Another Bad Creation

New jack swing and pop-rap outfit Another Bad Creation achieved their greatest commercial success via their very first single. Penned by Michael Bivins—the New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe veteran who first discovered and guided the act—alongside producer Dallas Austin, “Iesha” landed on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart in November 1990 and climbed as high as number six. Ubiquitous across mainstream American airwaves at the time, the track also spotlighted background vocals from fellow East Coast Family act Boyz II Men and broke into the Hot 100’s upper tier. Although ABC modeled themselves on earlier bubblegum R&B ensembles such as the Jackson 5 and New Edition, they infused the style with hip-hop energy and projected a tougher street edge than their nearest rivals, Motown labelmates the Boys. Bolstered by the follow-up “Playground,” the lineup of Chris Sellers, Marliss “Mark” Pugh, Demetrius “Red” Pugh, David Shelton, and Romell “RoRo” Chapman earned platinum certification on the strength of their debut album, Coolin’ at the Playground Ya Know!. They issued a second full-length in 1993, shortly after appearing in Robert Townsend’s The Meteor Man. Aimed squarely at fellow Atlantans Kriss Kross, It Ain’t What U Wear, It’s How U Play It drew beats and arrangements from Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson (Tim & Bob), Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes, and additional contributors. No single from the project registered on the charts, and the group soon faded from view. A handful of members, among them Mark and RoRo, maintained recording activity well into the 2010s.