, was formed around 1988 as Wrecks-n-Effect. Their first release, an eponymous EP of six tracks for Atlantic Records, included the singles "Go For What You Know", "Let's Do It Again" (which sampled The Staple Singers hit song), and a self-titled track sampling Jimmy Castor's "Bertha Butt Boogie". They received little promotion from Atlantic however, and, with the help of one-time manager and alleged gangster Gene Griffin, jumped ship for Motown Records. When they released their self-titled debut album the following year, "K.C." had left and the group had become a trio. Wrecks-n-Effect was produced by producer/songwriter Teddy Riley (brother of Markell Riley), and rapper/producer Redhead Kingpin; reached #16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #103 on The Billboard Top 200 chart, while its singles "Juicy" and "New Jack Swing" met a similar fate with the exception of "New Jack Swing" becoming a #1 single on the Billboard Rap chart. Tragically, Mitchell was killed in a shooting incident shortly after its release in 1990.
The group, now a duo of Aqil Davison and Markell Riley, changed the spelling of their name from Wrecks-n-Effect to Wreckx-n-Effect (the "X" symbolizing the loss of Mitchell) and followed up their first self titled album with 1992's Hard Or Smooth on MCA Records. Hard Or Smooth fared far better than their debut, selling just under 2 million copies and reaching #9 on the Billboard Top 200 and #6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The album also produced the multi-platinum, #2 hit single "Rump Shaker", kept at bay on the charts only by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", from her best-selling The Bodyguard Soundtrack. The accompanying video received substantial criticism for its "exploitation" of women in bikinis, despite its setting of a fun day at the beach, the New York Daily News referring to Wreckx as "Horny Little Rap Kids". "Rump Shaker" is also notable for featuring a verse (performed by Teddy Riley) written by a young Pharrell Williams, who, along with fellow future-Neptune Chad Hugo, contributed additional production work as Teddy Riley's then-protégés.
Wreckx-n-Effect had by this point seemingly reached the peak of their career as a group. Their long-delayed third album, 1996's Rap's New Generation, was not well-received or supported by their label MCA, who had grown weary of internal differences between the Riley brothers and Davidson. Not long afterwards the group disbanded.
In 2003 Aqil Davidson launched the indie label Control Records, and continues to perform under the name EmperA.
In October 2004, "New Jack Swing" appeared in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on the in-game New Jack Swing radio station, CSR 103.9.
Soul Man
Wreckx-N-Effect Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seeing him for real
Brother he aint got skills
Twisted in your wire
You got me light your fire
When he's working 9 till 5
Paying all your bills
(2x)
Such a crying shame
Well he aint to blame
[***]
cll I need to know
Has your man got soul
[*** to understand responsibility]
[*** all you got]
aint no quality
[***]
To a man that don't deserve
If you don't wanna let him go
You got to set him free
(2x)
[***]
Such a crying shame
Well he aint to blame
[***]
cll I need to know
Has your man got soul
Who you gonna use
What you gonna do
When your man gets ***
Where you gonna go
Who you gonna see
[Step up you better bring him with me]
The song "Soul Man" by Wreckx-N-Effect is a remake of the 1967 hit by Sam & Dave. The song opens with the singer claiming to be coming to the listener on a dusty road with a truckload of good loving. The singer reassures the listener that they have something special to offer and not to worry because they are coming. The song is a declaration of confidence and pride, with the singer proclaiming to be a soul man, somebody who possesses soul and can spread it around.
The second verse sees the singer continuing to speak about his confidence and self-assurance. He talks about having earned what he has the hard way and always striving to make things better. He tells his lover not to worry because she hasn't seen anything yet. It's a celebration of the singer's ability and his status as a soul man. The final verse talks about the singer's upbringing, how he learned about love before he learned to eat, and how he was educated at Woodstock. It's clear that the singer is proud of who he is and where he comes from. The song ends with the singer promising to give the listener hope and be their "only boyfriend."
Line by Line Meaning
Coming to you on a dusty road
I am coming to you on a dusty road.
Good loving, I got a truck load
I have a lot of love to give.
And when you get it, you got something
When you receive my love, you receive something special and valuable.
Don't worry, 'cause I'm coming
Do not worry, I am on my way to you.
I'm a soul man
I am a true lover.
(come on!)
I am encouraging you to join me and my philosophy of love.
And that ain't all
I have more to offer.
Got what I got the hard way
I earned what I have through difficulty and hard work.
And I make it better, each and every day
I continue to improve myself and what I have to offer.
So honey, said don't you fret
My darling, do not worry.
'Cause you ain't seen nothing yet
I have many more things to show you and give you.
I was brought up on a side street, yes mam
I grew up in a humble place.
I learned how to love before I could eat
Love was my first priority and I learned it before everything else.
I was educated at woodstock
I learned about love and music through my experiences at Woodstock.
When I start loving, oh I can't stop
Once I start loving, I cannot stop.
Just grab the rope and I'll pull you in
Hold on to me and I will bring you into my world of love.
Give you hope and be your only boyfriend
I will give you hope for the future and be the only lover you need.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (yeah!)
I am expressing affirmation and excitement.
Soul man
I am a true lover.
(oh lord)
I am acknowledging a higher power.
(And you're a) soul man
You also embody the same philosophy of love that I do.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEFFEN HARNING, MICHAEL KRONENBERGER, NICOLE TYLER, NORMAN BERGEN, REID WHITELAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind