Total

Product Description:

Total: Keisha Spivey, Pam Long, Kima.

Additional personnel: Da Brat, The Notorious B.I.G., Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim (rap vocals); Sean "Puffy" Combs (spoken vocals); Chucky Thompson (guitar, keyboards); Eddie "Spanky" Alford (guitar); Charles Alexander (flute); Julian Jackson (keyboards, drums, percussion, programming); Herb Middleton (keyboards); Raphael Saadiq (bass, background vocals); Stevie J (programming); Terri Robinson, 112 (background vocals).

Producers: Chad "Dr. Seuss" Elliot, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Rashad Smith, Jean-Claude "Poke" Olivier, Steve Jordan.

Recorded at The Hit Factory, Sound On Sound and Daddy's House Recording Studios, New York, New York; Jam Shack II Recording, Los Angeles and Pookie Labs, Sacramento, California; 3 Boyz From Newark Studios, Newark, New Jersey.

One of the early feathers in the cap of the Bad Boy Entertainment empire, the female trio Total got their start backing the Notorious B.I.G. before releasing their self-titled debut in 1996. Unlike the sleek urban contemporary sound of acts like Destiny's Child, Total was driven by classic funk grooves and sassy attitude.

The singers, Kima, Keisha, and Pam, each have their own distinctive style, and that variety adds a pleasing twist to TOTAL. While the album isn't consistent throughout, it does have highlights, with "No One Else" and "Can't You See" (which features Biggie), among them. Funky, slinky, and sensual, TOTAL is a solid R&B album that deserves more attention than it's received since its release.